National Drink Wine Day!
Happy National Drink Wine Day! Get ready to unwind with a glass or two of your favorite Cabernet Sauvignon or Chardonnay. Wine has been a staple in human culture since its invention in 7000 BC. Today, hundreds of types of wine are produced all over the world, so there’s an endless variety to choose from.
History of National Drink Wine Day
The history of wine itself can be dated back over 8,000 years to winemakers in the Eurasian region that is now Georgia. The alcoholic beverage has played a major part in society ever since and has been drunk in all four corners of the globe for many generations. Iranians, Italians, and Europeans in the Balkans all have rich histories of wine production that date back to ancient times while China created very similar alcoholic beverages as early as 7,000BC.
Wine has consequently been celebrated by fans for centuries, commonly enjoyed as part of a meal or to enhance social events. In fact, the average adult consumes 45.6 gallons of the stuff every year – which works out at 20 miles per gallon, given that the average person walks 900 miles per year.
In today’s world, nearly 20 million acres of the earth’s surface are dedicated to grape farming for wine fermentation. There are literally thousands of brands and variants covering red wines, white wines, sparkling wines, and rose wines, while mead, fruit wine, and dessert wine is readily available to millions. Moreover, the experience of enjoying wine is closely linked to human history. For example, tapping glasses to say “cheers” harks back to the Ancient Romans – that’ll come as a shock to fans of Sam Malone, Diane Chambers, and the rest of the fictional gang in Boston, Massachusetts.
National Drink Wine Day is a far more contemporary addition but is now in its second decade. It provides a formal and organized time to celebrate everything that is to be loved about the alcoholic beverage, such as reducing the threat of liver disease, type II diabetes, stroke, some cancers, and being stuck at the bar with someone that’ll bore you to tears.
Awareness of the event has increased at a fairly rapid rate with the annual event reaching new locations and a greater variety of demographics by the year. In truth, it’s only natural given the universal appeal of the beverage.
Whether red or white, National Drink Wine Day is not an event to be missed.
National Drink Wine Day Timeline
6000 BC
Earliest known record of wine in history
Villagers in the area that is modern day Georgia, just south of Tbilisi, grapes are believed to be used for winemaking.
4100 BC
Winery is used in Armenia
A winepress for stomping grapes, vessels for fermentations, storage jars, drinking cups and even withered grape vines show that a dedicated winery is functioning during this era.
1200 BC
Traveling Phoenecians begin introducing wine
Across the Middle East, Mediterranean and North Africa regions, traders and travellers slowly begin to introduce wine to islanders and eventually to Europeans.
1000-1400 AD
Winemaking begins in Medieval Europe
As grape production grows in southern Europe, so does the winemaking industry (as northern Europe focuses more on beer). Monasteries begin their vineyards in now-famous places such as Champagne and Burgundy.
1820s
Mass produced wine begins in US
With the first commercially successful winery and vineyard in Ohio, USA, the industry makes major improvements. Black rot mostly drives the industry out of Ohio, relocating to New York and, eventually, California.
National Drink Wine Day By Numbers
$269,000 – the price of the most expensive bottle of wine ever sold.
2019 – the year in which Italy was the leading exporter of wine worldwide.
$40.2 billion – the sales of wine in California in 2018.
68.9% – the percentage of wineries that benefited from wine tourism.
4,613 – the number of wineries in California.
812 – the number of wineries in runner-up state Washington.
8.4 million – the hectoliters of wine produced by wine companies in Argentina.
2–7 – the number of glasses of wine you need to drink per week to help lower depression.
74.7% – the percentage of men who consume wine in France.
60.5% – the percentage of women who consume wine in France.