Wine And Culture Essay

Some thought it was super natural, others thought it was only for gods. Around 3150 BCE one of the earliest Egyptian Kings was buried with seven hundred jars of wine. Keep in mind that these jars had to transported, and it wasn’t cheap! On the other hand around 825 BCE, the Assyrians had wine drinking established to a formal social ritual. In Greece it was drunk at many formal drinking parties and believed that, “To rich and poor alike hath he granted the delight of wine, that makes all pain to cease.” (Page 53) Wine obviously contained alcohol, so many judged others by how they conducted themselves after drinking it. The Greeks always mixed their wine with water, opposed to the Scythians and Thracians who never mixed their wine with water. Wine as well had its own game! The name of the game was kottabos. It was played in certain rooms involving flicking the last drop of wine on targets. Now a days, it seems crazy, but back then it was considered to help with concentration. This section was filled with so many wonderful quotes from poets and philosophers that stuck in my head through-out the reading of this book. A Greek poet by the name of Aeschylus said, “Bronze is the mirror of the outward form; wine is the mirror of the mind.” (Page 56) Another quote comes from a Greek philosopher named Eratosthenes, “Wine reveals what is hidden,” (Page 62) Wine can still today “reveal what is hidden” that brings us to modern day

Wine has also impacted the world in many ways. If wine hadn 't been invented or discovered we would not have vineyard farming today. Wine was a very popular drink during the Roman and Grecian era. In fact wine was the main drink. Greek and Roman men would have get togethers called symposia. The sophisticated, formal, and intellectual atmosphere of the symposion reminded the Greeks of how civilized they were. It reminded that they weren 't just there to drink wine, they were there to discuss many things as well. Wine

Wine has been a part of Western history since the Neolithic Period (8,500-4,000 B.C.), when cultures first started to develop permanent communities, and stopped being nomadic hunter-gatherers (U. Penn, 2000). One of the earliest written records of the consumption of wine is recorded in the Bible and the impact of wine on Mediterranean cultures became more pronounced over the years as the geopolitical situation stabilized in the region under the Roman Empire. Roman Imperialism helped to spread the production of wine across most of the countries in the Empire, which included most of North Africa and Southern Europe (Britannica, 2000). During that same era, wine became ingrained in the Christian faith and is still used in Christian mass today. The close tie between wine and the Christian faith aided to the spread of wine production and wine consumption across Europe

People used wine to show that they are successful and have a higher social status ranking than others, leaving the ones who weren't wealthy and unsuccessful without wine. This began the first socially/economically divided empires. It was used in religious ceremonies, and used medicinally to heal wounds.

Wine production involves two parts of economic activity – viticulture and wine making in the winery. In the global context, wine production is dynamic due to the influence of globalization, technological advancements and extensive research. These have essentially influenced the nature, spatial patterns and the ecological dimensions of the wine industry.

Wine was originally very scarce and exotic, meaning the only people to really drink it were very powerful, prestigious, and privileged people. It was mainly drunk during public meetings and debates, or symposia’s, to express one’s self much more freely. While beer was known to have medicinal benefits, wine was known to clean wounds.

The exact time when beer was created is unknown, but was common in the Near East by 4000 BCE. With the discovery of beer, came an increase in the importance of cereal grains, and the argument that the discovery is a key factor in society’s adoption of agriculture, the point at which history begins approach modern times. One of the explanations for this change is, “once beer had been discovered, and its consumption had become socially and ritually important, there was a greater desire to ensure the availability of grain by deliberate farming” (Standage 21). The next drink Standage decided was a significant piece of history was wine, which is presented through a review of early Greece and Rome. An important point that Standage noted was the apparent split in social classes seen with the introduction of wine. “At the time, one shekel of silver per month was regarded as the minimum wage, so wine could only have become an everyday drink among the very rich” (Standage 50). In addition, wine was also associated with religion, long distance trading, and geography. Standage moves on to the colonial period using spirits as vessel through which to discuss the era. Connections from spirits are made to exploration, the slave trade, and the American revolution. Standage makes the case that spirits was the first globally ubiquitous drink that affected many aspects at the time. “Unlike beer, which was

In a History of the Worlds in Six Glasses, Tom Standage describes beer as one of the oldest beverage. According to Standage the discovery of beer was around 10,000 BCE, it was made from grain that grew in the region called Fertile that could be stored and made wet or soaked to turn into beer (p 15). Beer was shared with several people and goes on to become a social drink. Standage goes on to explain about another beverage made with wild grapes vines produced between 9000 and 4000 BCE in northern Iran (p 47). Wine became a symbol of social differentiation and a form of conspicuous consumption. In this essay I will describe how Tom Stranger’s text discusses the relationship between beer and wine with their social behaviors and their

Alcohol has been the lifeblood of civilization dating thousands of years back in time, and it is clear to see the culture impact it has made throughout history. People perceive alcohol in many different ways; depending on gender, age, religious background, or social upbringing. Throughout history alcohol has affected different cultures and various demographics. It has been a source of pleasure and aesthetic in many cultures, along with being one of the oldest rites of passage, especially in modern day American society. Alcohol and drinking were also an integral part of religious observances throughout history and culture. The use of alcohol can be seen as a social lubricant, and besides being a thirst quencher, it can play a pivotal role

One does not consider the origin and history of a alcoholic drink during a celebratory event nor does one consider the effects it has created in society when reaching the bottom of their glass. Journalist and author, Thomas Standage in his non-fiction text, A History of the World in 6 Glasses, describes the great impact of beer, wine, and spirits on civilizations. Standages purpose is to explain how these alcholic drinks marked political, social, and intellectual revolutions that influenced modern day society. Particularly, wine caused major social and agricultural turning points in the Greek and Roman empires. Standage adopts a celebratory and admireful tone in order to convince the readers of wines pivotal role in history.

It was seen as a magnificent creation gifted towards the wealthy and had a high value to it. This creation made beer’s importance decrease. It was simply now a drink for the “working class.” Wine was a drink that was socially favored and a monumental part of Greek culture, “It was drunk at formal parties, or symposia, which were venues for playful but adversarial discussion in which drinkers would try to outdo each other in wit, poetry, or rhetoric.” (Standage 52). The second change shown through drinks in history is how each drink brought a unique cultural and social status with it. With new drinks being created, the values of others went down. Rum became well liked among North American colonists, it was a drink that was cheap and strong in alcohol. Now the Americans did not have to rely on the Europeans to import drinks and, “Rum was generally drunk neat by the poor, and by the better off in the form of punch-a mixture of spirit, sugar, water, lemon juice, and spices served in an elaborately bowl.” (Standage 115). This was a drink that was seen throughout America as a social aspect to society, and a start of one in the North American

Wine is made of fermented juice of crushed grapes stored over time. “Natural yeasts, present on the grape skins, convert the sugars in the juice into alcohol.” Explains author, Tom Standage [page 47]. One-way wine was consumed, by the Greeks, was by mixing water with the wine before intake. In order to figure out how much wine to add, the Greeks used ratios to determine the amount of water to wine. Wine started out as a drink for the wealthy, which involved “drinking parties”, called Symposions. Eventually, it didn’t matter whether you drank wine or not. What mattered was which type of wine you

The Romans drank a lot of wine but not straight or quickly. “Diluting wine and drinking with restraint were ordinary courtesy. The purpose of a dinner party was relaxed

Beer and wine might have been one of the first drinks that caused humans to civilize and create a great community. In fact Tom Standage introduces us to this idea of these early drinks shaping human culture in his book A History of a World in Six Glasses. As Standage informs us about how beer was one of the causes in early settlement, and why farming was led to a great success because of the use of beer. Standage also mentions a start in traditions and a formation of government due to these drinks. Although beer being very important, Standage also introduces us to wine as a form of a class status that helped man distinguishing barbarism to a world of high standards and manners allowing for the community to become more cultured and

Nowadays, in the “Old World” countries of Europe, where the bulk of the volume is still produced, this is of great concern. However, consumers, especially younger drinkers, prefer the high quality wine from famous brands which are imported into Europe by the “New World” player, and the growth rate is at average10% per