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Vinum
Essentia est Vitae 
An
Historical Perspective
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"Vinum
Essentia est Vitae"
There
are several ways that one can look into the history of
wine - One way would be to follow the developments and
science of viticulture, grape growing and wine production
and another would be to trace the spread of wine's commercial
activity through the millennia. However, we have chosen
to look at the history of wine as it supports our belief
as expressed in "Vinum Essentia est Vitae" or
Wine is the Essence of Life. As we will see, this creates
a convergence of the other paths.
We
know that science has fossil evidence of grape vines that
is 60-million-years-old. Many among us have also read
the old testament and the reference to Noah planting a
vineyard and making wine. While there are other fermentable
crops such as honey and grains that may be traced back
to be older than grapes, the produce of these has not
had anywhere near the same societal impact over known
history as wine. History and Wine have been integrally
inter-twined. This fact alone might be considered sufficient
evidence for our claim that Wine is the Essence of Life
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Hartmann
Schedel. Liber Cronicarum. Nuremberg:
Anton Koberger, 12 July 1493
A pictorial representation of Noah drunk on his own wine. |
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In
the Ancient Middle-East
As we look back in history, we see wine playing interesting roles
in the pleasure of life. For instance, an ancient Persian fable
credits a lady of the court with the discovery of wine. This Princess,
having lost favor with the King, attempted to poison herself by
eating some table grapes that had "spoiled" in a jar.
She became intoxicated and giddy and fell asleep. When she awoke,
she found the stresses that had made her life intolerable had
dispersed. Returning to the source of her relief, her subsequent
conduct changed so remarkably that she regained the King's favor.
He shared the Princess' discovery with his court and decreed an
increase in the production of "spoiled" grapes. |
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A
tablet from 2031BC - The first known
written recording of wine activity
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Whether
there is any truth to this fable or not is a matter for
debate. However, there is no doubt that wine, as a natural
result of grape spoiling, was stumbled upon by accident.
It has been determined that grape cultivation and wine drinking
had started by about 4000 BC and possibly as early as 6000
BC. Early production was centered around the Caspian Sea
and in Mesopotamia. Wine was in use in Egypt around 2700BC
according to scrolls recovered from ancient tombs. In these
ancient times, wine was the beverage of the aristocracy
and religious who in turn were considered the life and future
of these cultures, another indicator that Wine is the Essence
of Life. |
A typical
Egyptian tablet from a tomb,
c.2040BC to 1613BC
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The Ancient
Greeks
Wine was a major component of commerce and trade for the ancient
Greeks around 1600BC especially during their spread into other
regions. It was also a significant prescribes remedy for Greek
doctors, including Hippocrates. The Greeks learned a lot about
grapes and wine and especially how to mask spoiled wine with
herbs. We see here the importance tof wine to the Greeks in
two of the major areas of life at that time. Obviously the Greeks
could see that Wine is the Essence of Life for them
Get
all the histprical and hysterical facts on Wine History
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The
Ancient Romans
The Romans, however, were the people who took up this
baton and ran with it. The Romans became engrossed in
the wine industry and took it with them wherever they
went forth to invade and conquer. The impact of the
Romans became significant and noticeable starting around
1000BC. They classified grape grape varieties and colors,
observed and charted ripening characteristics, identified
diseases and recognized soil-type preferences and became
skilled at pruning and increasing yields through irrigation
and fertilization techniques.
The
Romans also learned the art of wood cooperage from the
Germanic tribes that they conquered and adapted it for
the storage and transportation of wine in lieu of skins
and amphora (clay jars). This was a great advance for
operations previously accomplished in skins or clay
jars (amphora). With the amount of effort that the Romans
put into the production and study of viticulture and
the drinking of wine as we read in history, it is obvious
that the Romans were of the belief that Wine is the
Essence of Life.
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And then
came Anno Domini (AD)
By the first century AD, wine was being exported in barrels
from the Empire (Italy) to Spain, Germany, England and Gaul
(France). It wasn't long before these regions began developing
their own vineyards. So aggressive was the development of these
vineyards, especially monastic wineries who established vineyards
Burgundy, Champagne and the Rhine Valley, that the Roman Emperor
forbid the import of French wines in order to eliminate competition
with the local wines. During the first millennium, France would
become the major player on the world wine market. Even during
the Dark Ages, the wine industry's methods and traditions survived
thanks to sacramental usage of wine. Clearly wine was not just
holding its own but an ever-increasing population, once introduced
to wine, quickly came to believe that Wine is the Essence of
Life and were not ready to turn away from it.
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The
Second Millennium
During the second millennium, there was much war and conflict
in Europe and between the British and the French. Nonetheless,
the British became both the principle customer for the
French in Bordeau and later a huge consumer of Port from
Portugal. History reveals time and time again how the
knights of the various English Kings and other noblemen
thoroughly enjoyed their wine while the rest of the people
drank ale. Obviously the British has discovered what others
before them had too - Wine is the Essence of Life.
This
was also one of the greatest periods of exploration followed
usually by invasion, conquest and settlement that the
world has ever known. This exploration brought wine to
Mexico, Argentina, South Africa and North America in the
1500s and 1600s. The word was spreading as the world was
opened up and populations spread too. However, it was
this spread into North America coupled with many failed
attempts to plant European wine vines along the Atlantic
and Gulf Coasts of North America and in the Mississippi
River basin valleys, that would ultimately prove fatal
for most of the vineyards of Europe.
Was
Wine is the Essence of Life becoming a death sentence.
No. Not really as vines were flourishing in Mexico and
California, so much so that the King of Spain forbad new
plantings or vineyard replacements in Mexico after 1595,
fearing his colony would become self-sufficient in wine.
It is apparent that the King of Spain and the entrepreneurs
of Mexico at the time realized that Wine
is the Essence of Life.
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But neither failures or royal proclamations would stop the wine
industry in Mexico, North America or Europe, thanks to the efforts
of the church and its missions In 1769, Franciscan missionary
Father Junipero Serra, the "Father of Californian Wine",
planted the first California vineyard at Mission San Diego.
This was the first of eight that he planted with what became
known as the Mission grape and dominated California wine production
until about 1880. The first documented importation of European
wine grapevines was 1833 by Jean-Louis Vignes. Subsequently,
Agoston Harazsthy, a Hungarian, would import cuttings from 165
of the greatest European vineyards into California thus introducing
about 300 grape varieties. Because of his personal investment
including the founding of Buena Vista winery and overall enthusiasm
promoting vine planting throughout the state, Harazsthy is considered
the by some to be the foundation of the Californian wine industry.
No matter who you consider to be the founder, the fact is that
this was the beginning of another chapter of belief that Wine
is the Essence of Life
Setbacks
In 1863, species of native American grapes were taken to Botanical
Gardens in England. These cuttings carried a species of root
louse called phylloxera vastatrix which attacks and feeds on
the vine roots and leaves. This proved disastrous to the vineyards
of Europe as it spread. During the period when the Europeans
were contending with phylloxera, the American wine industry
was ironically flourishing as the vines in America had developed
a resistance to the louse. By 1900, America had a fully developed
commercial wine producing business. Leading brands from California,
New York, Ohio, Missouri and New Jersey were appearing on many
of the best restaurant wine lists alongside French, German and
Italian listings. Barrels of California wine were being regularly
exported to Australia, Canada, Central America, England, Germany,
Mexico and the Orient. Based on its enormous growth and popularity,
it could truly be said that the world believed that Wine is
the Essence of Life.
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The
Drunkards Progress: From the First Glass to
the Grave. New York: Currier & Ives, 1846
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However, this too was to be its downfall in America
as the country became swamped with alcohol abuse, alcoholism
and their related problems. Prohibition began in Indiana
in 1816 and was to expand throughout the country in
the decades ahead. A setback for society and industry
but apparently not for the belief as people found alternate
ways of obtaining alcohol including wine. This continued
through into the 20th century Congress enacted the National
Prohibition Act that came into effect after midnight
on January 16, 1920. The repeal of the legislation at
the end of 1933 was too late for the American wine industry.
The net consequences of the legislation made it much
more difficult to obtain alcohol but possession by individuals
for personal consumption was not a federal crime. This
led to a new favorite pastime for numerous Americans
and a massive resurgence of grape growing throughout
the country, so much so that there existed a constant
surplus of production in California until the 1970s.
The belief that Wine is the Essence of Life was still
evident but production was beyond belief.
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Even after the Repeal, several states stayed dry - Kansas until
1948, Oklahoma until 1957, and Mississippi until 1966 - with seventeen
states choosing to obliterate free-market capitalism by establishing
monopoly liquor stores with limited selections and plain-as-dirt
merchandising that discourages respectable housewives from shopping.
Some of this still exists today. Despite all of this, fortified
dessert wines still sold well following the Repeal and wine continued
its massive popularity worldwide surviving the economic setbacks
of two world wars and the Great Depression. Beer was popular but
the greater consensus was that Wine is the Essence of Life. |
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Today
In spite of the political workings of lobbyists, minority
puritan groups, self-serving factions with their own agenda
and other factors such as economic downturn, unemployment
and the like, table wine has grown in popularity in all
part s of the world. This is particularly noticeable in
America and Australia. However, the U.S. per-capita consumption
of wine still lags far behind most countries of the Western
Hemisphere even though American wine-consuming growth is
on pace to become the number one wine consuming nation.
In Australia over the past 30 years, wine consumption has
become so popular that beer companies invested in wineries
so as to head off any loss of profits. It is apparent that
they made the right move as their wine profits continue
to outstrip their beer profits. This is not the end of the
saga but just the current chapter in the ongoing belief
that Wine is the Essence of Life. |
Wine is the Essence of Life today as
it has always been |
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