Cheers to Knowledge: Top 10 Unbelievable Wine Fun Facts You Never Knew!

1. Romans Sweetened Wine with Lead

When the Romans knew that "sweet dreams are made of lead": They unwittingly used sugar of lead to sweeten their wines, resulting in a host of health issues such as vomiting, cognitive difficulties, fatigue, irritability, and loss of appetite due to lead poisoning.
Source => ancient-origins.net

2. Monks Masterminded Champagne

Next time you raise a glass of bubbly, think about thanking the monks: The Benedictine monks were not only trailblazers in winemaking but also the masterminds behind the champagne-making process, with a little help from their friend and fellow monk, Dom Pérignon, who refined the technique to bubbly perfection.
Source => secondbottle.co

✨💃 Did you know that in Belle Époque Paris, cabaret dancers served champagne in high-heeled slippers as a sign of respect to their admirers? This quirky custom was adopted by millionaires, movie stars, and even a famous brothel in Chicago! 🥂👠

=> Fun Facts about Champagne

3. Egyptians Enjoyed Wine with Labels

Wine not give Egyptians a break? They were quite grapeful for their vino: In Ancient Egypt, wine wasn't exclusive to pharaohs and gods, but also enjoyed by commoners, with vineyards existing for both rulers and everyday folks, even labeled with estate name, location, type, date, and vintner, and some aged for years - like a 21-year-old Aten Domain wine found in Tutankhamon's tomb!
Source => touregypt.net

4. World's Oldest Winery in Armenia

Whoever said wine only gets better with age must have had ancient Armenia in mind: The world's oldest-known winery, dating back to 4100 BC, has been discovered in the Areni-1 cave in Vayots Dzor, Armenia, complete with a wine press, fermentation vessels, jars, cups, and even V. vinifera seeds and vines. Move over, West Bank winery from 1963, there's a new senior grape in town!
Source => timesofindia.indiatimes.com

5. Etruscans Pioneered Wine Industry

From tipsy trails to sacred sips: The Etruscans, dating back to the 8th century BC, pioneered the wine industry, spreading their viticultural ways throughout Italy, Rome, and Western Europe while infusing religious symbolism and ritualistic quaffing into the drinking culture.
Source => guadoalmelo.it

6. Thomas Jefferson's Hidden Wine Cellar

Before the "House of Cards", there was the house of "clink-clink": Thomas Jefferson built himself a wine cellar, cleverly disguised as an "ice house" near the White House, to keep up to 2,000 bottles of fermented joy. The serious reveal: As a connoisseur, Jefferson played a pivotal role in introducing and promoting wine culture in the United States, even ensuring that esteemed guests were served Château Margaux, one of the finest French wines of his era, at a grand state dinner.
Source => whitehousehistory.org

7. Georgian Britain's Silver Wine Labels

Navigating the dinner parties of Georgian Britain was no easy feat, requiring a keen fashion sense and, most importantly, a far-reaching knowledge of fine wines – or at least the ability to read the silver labels dangling from the decanters: Silver wine labels were a mark of wealth and good taste, identifying the contents of wine bottles, and even sparked the notorious "Black Bottle Affair" when an officer mistook Moselle for forbidden beer, leading to a scandalous duel and a House of Lords trial.
Source => atlasobscura.com

8. Toasting's Origins in Ancient Greece

Next time you clink glasses, remember: it's all Greek to us! That's right, we can thank those ancient toga-wearing oenophiles for turning raising a glass into a real Dionysian affair: The tradition of toasting with wine actually has its roots in ancient Greece, where men gathered at symposiums to drink to the health of the gods, with the Romans later joining the party and decreeing toasts for their emperor at every meal. Even though it faced bans and opposition, this fun and meaningful practice lives on today – so here's to Bacchus, Caesar, and good old-fashioned merrymaking!
Source => ancient-origins.net

9. Decoding Wine Bottle Colors

If wine bottles could talk, they'd probably be as indecisive about their outfit as the rest of us: "Am I feeling clear and transparent today, or should I go with that mysterious dark green vibe?" The truth is, winemakers decide on the bottle colour based on factors like aesthetics, UV protection, and showcasing the wine's hue, with clear bottles often used for those destined for immediate consumption and dark green for aging red wines. As for amber/brown bottles, they're like the rare vintage found in Germany's Rhine region - offering the best UV protection but rarely spotted elsewhere.
Source => alaymanswinemusings.com

10. Seawater-infused Ancient Greek Wine

Who needs a cocktail mixer when you have the ocean nearby? Yeah, that's right, seawater was once a popular ingredient for a unique aged drink: the ancient Greeks believed in mixing 50 parts of must (freshly crushed grape juice) with one part seawater to enhance the wine's flavors and health benefits, all while adding a hint of briny goodness to their libations.
Source => slowine.com