For thousands of years, wines have been a cultural identity in many regions around the world. The earliest records of winemaking date back to ancient times for purposes of preservation, medicinal usage and religious practices. According to archaeological evidence, the history of wine stretches to 5,000-6,000 BCE in Persia.
No one is sure about the origin and invention of wine, however, there is one fable that goes around in the land of Persia regarding how wine was discovered rather than invented. According to legend, a princess in Persepolis drank spoiled grape juice to end her life out of shame and disheartenment. Instead, she was intoxicated by the spoiled juice and realised the heavenly flavour of the drink after waking. She revealed her discovery to the King, thus marking the beginning of Shiraz's wine legacy.
In the practice of winemaking, age is considered a key player in refining the depth of flavours. Wine ageing can enhance quality, which is a unique trait that sets it apart from perishable goods. Chemical reactions involving sugars, acids, and phenolic compounds alter the aroma, colour, and taste, which potentially leads to a pleasing taste.
The oldest drinkable wine that exists today is said to be around 1.700 years old which was discovered in a Roman tomb in Speyer, Germany. It might be a dream of wine connoisseurs to enjoy the heavenly taste of such ancient wines in this age as finding old wines is a daunting and expensive task.
However, one video that is going viral on the internet shows the opening of what looks like an ancient barrel of wine. This video claims that the wine inside is at least 100 years old. The elegant unboxing is satisfying to look at and when the person took out some beautifully peach-tinted wine with a cochlear, it's almost like a dream to imagine how the fragrance and taste would be.
The video features a clay pot which is commonly known as Egyptian Amphorae. These ancient vessels have been used in wine prevention and ageing for thousands of years. Archaeological discoveries in 2023 unearthed a treasure of ancient wine pots that can easily be assumed to be at least 5000 years old. By looking at these facts, it is hard to picture that the wine shown in the viral video is just 100 years old. This has sparked a debate among the audience over the actual age of the wine.
In the video, the opening of the clay pot looks completely sealed with a clay lid and it took an effort to break it open with the help of a knife. Upon opening the lid, the mouth was covered with leaves and the person in the video gently removed the layers of leaves one by one and also removed the disk cap. After opening the pot, he took out some wine and showed it to the camera.
This newfound wine discovery has left people in awe. The video doesn't say anything in the caption apart from the sticker on the video that reads “Opening a 100 years old wine!” Without a proper context, claiming this wine to be 100 years old has left people in disbelief and even experts claim that it is more than 100 years old.
Whatever may be the reality, watching this unique wine unboxing video is a satisfying experience for sure. This video was posted in January 2024 and is still a hot topic of discussion among wine lovers.