Egyptian wine has an extensive
history within the history of Egyptian civilization. Grapes were not native to
the landscape of Egypt, rather the vines themselves are hypothesized to have
been imported from the Phoenicians, though the actual origins remain in
dispute. What is known, is that by the third millenium BC, Egyptian kings of
the first dynasty had extensive wine cellars, and wine was used extensively in
the temple ceremonies. The main consumption of wine in Egypt, took place
between the king, nobles, and the priests in temple ceremonies, and is
evidenced by numerous painted relief's, and other archeological evidence. The
vineyards of ancient Egypt, were quite different from the modern methods of
wine making today. As viticulture (or wine making), ceased to serve an
exclusively ceremonial purpose, the Egyptians began to experiment with simple
structures for their vines to train on, as well as found a way to train their
vines so they were easy low maintenance bushes, and found ways for the soil to
retain more moisture for the vines. Egyptian wine making experiments included
the use of different wine presses, adding heat to the must (the grape juice
ready for fermentation) in order to make the wine sweet, and differences in vat
types and materials. The final finished product of wine, was poured through a
cloth filter, and then into earthenware jars, where they would be sealed with
natural tar and left to ferment. The Egyptians kept accurate records of their
vintages, and quality of their wines, each jar of wine was clearly labeled with
it's own vintage, and quality.
The search for the recipes and wine types of the Egyptians, have yielded mixed results within the delta region of the Nile. Due to the climatic changes since the time of ancient Egypt, quests for the right vine, the right mixture of materials, and other factors, have left the modern renditions of ancient Egyptian wine, something to be desired. Nestor Gianaclis, set out in 1903 to find the mixtures of Egyptian wine, as well as growing conditions, which tasted the same as their primordial counterparts of ancient Egypt. Nestor searched out areas through out Egypt, looking for the right type of soil, moisture, and grape which could grow a wine worthy vine. With the aid of Egyptian ministries, seventy three conventional grape types were tried in addition to Nestor's twenty he himself had bred. Once the ideal soil type was found (similar to the soil of Champagne, France), it was not until 1931 the first modern rendition of ancient Egyptian wine, was produced. This rendition of the ancient wine, continues to be made in the present day, however many wine connoisseur consider it of poor taste. Regardless, the taste of the ancients is still present 3,500 years later.
De Blij, Wine: A Geographic Appreciation. Rowman & Allanheld: New Jersey, 1983.
Lichine, Alexis. Alexis Lichine's New Encyclopedia of Wines and Spirits Third Ed. Alfred A. Knopf: New York, 1984.
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