10 Interesting Facts about Wine

Give me books, French wine, fruit, fine weather and a little music played out of doors by somebody I do not know. – John Keats

This above quote by John Keats summarizes the effect of wine. What better way to relax and unwind after a long day than opening a bottle of your favorite wine and putting on your favorite music. Add a long hot bath and a book, we couldn’t ask for anything more. Just taking a sip of wine and savoring its flavors can relax us immediately.

It is common knowledge that wine is an incredible and complex drink made by fermenting grapes. But there is much more to wine, the drink we all love. Wicked Spoon Confessions lists some of the lesser known yet interesting facts about wine.

1. Say cheers: 

Wine-drinking etiquette suggests that that it is important to clink the glasses and say cheers before starting to drink wine. While the custom may vary slightly in different countries, the clinking of glasses is common around the world. This custom has been followed since centuries. It is said that this tradition of bumping glasses started in Rome. Bumping glasses makes the wine spill from one glass to another. This helped them to ensure that no one is trying to poison the other. In ancient Greece, the host was to take the first swig of wine to indicate to guests that the wine is not poisoned. Another interesting theory suggests that the sound of clinking glasses and loud cheers will ward off evil spirits.

2. No wine for women: 

Ancient Egyptians avoided wine as they considered it to be the blood of men who fought against Gods and were killed. Women were forbidden to drink wine in old Rome. Any woman found to be drinking could be sentenced to death by law.

3. God of wine: 

Did you know there is a God of wine? According to Greek mythology, Dionysus is the Greek God of wine and festivities. He travelled around the world and taught the art of making wine to men.

Image Courtesy Flickr - Creative Commons

4. Wine lovers and haters: 

There are people who may be scared of wine or even hate it. Fear of wine is known as oenophobia, whereas love of wine is oenophilia. People who love wine are called as oenophiles.

5. Wine and grapes: 

About 2 ½ pounds of grapes is required to produce one bottle of wine. One tone of grapes is required to produce 60 cases of wine. It takes about 4-5 years to harvest a newly planted crop. Based on the type of grapes used and style of winemaking, wine can be classified into five fundamental groups—red wine, white wine, rose wine, sparkling wine, and fortified wine.

6. Top producers of wine: 

France and Italy are the top producers of wine. Bordeaux, the wine region of France has numerous vineyards and processing centers which are announced by UNESCO as part of its world heritage list. Spain and California are other major producers of wine. Wine connoisseurs can identify the origin of wine through its color.

7. Top consumers of wine: 

Wine being a part of heritage of France and Italy, we would think one of these countries would be the major consumer of wine. But the United States of America topped the list of major consumers of wine, followed by France, Italy, and Germany. China is the largest consumer of wine among Asian countries and is the fifth largest consumer of wine worldwide.

8. Most expensive wine: 

A bottle of Richebourg Grand Cru created in 1985 is considered to be the most expensive wine at €15,195. This wine was produced in Burgundy by Henri Jayer, and was selected as the most expensive wine based on data from around 55,000 price lists.

9. Oldest wine: 

Wine is said to have been found around 6000 years ago in the Middle East. The oldest bottle of wine is the Speyer wine bottle displayed in the Pfalz historical museum in Germany. It was found in a Roman tomb in Speyer, Germany. This bottle of wine is dated between 325 and 350 AD.

10. Wine and health: 

Red wine is a powerful source of antioxidants and is heart healthy. It is also rich in minerals, such as calcium, magnesium, potassium and phosphorus and can help you relax and beat depression. Red wine helps reduce weight, risk of stroke and various types of cancer, lowers your cholesterol, regulates blood sugar levels, prevents liver damage, and reduces inflammation. Interestingly, this wine also improves your sex life, slows brain decline, and helps fight against skin aging.

White wine also has similar health benefits as red wine. It protects cells from cancer, prevents lung disease, helps in weight loss and also helps your body fight against aging and brain decline. Another important benefit of white wine is that it helps you avoid headache and nausea.

However, to benefit from these types of wines, you need to make sure that you don’t consume them like a chronic alcoholic. :)

Women get drunk faster and are more susceptible to the effects of wine than men because of the water to fat ratio and the presence of a certain enzymes in their stomach.

While it is natural for wine lovers to want to know more about wine and its rich history, these interesting facts will help you to keep conversation going at a party or a get together and impress others with your extensive knowledge of wine. So, be it a breakfast, lunch or dinner, have fun drinking from that goblet!

Disclaimer: This post caters to audience above 25 years of age. Alcohol consumption is injurious to health, drink responsibly, don't drink and drive.