This Wine Might Be Past its Prime

A couple of years ago, I saw an article about the discovery of the oldest wine ever discovered.  Found in Armenia it was made 6,100 years ago.  No. It was not liquid.

At the time I was amazed but as it was known that wine was originally produced in Georgia (not the Peach Tree State but rather the one in the Caucasus), I wasn’t really too surprised as Armenia is in that general area.

Now an announcement has been made that even earlier wine has been discovered and in Europe.  Found on an ancient mound on the Greek Drama plain, the site of ancient Dikili Tash has been undergoing excavation since the 1920s.  The last dig in begun in 2008 and completed in 2010 has continued to explore further back into time.

In an analysis of the pottery found on the site, showed evidence of tartaric acid which is sign of fermentation as well as carbonized grape seeds and skins.  Carbon dating indicates that this  wine was being produced 6,200 years ago.  That is 100 years earlier and nearly 1,400 miles to the west of the previously known discovery of early wine.

For more information:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/10/02/6000-year-old-wine-greece_n_4027039.html
http://www.iksis.fr/r-dikili-tash_fr.htm (in French)
http://www.dikili-tash.fr/content_en/recherche/prog3.htm (in French with English translation)

Gretchen Miller Neuman
VinoVerve Editor

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