Last Wednesday, we explored outside of Copenhagen and went to Kelleris Vineyard. Regardless of the rain and cold, I really had a great experience at the field study. We talked with the owner of the vineyard, Søren, who was very informative and knowledgable about the plants and the wine production. I thought it was really interesting to see a Danish vineyard because I rarely think of successful vineyards existing in cold places like Denmark! I was unaware that the production of commercial wine was only recently allowed, but now there are over 14000 winegrowers just from the past 14 years. Although Søren continuously said how small this vineyard was, I was very impressed and saw how much work went into making wine. I also enjoyed how involved his family members were in the business. The different wines we tried tasted great and I liked how the barrels could affect the flavor of the wine.
So what would we do without wine! The culture of wine, so prevalent today, originated thousands of years ago in the Fertile crescent, spreading to the Middle East, Nile Valley, and Mediterranean basin. In Egypt, people began making wine from red grapes, and as it resembled blood, used it in ceremonies. Wine is first mentioned in the book of Genesis, after the flood when Noah is drunk on wine. Then during the rise of the Greeks and Romans, grapevines would be planted along all of Europe and wine production would flourish. Religion played a critical role in preserving the production of wine methods and skills during the dark ages following the fall of the roman empire as monks continued to produce wine in their monasteries because of the important role of wine in the Christian faith.
Wine plays a significant role in today’s society, as it is drunk for various social and religious occasions still. Consumers spend more on wine each year than cosmetics and three times as much as recorded music. It is of great economic importance, on top of giving people pleasure for the past 6,000 years. Recent studies have also shown the significance of red wine with health benefits such as protection against cardiovascular disease. Yet, it is important to moderate the amount of consumption as alcohol abuse is becoming a problem amongst millions of people, affecting and harming the lives of many.
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ReplyDeleteHi Andrea- I thought what you said about wine's early uses in the Middle East/Mediterranean was really interesting. Do you know when it started to become popular in more northern parts of Europe?
ReplyDeleteHi Katie! Wine making is a very marginal business in Northern Europe because it is so cold. I couldn't find exactly when wine became popular in northern parts but I assume early on as people enjoyed wine for its pleasure of drinking and used it in different aspects of religion. Belgium has a long history of viticulture and of enjoying wine. Wine was first made in Belgium in the 8th century, beginning in the Amay region. Winemaking was facilitated by monks looking for that key combination of palatable and safe drinks for their religious celebrations and rites. While in Germany, winemaking has dated back to ancient times. When Germany was a part of the Great Roman Empire many of its cities served as Roman garrisons. While the Roman soldiers were protecting their empire, they also cultivated wine. Once planted, the vines took and thrived in the river and hill regions of Germany.
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