Wine tasting in Temecula A tradition that grows stronger with time
By Alison Elsner For DMHN Humans have been drinking – er, tasting – wine since ancient times, with archaeological evidence of wine consumption found at sites in China (c.7000 BC), Iran (c.5000 BC) and Greece (c.4500 BC). The oldest evidence of wine production has been found in Armenia (c.4100 BC), where the oldest winery to date was uncovered. The Greek God of Wine, Bac-
chus, is still worshipped in legend and referred to in marketing. Thousands of years ago, wine tasted vinegary, sour, ill-flavored and spoiled easily, what with exposure to air, dirt, strange microbes, critters and other debris. However, it wasn’t unhealthy, and compared to water and milk which were often diseaseridden, wine was still the safest thing to drink, with its built-in disinfectant. People then, as now, also recognized its intoxicating effects.
Around the time of the Renaissance, from the 14th through 17th centuries, wines began to be appreciated for their taste nuances, with attention to balance and depth. The 18th century Enlightenment brought about a better understanding of grape-growing, wine production and wine storage. Combined with safer water supplies, wine transformed into something to be appreciated and savored. Roadblocks like diseases to the vineyards, world wars, depression and Prohibi-
tion kicked in but during the second half of the 20th century, wine making and drinking advanced once again. Some wine experts say that wine has evolved as much in the past 25 years as it did in the previous 2000. Today, the wine industry is thriving around the world. California accounts for nearly 90 percent of American wine production, one third larger than that of Australia; it’s the world’s fourth largest wine producing area. The state’s viticultural history dates Continues on page 6 >>
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