Italian Wine HistoryItalian wine history extends back several millennium, to well before the A.C. era. As impressive as this is, it's not as far as the history of wine altogether, which had its roots elsewhere another 1,000 years before its emergence in Italy. It's no surprise that Italian wine today is so popular and widespread, accounting for approximately 20% of the world's total production and drinking when you consider its long heritage. Italian wine history extends back through the ages and offers a glimpse into many different civilizations and cultures that helped shape our modern world. At least 2800 years ago in 800 B.C., the Greeks brought wine with them to the Southern portions of Italy where they were settling. In fact, the Mycenaean Greeks already in the region prior to this further wave of colonization had already established wine growing in the country. Italy has the ideal moderate climate for wine growing, and so the Greeks were enamored with the prospects of raising wine in the region. In the central and northern regions of modern day Italy, the Etruscans were growing their own wine as well, also enjoying the ideal climate. When the Romans defeated the Carthaginians and further established their own empire, Italian wine history really got kicked into another gear. They perfected their own strategies and varietals, and wine drinking was immersed into every aspect of their lives and culture. This began at about 200 B.C. and the demand for wine in the region was vast as the population expanded. Wine was so popular and widely used that Italian wine history actually took a bit of hit in the year 92 B.C., when a huge amount of local vineyards had to be destroyed in order to clear up the land for edible crops. Despite the fact that red wine history is likely more associated with Italy than white, it was white wine which was favored by the Romans. Wine was an important component to religious ceremonies, to dining and meals, to special events and much more. Even the slave population enjoyed the beverage a good deal, which is a positive note considering they were the ones forced to work the massive vineyards and fields. Throughout the history of Italian wine, the Romans made many contributions to the art and science of growing and harvesting grapes and managing vineyards that made a lasting impact on wine to this day. They began to age wines in order to derive even better tastes. They matched specific grapes with specific regions in which they grew the best. They also improved on technology by making a more efficient press and by incorporating props and trellises for the first time. The history of Italian wine clearly goes back for quite some time and includes many important steps and footnotes. From the early Greek and Etruscan wine growing efforts in the region, to the Roman expansion and improvements. In many ways the entire history of wine can be tied to the history of Italian wine.
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