666. Wine and the Birth of Civilisation

Episode Summary

Executive Summary: This episode traces wine’s 8,000-year history from prehistoric Georgia and Armenia to Roman trade, Islamic prohibition, English glass and corkscrews, French terroir, and the 1976 Judgment of Paris. The hosts argue that wine has always been both a beverage and a marker of power, culture, commerce, and identity—shaped by empires, religion, technology, and marketing.

Main Topics: Origins of wine in the ancient Near East and Caucasus (Priority: 5/5): The episode begins with the biblical Noah story and archaeological evidence from Georgia and Armenia, presenting the South Caucasus as the likely cradle of domesticated wine production. Phoenician and Greek expansion of wine culture (Priority: 5/5): Canaanite/Phoenician traders and Greek colonists spread wine, amphorae, and drinking customs across the Mediterranean, turning wine into a vehicle for commerce and civilization. Rome’s industrial wine economy (Priority: 5/5): The Romans inherited and scaled up wine culture, using vineyards, trade, and slave labor to make wine a marker of Roman identity and imperial expansion, especially in Gaul. Islamic prohibition and cultural ambivalence (Priority: 4/5): The discussion covers the Quranic ban on alcohol, legal punishments, loopholes, courtly drinking, and Sufi poetic uses of wine as a metaphor for divine love. English technological innovation in bottling and sealing (Priority: 4/5): Early modern English glassmaking and the corkscrew transformed wine storage and transport, making modern bottles, cellars, and sparkling wine possible. French codification of wine language and terroir (Priority: 5/5): France emerges as the central cultural authority on wine through Bordeaux classifications, marketing, and the concept of terroir, which becomes both a commercial and national idea. The Judgment of Paris and the rise of New World wine (Priority: 5/5): The 1976 blind tasting in Paris overturned assumptions of French supremacy, proving California wines could beat elite French labels and reshaping global wine prestige.

Key Arguments: Wine’s history is global and ancient, spanning at least 8,000 years and multiple civilizations rather than originating in a single European tradition. The Caucasus, especially Georgia, has the strongest archaeological claim to the earliest wine production, with evidence dating to 6000 BC. Wine spread not only as a product but as a cultural system: amphorae, dilution norms, symposium culture, and trade networks all moved with it. Rome turned wine into an imperial and commercial instrument, using it to integrate territories and undermine resistance in Gaul. Islam did not simply erase wine culture; it created a tension between prohibition, elite consumption, legal interpretation, and mystical symbolism. English innovations in bottles and corkscrews were crucial infrastructural breakthroughs that shaped modern wine consumption. France’s lasting influence lies as much in language, classification, and prestige as in production itself; Bordeaux labels became global templates. The Judgment of Paris demonstrated that reputation is not fixed, and that New World producers could challenge Europe’s monopoly on quality. Wine remains inseparable from power, class, empire, and branding; what people think is “best” is often socially produced, not purely objective.

Data Points: Wine history span: at least 8,000 years - The hosts describe the breadth of wine history from prehistory to the present Biblical/archaeological date: 6000 BC - Pottery shards near Tbilisi show chemical traces of wine in Georgia Oldest known winery: 2000 years later than 6000 BC - The Areni cave winery in Armenia is presented as the oldest known winery Phoenician ship cargo: 781 amphorae - Two Phoenician ships found off Gaza contained wine amphorae Equivalent cargo volume: 20,000 wine bottles - The 781 amphorae are compared to modern bottle counts Barossa Valley settlement: Germans - German settlers brought viticultural traditions to South Australia First modern wine bottle era: 1620s–1740s - English glassmakers develop stronger bottles and standardized shapes First mention of corkscrew: 1681 - A corkscrew is described as a “silver worm” First patent for corkscrew: 1795 - Samuel Henschel receives the first patent Methuen Treaty year: 1703 - The treaty lowered duties on Portuguese wine and helped make port popular in England Bordeaux classification year: 1855 - Napoleon III’s exposition leads to the famous ranking of wines First growth estates: 4 - Haut-Brion, Lafite, Latour, and Margaux are identified as the original top class Mouton Rothschild promotion: 1973 - The only later addition to the top Bordeaux class Judgment of Paris year: 1976 - The blind tasting in Paris pits French wines against California wines Judgment of Paris panel: 9 French wine experts - A panel of French authorities judges the tasting blind California wine startup: 1970 - Stag’s Leap Cabernet is described as from vines planted in 1970 California tasting result: #1 in reds and whites - California wines beat French wines in the Paris tasting Noah’s vineyard story: 1 biblical example - Genesis is cited as the first major wine story

Pivotal Quotes: "This is not a wine that I have ever tasted before. I do not rate it. It is effectively vinegar. Caesar, however, will love it and doubtless will insist on drinking it all the time." — Pliny the Elder (as quoted in the episode): Used to illustrate the idea of the first wine snob "God has cursed wine, the one who drinks it, the one who pours it, the one who sells it, the one who buys it..." — The Prophet Muhammad (as quoted in the episode): Cited in the discussion of Islamic prohibition "Last week in Paris, France, at a formal wine tasting organized by Spurrier, the unthinkable happened. California defeated all Gaul." — Time magazine correspondent (as quoted in the episode): Summarizes the impact of the Judgment of Paris

Implications: Listeners are left with the sense that wine quality is shaped as much by history, trade, law, and branding as by taste. The episode suggests New World producers can challenge old hierarchies, but French prestige and terminology still dominate global wine culture.