A Quick History of Wine

Wine is a historical beverage, well known to the ancient Greeks and Romans. The Greek god Dionysus and the Roman god Bacchus were the gods of wine. Wine is mentioned in the Bible and is used in religious services by Jewish and many Christian religions. Did you know that the use of wine is forbidden by Islam? Wine was probably discovered by accident when grapes fermented naturally on the vine or in storage.

Wine Can Be Made From Many Crops

The overwhelming preference throughout history and around the world is for grape wine. But wine can also be made from other vegetables and fruit, like Aunt Milly’s elderberry wine, or Grandma’s dandelion wine. Although other fruits such as apples and berries can also be fermented, their wine is known as fruit wine or country wine. Barley wine and rice wine, also called sake, are more like beer than wine because of the starches in barley and rice. In many countries and many languages, the word “wine” refers by law to the wine of the grape.

A Wine Expert Is Called an Oenologist

Oenology is the science of wine making. An expert in the area of wine making and oenology is called an oenologist, someone who is passionate about wine as a hobby or a career. Their passion for wine goes beyond that of a typical wine enthusiast.

From http://www.surfersam.com