Wine has a special place in human society.
One of the earliest beverages that humans learned to make, it has traveled with us through generations of joy and strife, war and peace.
It is important to note that wine was one of the first, if not the very first, intoxicating substance which humans learned to make and imbibe.
Ancient peoples, knowing little of pharmacology, science, or psychology, would drink wine and experience almost magical properties.
Wine made them feel good, it changed their personalities; it made them seem distant from the real world, almost as if they were partially in another world.
This intoxicating effect allowed people to think beyond their normal minds, and gave them a new perspective on reality and the world around them.
In this way, it was almost automatically linked to spirituality.
This truth can still be seen today.
In both Jewish and Christian religious ceremonies wine can play a very important role.
Wine and other intoxicants are also important substances in various eastern religious practices.
Aside from spirituality, wine also has a very sophisticated reputation as an intoxicating beverage.
Often when one thinks of a refined person, or someone of noble birth, they picture a person who enjoys wine above other drinks, such as beer, or hard liquor.
This is a quality which comes from a variety of sources.
In physical form wine is a silky liquid, with deep and varied colors, that can contain complex flavors which will vary depending on the ingredients used in its making.
However the most important factor behind the reputation of wine may be a long running marketing campaign to get people to perceive it as a more dignified beverage.
In Europe during the dark ages, the Catholic Church made a point of distinguishing between wine and beer, and propagating the notion that beer was a heathenistic barbaric drink, while wine was the beverage of society, refinement, and nobility.
This was done largely as a way of fighting against Paganistic beliefs.
The Church required wine in many of its ceremonies, so they became champions of wine, using it as a tool to denounce what they considered inferior cultures.
They even managed to get beer outlawed for a while in many parts of Germany.
The sophistication of wine has also been propagated by countries such as France and Italy, which relief on the perception that certain wines, such as the ones produced there, are of a more complex and sophisticated quality.
This perception allows them to claim leadership as some of the finest wine makers in the world.
In the modern day, wine is still enjoyed as much as it was in ancient times.
There are whole bars devoted entirely to wine.
These are generally expensive, high end locations, catering to a discerning class of people.
In this way, wine still enjoys its position as the most sophisticated and noble way to get yourself and others drunk.
One of the earliest beverages that humans learned to make, it has traveled with us through generations of joy and strife, war and peace.
It is important to note that wine was one of the first, if not the very first, intoxicating substance which humans learned to make and imbibe.
Ancient peoples, knowing little of pharmacology, science, or psychology, would drink wine and experience almost magical properties.
Wine made them feel good, it changed their personalities; it made them seem distant from the real world, almost as if they were partially in another world.
This intoxicating effect allowed people to think beyond their normal minds, and gave them a new perspective on reality and the world around them.
In this way, it was almost automatically linked to spirituality.
This truth can still be seen today.
In both Jewish and Christian religious ceremonies wine can play a very important role.
Wine and other intoxicants are also important substances in various eastern religious practices.
Aside from spirituality, wine also has a very sophisticated reputation as an intoxicating beverage.
Often when one thinks of a refined person, or someone of noble birth, they picture a person who enjoys wine above other drinks, such as beer, or hard liquor.
This is a quality which comes from a variety of sources.
In physical form wine is a silky liquid, with deep and varied colors, that can contain complex flavors which will vary depending on the ingredients used in its making.
However the most important factor behind the reputation of wine may be a long running marketing campaign to get people to perceive it as a more dignified beverage.
In Europe during the dark ages, the Catholic Church made a point of distinguishing between wine and beer, and propagating the notion that beer was a heathenistic barbaric drink, while wine was the beverage of society, refinement, and nobility.
This was done largely as a way of fighting against Paganistic beliefs.
The Church required wine in many of its ceremonies, so they became champions of wine, using it as a tool to denounce what they considered inferior cultures.
They even managed to get beer outlawed for a while in many parts of Germany.
The sophistication of wine has also been propagated by countries such as France and Italy, which relief on the perception that certain wines, such as the ones produced there, are of a more complex and sophisticated quality.
This perception allows them to claim leadership as some of the finest wine makers in the world.
In the modern day, wine is still enjoyed as much as it was in ancient times.
There are whole bars devoted entirely to wine.
These are generally expensive, high end locations, catering to a discerning class of people.
In this way, wine still enjoys its position as the most sophisticated and noble way to get yourself and others drunk.
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