Wine has a history as rich and layered as its finest vintages, stretching back over 8,000 years. The story begins in 6,000 BCE in the South Caucasus region (modern-day Georgia), where the first evidence of winemaking was discovered. Clay jars with traces of tartaric acid, a signature compound of grapes, revealed that early humans were already fermenting the juice of this fruit into wine.

By 3,000 BCE, the practice had spread to ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia. In Egypt, wine was often reserved for royalty, used in religious ceremonies, and buried in tombs for the afterlife. Hieroglyphs depict winemaking processes, showing how integral it was to the culture. Around the same time, the Phoenicians—renowned seafarers—helped spread viticulture across the Mediterranean, introducing wine to regions that would later become iconic, like Italy and Spain.

Ancient Greece embraced wine as a cultural cornerstone, even dedicating a god, Dionysus, to its joys and mysteries. The Greeks also pioneered the concept of terroir, noting how soil and climate affected flavor. Around 146 BCE, after the Roman conquest of Greece, the Romans elevated winemaking to new heights. They refined viticultural techniques, introduced barrels for storage, and expanded vineyards across their empire, including Gaul (modern-day France), which would become a global wine hub.