Happy National Wine Day

We don’t typically need an “official” reason to celebrate over a bottle of wine but today we have one – it’s National Wine Day, celebrated annually on May 25. The growing number of wineries across the US coupled with the proliferation of social media options has prompted more creative ways to celebrate with wine for people of all (legal drinking) ages and beverage preferences. Whether you host a wine tasting at your place to try the latest rosés or meet friends for an evening of professionally paired food and wine, the celebration begins as soon as the cork is popped. Cheers!

Wine has had a significant impact on the economy and the shaping of societies. Out of all the alcoholic beverages, it is the trade of wine that allowed exploration of different cultures and paved the way for philosophical and religious ideas to spread. Wine is cited frequently in the “Bible,” from the time of Noah to Jesus, indicating its integral role. Wine-making was also seen as a sign of a provident economy, as only provident societies could accommodate a well-established wine industry. In fact, it is often debated that the foundations of western society were built on wine.  

The wine enjoyed in the olden days is a distant relative to the wine enjoyed today. Red, pink, green, white, and blue grapes were used by the Egyptians to prepare the drink. Palm dates, figs, and pomegranates were often added to the mix too. So the taste was completely different from what we know. Using different fruit to make wine is similar to how it is prepared using grapes, except that sugar is also added to aid the fermentation process.