Oldest winery discovered - But was it merlot?

[John_Morris]

Researchers have discovered the earliest known signs of winemaking, from about 4000 B.C., in Armenia, the New York Times reports today. The finds include “a vat for fermenting, a press, storage jars, a clay bowl and a drinking cup made from an animal horn. Grape seeds, dried pressed grapes, stems, shriveled grapevines and residue were also found, and chemical analyses indicate red wine was produced there.”

This seems to leave open the question of whether they fermented with the stems. And, of course, WineBerserkers will want to know if the wine was over-oaked or not.

Researchers also performed an “analysis of residue for malvidin, which gives red wine its color.”

If they were really conscientious, they would test for traces of Megapurple, I say!

The full report is here.

[Jim_Swayze]

Not sure when the Neolithic began there, but Armenia being so close to the Fertile Crescent I assume it would have been close to 8,000 years ago. I have always wondered whether wine production actually predated agriculture and might have been a hunter gatherer activity.

[Bill_Tex_Landreth]

Has Rodenstock offered anything up for sale yet?

[ToddFrench]

Here’s another article on it - http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20110111/lf_nm_life/us_wine_oldest" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[John_Morris]

@Bill Tex Landreth

Has Rodenstock offered anything up for sale yet?

Whereever he is, I’m sure he’s working on it now.

After all, who could be qualified to say that it doesn’t taste like 6,000 Armenian wine?

[Nathan_Smyth]

Dr. Areshian said scientists are undertaking “a very extensive DNA analysis of the grape seeds” from the cave and “our botanists want to plant some of the seeds.”

This.

[Kenny_H]

@Jim Swayze

I have always wondered whether wine production actually predated agriculture and might have been a hunter gatherer activity.

No chance it was part of a hunter gatherer society. From an anthropological perspective there is no precedent for this kind of time intensive non-essential activity occurring prior to the formation of centralized societies based on agriculture(or aquaculture) and domestication. It is obviously a very inefficient use of energy in regard to survival.

It is not a coincidence this indeed was discovered near the fertile crescent where domestication of both flora and fauna(on the largest scale in the world) was well underway circa 4000 BC. The implication being of course that smaller centralized societies were already there.

So the real question is what came first, brett or the horse? Perhaps we should be saying horses smell bretty.

[Eric_I_r_m_s_c_h_e_r]

@John Morris

The full report is here.

What a triumph for these Archaeologists.
The full report from the Journal of Archaeological Science makes a reference to 2 Buck Chuck…WTF?

[Jim_Swayze]

@Kenny H

@Jim Swayze

I have always wondered whether wine production actually predated agriculture and might have been a hunter gatherer activity.

No chance it was part of a hunter gatherer society. From an anthropological perspective there is no precedent for this kind of time intensive non-essential activity occurring prior to the formation of centralized societies based on agriculture(or aquaculture) and domestication. It is obviously a very inefficient use of energy in regard to survival.

It is not a coincidence this indeed was discovered near the fertile crescent where domestication of both flora and fauna(on the largest scale in the world) was well underway circa 4000 BC. The implication being of course that smaller centralized societies were already there.

Oh, I understand that this was clearly a neolithic find. But did we ferment and consume wild grapes in the paleolithic? I would guess yes, though it’s obviously nothing more than conjecture.

By the way, wonder if Terah, Abram, Sarai, and Lot slipped by the Armenian winery on their way to Canaan…

[Peter_Kleban]

@Kenny H

@Jim Swayze

I have always wondered whether wine production actually predated agriculture and might have been a hunter gatherer activity.

No chance it was part of a hunter gatherer society. From an anthropological perspective there is no precedent for this kind of time intensive non-essential activity occurring prior to the formation of centralized societies based on agriculture(or aquaculture) and domestication. It is obviously a very inefficient use of energy in regard to survival.

Well then, I guess that means there’s not much hope for us …

[John_Morris]

@Jim Swayze

So the real question is what came first, brett or the horse? Perhaps we should be saying horses smell bretty.

LOL

[Jim_Swayze]

Kenny gets credit for that one…

[Bernard_Roth]

Well… For the longest time (6 millennia ) they thought it was merlot. But recent genetic testing says it was only carmenere.