Where and when was Wine invented? And what about Canon Chaigneau?
(Beaucoup de pays se disputent l’honneur… mais où est la vérité ?)
If you ask a French person where wine was invented, chances are they’ll raise an eyebrow and answer, “Chez nous, évidemment.”
But travel a little, and you’ll find that many nations claim the same honour. Georgia, Armenia, Iran, Italy, Greece, Spain — everyone seems to want to be the cradle of wine.
So, who’s right? And when did it all begin?
The oldest traces: between the Caucasus and Mesopotamia
Archaeological evidence tells us that the story of wine began long before the Romans or the Greeks raised their goblets. The oldest chemical traces of wine were discovered in clay jars from around 6000 BCE, found in the South Caucasus, particularly in Georgia, a country still proud of its qvevri winemaking traditions (fermenting wine in buried clay vessels).
But the story doesn’t end there. Not far away, in the Areni-1 cave in Armenia, archaeologists unearthed what is considered the world’s oldest known winery, dating back to around 4100 BCE. There, they found fermentation vats, wine presses, and even grape seeds of the Vitis vinifera species, the same one still used for all fine wines today.
So yes, Romik has every right to smile proudly when people ask where wine was invented, Armenia is quite literally part of the answer!
Egypt, Greece, and Rome: the expansion of a culture
From those mountain caves, the art of winemaking spread south and west. The Egyptians depicted wine offerings in their tombs as early as 3000 BCE, while the Greeks elevated it to a divine drink dedicated to Dionysus.
Then came the Romans, who perfected viticulture, spread vines across Europe, and gave us the Latin word vinum, the ancestor of “vin,” “vino,” “wine,” and so many others.
And yet… even Alicante claims the title
When we travelled to Alicante, we couldn’t help but smile at a huge poster in the airport proclaiming:
“Welcome to the oldest wine region in the world.”
A bold statement, and not entirely untrue, depending on how you look at it.
Indeed, archaeological finds around Alicante suggest that vines were cultivated there over 3,000 years ago, during the times of the Iberians and Phoenicians. The region’s strategic location on the Mediterranean made it one of the first in Western Europe to produce and trade wine.
But so did parts of Greece, Italy, and even southern France, which shows how wine’s origins are plural rather than singular. Every ancient civilisation that touched the vine contributed to shaping the drink we know today.
France enters the picture
France didn’t invent wine, but it certainly refined it. The first vineyards appeared in the south around 600 BCE, brought by the Greeks of Massalia (modern Marseille, Marine’s hometown, another coincidence!).
From there, the Romans expanded vineyards northward, and over centuries, France became the reference for elegance, terroir, and diversity: from Bordeaux to Burgundy, Champagne to Alsace.
So, where was wine really invented?
The scientific answer: somewhere between modern-day Georgia, Armenia, and northern Iran: the cradle of Vitis vinifera cultivation and early fermentation.
The poetic answer: wine was “invented” wherever humans first decided to celebrate life, gather friends, and share stories around a glass.
Because that’s what wine truly is — an ancient, universal language that connects us all, from the caves of Areni to the cellars of Lalande-de-Pomerol.
Did you know?
Indeed, the Romans recognised the greatness of our terroir, and winemaking began here almost 2,000 years ago, long before “Château Canon Chaigneau” existed.
Today, we continue that legacy with precision and respect for tradition, crafting wines that celebrate both our land’s ancient roots and its timeless charm.