The origin of the wine dates back to prehistoric times where it is assumed that primitive men collected wild grapes and then stored the juice in leather saddlebags. They soon realized that, leaving it exposed to high temperatures for a long time, it took on a different flavor. Thus the alcoholic fermentation process took place, an invention, therefore, completely random. The first traces of vine cultivation are found in Asia Minor, right between the mouths of the Tigris and Euphrates. It is certain, however, that the cultivation of the vine is contemporary to that of cereals and olives, from 8 to 10 millennia ago in the Neolithic era, and with it the production of wine. In fact, in the Neolithic village of Haiji Firuz Tepe, in northern Iran, a recent archaeological mission from the University of Pennsylvania discovered a nine-liter earthenware jar with dry deposits of a substance that can be traced back to clusters of grapes.
