This article is about wine produced from grapes. For other types, see Non-grape wine.
Wine boy at a Greek symposiumThe history of wine spans thousands of years and is closely intertwined with the history of agriculture and Western civilization. As of today, the earliest evidence of a fermented drink based on grapes is in China circa 7000-6600 BC,[1] then more widespread evidence is found soon thereafter in the Near East, the grapevine and the alcoholic beverage produced from fermenting its juice were important to Mesopotamia and Egypt and essential aspects of Phoenician, Greek, and Roman civilization. Many of the major wine-producing regions of Western Europe and the Mediterranean were first established during antiquity as great plantations.[2] Winemaking technology improved considerably during the time of the Roman Empire: many grape varieties and cultivation techniques were known; the design of the wine press advanced; and barrels were developed for storing and shipping wine.[2]