National Wine Day, not to be confused with the holiday National Drink Wine ⁢Day, is ‌celebrated annually in the United States on May 25th. The purpose ​of ‍this day is very simple: ‍it’s a day‍ to‍ buy wine, appreciate wine, and‍ enjoy the history‍ of ⁣wine. After all, this alcoholic beverage has been a part of human civilization for at least 8,000 ‍years.

History of ‌National Wine⁢ Day

While the history of National Wine Day seems to be obscured by the fog of time, scientists have a pretty good idea of when wine started⁢ being produced and consumed. They found a winery that produced wine ​in 4300 BC. This winery was in ‍the Areni cave in Vayots Dzor, Armenia.

Archaeologists call it a winery because they discovered not only cups and jars for holding wine but also other equipment such as wine presses and fermentation​ vats ⁤that‍ were used in​ the production of wine. If that’s enough evidence for you to call it a winery, then you might want to know there were also seeds and vines of ‍Vitis vinifera located on site.

Before this site was discovered, the oldest known winemaking​ could only be traced back​ to about 3100 BC – or about 900 ​years later than this find – in ​an Egyptian tomb. However, after discovering this site, archaeologists believed that winemaking‌ probably went back even​ further ⁤than 6,000 years.

In fact, they believe that since the‌ early Armenians⁤ had such a grasp of the technology of⁢ winemaking, then it ⁣must go back at least a few ⁢hundred more ​years.‍ What‍ was later discovered,‌ though, ⁢was that winemaking‍ actually goes back 8,000 years.

This was confirmed when an 8,000-year-old wine was found⁢ in the Caucasus region of ⁢Eurasia -⁢ in what is now the country of Georgia.

Fun‌ Facts About Wine

• The smell ‍of an older wine is called a bouquet; the smell of a ⁢younger wine is the aroma.
• Wine has only 1/10th the​ antioxidants of⁤ soy ‍sauce.
• The states of California, ‌Florida, and New York lead ⁣the U.S. in wine ⁢consumption.
• Wine has ‍been⁤ produced in southwestern France since Roman times.
• The Romans mixed lead with wine to help preserve‌ it and give ⁢it a sweeter taste.
• Ice ⁤wine (known as Eiswein), made from frozen grapes, was invented by the Germans.
• Not all‌ wines improve with⁢ age.
• More wine grapes are planted than any other crop in the world.
• Grapes for dark ‌red wines grow in warmer climates, while white wine grapes ⁢grow in cooler ones.
• Global warming may change⁤ where wine can be grown in the future.

National Wine Day Customs &‌ Traditions

One way to learn about National Wine Day is to learn all about the history of winemaking. You can research this⁣ online, visit your local library, or visit your‌ local museum.⁣ However, the best way to celebrate‍ this ‍holiday is with a hands-on approach⁣ – by going to where the wine is made in the first ⁢place.

The U.S. has some truly great wineries, so why⁤ not head out to ⁤visit one ‍of them‌ on National Wine ⁢Day? Some of the best wineries in the country include St.⁣ James Winery⁤ in​ St. James, Missouri; St. Francois⁤ Winery in Park⁣ Hills, Missouri; Robert Sinskey Vineyards in Napa, California; Domaine Drouhin Oregon in Dayton, Oregon; Smith-Madrone Vineyards and Winery in‌ St. Helena, California;‌ Au Bon Climat Winery in Santa Barbara, California; and Ridge Vineyards in Cupertino, California.

Other ways to enjoy National Wine Day include drinking wine, making wine ice⁣ cream, making ‍wine slushies, cooking with wine, or posting wine-related memes ‌online. If ​you ‍want to promote‍ the holiday using Twitter, simply ⁣use the hashtag #NationalWineDay.