Journalist Hendrik Spiering published yesterday an article in NRC entitled ‘’Wine remains in 8,000 years old vessel indicate the origin of wine in the Caucasus’’
In 8,000-year-old pot shards from Georgia, the oldest known wine remains were found. It concerns residues of vessels that could contain up to 300 liters where tartaric acid was found. Many pollen grapes have also been found in the surrounding soil as the team of researchers writes this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
This is not the oldest alcoholic drink ever made with grapes, because previously, 9,000 years old chemical residues were found in South China, where grapes were combined with hawthorn fruits, rice beers and honeydew. In Georgia, pure wine has been found.
It is not surprising that the oldest pure wine comes from Georgia. Still, in this area, most local grape varieties are present (major genetic variation is an indication of origin). And there is even a linguistic theory that the word for wine in all Middle East languages is related to the word “wei-no” from the Proto-Indo-European language that would have originated precisely in this area.
Source and photo: https://www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2017/11/14/wijnresten-in-8000-jaar-oud-vat-wijzen-op-oorsprong-van-wijn-in-de-kaukasus-14009526-a1581068
Read, watch also:
https://www.communications-unlimited.nl/georgia-commemorates-victims-of-2008-russia-georgia-war/
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