10 Things You Never Knew About: Wine

There’s something undeniably alluring about a glass of wine. Whether white or red, full-bodied or mild, complex or balanced, each bottle of this delicious libation is a unique experience. Each wine has its own aroma, its own memory and its own taste.

Despite a rapid rise in the number of oenophiles around the world, there’s still so much we don’t know about this drink that was even featured in the bible! With that in mind, here are ten--hopefully surprising--things you never knew about this flavourful drink.


Fact one: There are certain people around the world who suffer from an intense fear or hatred of wine known as oenophobia. This is a real disease, but it’s not extremely common, and its root cause is unknown. Some experts believe it might have something to do with a type of social anxiety disorder.


Fact two: The world’s oldest wine dates back 6000 years. It was discovered during an archaeological dig in Southern Armenia. The explorers used biochemical dating to find the age of this particular wine.


Fact three: When the Egyptian prince Tutankhamun’s tomb was opened, several cases of wine were found. They were all labeled with the makers name and quality of the wine with such precision that it could actually meet the modern wine labelling standards. Unfortunately, this thoroughly-aged wine was never marketed!


Fact four: The world’s most expensive wine is the Chateau Lafitte-Rothschild from Pauillac, France. A collection of 300 bottles recently sold at auction for $540,000 (Rs. 2.65 crore). This rare wine is a favourite of many rich folks, including some former presidents of United States.


Fact five: While red wine can only be produced from red grapes, white wine can be produced from both red and white grapes.


Fact six: The wine industry alone generates more than 1,45,000 jobs in California.


Fact seven: The shape of the shallow and wide-mouthed wine glass is widely accepted to be a tribute to the shape of the breasts of Marie Antoinette. However, the Greeks claim that it is, in fact, a similar tribute to Helen of Troy. Since the latter was just so much hotter, we’re inclined to believe the Greeks!


Fact eight: Traditionally, wine is never stored standing up as we often see today in stores. It is kept on its side so as to keep the liquid in contact with the cork, thereby preventing it from drying, shrinking or letting in air. Nowadays, wines are often stored vertically if the bottles have artificial corks.


Fact nine: Wine as a compound is thought to be even more complex than blood serum, because it contains many organic chemical compounds.


Fact ten: Contrary to popular belief,not all wines improve with time. In fact, a vast majority of wines produced are ready to drink immediately, and do not have much potential for aging. Only a few wines will last longer than a decade!