| Wine is probably the most storied and legendary | | | | plentiful and widely used in the old world, as an |
| beverage conceived by mankind, and its history goes | | | | all-purpose storage container. Oak wood has a tight |
| back literally to Biblical times. This makes for some | | | | grain which makes it leak-proof. Oak barrels also |
| surprisingly fun trivia hunting; wine is the beverage | | | | favor the aging of wine because they allow very |
| that always has another surprise in store! | | | | controlled exposure to oxygen. |
| Wine's first purpose was as a water purifier! A long | | | | One of the reasons that so much fuss is made over |
| time before modern methods for sanitizing water, | | | | the proper serving temperature of wine is that |
| primitive peoples developed one foolproof method | | | | human taste-buds function differently at different |
| for ensuring that water was safe to drink: they'd mix | | | | temperatures. Sweeter tastes come through better |
| in the fermented juice from fruit and found the | | | | at room temperature, while more savory tastes |
| alcohol was sufficient to kill any harmful organisms. | | | | come through better at colder temperatures. |
| The fermenting of beer and wine was one of the | | | | The world's most influential wine critic is currently |
| first applications of alchemy and hence chemistry, | | | | Robert J. Parker, Jr. The lawyer-turned-wine-snob is |
| going as far back as the year 1000 B.C. | | | | responsible for creating the 100-point wine rating |
| Wine has an important place in more than half of the | | | | system widely used today. It is said that a 100-point |
| world's religions. Jewish practitioners say a blessing | | | | rating from him is enough to drive up the price of a |
| over wine on holidays, and Passover is observed with | | | | wine. This effect has even given rise to the term |
| four cups of wine. Wine makes an appearance | | | | "Parkerization" in the wine world, which is the |
| throughout Christianity, with even one of Jesus' | | | | tendency of many establishments to base their |
| miracles being to turn water into wine. It is used in | | | | purchasing habits on what Parker's review says this |
| the Eucharist of both Catholic and Protestant religions. | | | | week. |
| The ancient Greeks had the god Dionysus, the god | | | | Of the top wine-producing nations in the world, |
| of wine and with it, of both madness and ecstasy. | | | | France still ranks number one at 5.3 million tonnes per |
| Of the major world religions today, only the Islamic | | | | year. Italy (4.7 tonnes) is second, Spain (3.6 tonnes) |
| ones specifically forbid wine. | | | | is third, and the United States (2.2 tonnes) is fourth. |
| While we assume that glass bottles of wine is the | | | | Australia is in sixth place, but very nearly tied with, of |
| preferred standard, glass bottles only came into use | | | | all countries, China! However Australia is the fourth |
| after the 18th century. Before this time, wine was | | | | largest exporter of wine and has the third largest |
| traditionally stored and transported in bulk, usually in | | | | market share. |
| wooden barrels or clay casks. For individual-sized | | | | The "French paradox" has it that the French have a |
| serving, it would be carried in a wineskin, usually | | | | diet rich in fatty foods, yet have one of the lowest |
| made from leather and originally lined with resin to | | | | rates of heart disease in the world. It is the French |
| keep them from leaking. | | | | paradox that led to the realization that wine, which |
| The use of oak barrels is frequently touted as a | | | | the French consume in great quantities, is beneficial |
| contributor to the taste of wine. But actually, oak | | | | to the heart. |
| was originally used simply because oak wood was | | | | |