666. Wine and the Birth of Civilisation

This episode of *The Rest Is History* explores the profound and often surprising role wine has played in shaping human civilization over the past 8,000 years. From its mythical origins in the Garden of Eden with Noah’s vineyard to the archaeological evidence of wine production in ancient Georgia and Armenia, the podcast traces wine’s evolution from a sacred substance to a global commodity. The narrative unfolds through seven pivotal moments: the domestication of the grapevine, the Canaanite and Phoenician trade networks, the Roman Empire’s institutionalization of wine culture, the survival of viticulture through the Middle Ages via Christian monasteries and the Rhine trade, the Islamic world’s complex relationship with wine—ranging from strict prohibition to poetic metaphor—England’s invention of the unbreakable wine bottle and corkscrew, France’s creation of the language and hierarchy of wine (including the concept of terroir), and finally, the 1976 Judgment of Paris, where California wines bested French counterparts in a blind tasting, marking a seismic shift in global wine prestige. The episode blends humor, historical depth, and cultural insight, revealing how wine has been a catalyst for empire, trade, religion, and identity across continents and centuries.