That wine is a traditional drink with a rich cultural history is common knowledge. We've all heard of wine festivals where folks clamber into barrels and perform grape-stomping jigs with bare feet. But wine traditions go beyond crushing fruit with naked tootsies. Check out this list of other fascinating wine traditions from around the world.
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1. You Taste My Wine, I'll Taste Yours
We tend not to get too aggressive when we clink glasses these days, but back when goblets and flagons were made of wood and metal, vigorous collisions were the object. This lively jostling caused the contents of glasses to spill over and intermix, signifying a trust that neither companion had slipped the other a mickey.
2. Portuguese Wine
The next time you're invited to dinner in Portugal, don't show up with a bottle of Bordeaux. Portuguese wine tradition dates back to the ancient days of the Phoenicians, Greeks, and Romans, and the Portuguese wear this wine making history like a badge of honor. Procuring anything other than Portuguese wine up arrival is considered an affront to both host and country.
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3. Hot Toddies
Everyone chills white wine, but who warms their reds? Mulled wine has a rich tradition in many European countries and it is usually served hot. Scandinavia's glgg, for example, has an ideal temperature of around 70 degrees F. These belly-warming spiced wines are relished during the cold months of winter.
4. Some Wine with Your Wine?
In Moldova, wine was once eaten as often as it was drunk. The writings of the Roman poet Ovid from the time when he was exiled there contain accounts of the local habit of concentrating wine by freezing it for consumption at a later date.
5. Some Wine with Your Water?
Thousands of years ago, throughout the Middle East and Mediterranean, wines were consumed when people were still quite young. This resulted in a wealth of traditional recipes for masking the green flavors of premature wine with potent additives such as honey and cloves. Another common practice was to water down wine to dampen the flavor and reduce the amount of alcohol consumed.
6. Wish They All Could Be California
If you think the best way to get European wines into California is through customs, think again. Thanks to rich soil and ideal climate conditions, California vintners have successfully grown virtually every variety of grape found elsewhere in the world. Once upon a time this involved drastic measures such as cutting vines in France, sticking the cuttings into potatoes to survive the voyage, and finally re-planting them in California, where they eventually flourished. Golden State vintners have also created exciting new wine-grape varieties by grafting foreign vines onto the existing stalks in their vineyards.
7. Better Off Dead
Even in death, royals in ancient Egypt enjoyed a higher standard of living than most commoners. As provisions for the afterlife, it was prescribed that five large jars containing the different wines of the region be included in every royal tomb.
8. Conquering Catholics
Grapes came to the New World with Spanish conquistadors in a variety known as Mission grapes. The Catholic celebration of the Eucharist in Spanish missions and elsewhere required wine, which was to be converted into the blood of Christ. In order to carry out the sacred tradition on this side of the Atlantic, the Spanish had to bring their vines with them.
9. One for My Homies
Hip-hop culture might want to take credit for giving up a few sips from their 40s in remembrance of fallen friends, but the Georgian tradition of spilling a few drops onto the ground to toast beloved deceased has been around for centuries.
