Wine Education

The History of the wine:

“As old as the Humanity is”

6000 BC Chinese made alcoholic beverage from honey and fruit 
5000 BC  Process used in Central Asia with grape
3000 BC   Egyptians known as first wine making expert
200 AD   Romans spreads wine by transporting it in wood barril
1000 AD  First and oldest known winery in France
1600 AD Use of cork and strong glass bottles for longer storage and transportation
1830AD 1st wine bottle in the shape we use today
1860 AD Yeast discovered to be the cause of fermentation

The History of the wine in Ethiopia

1st century AC: grape and wine believed to reach in Ethiopia through the port of Adulis

Through time,  spread around the Ethiopian plateau on the Wayna daga climate upon direct interaction of the kings and monarchs.

18th century:  almost full extinction of the vines in Ethiopia due to the spread of the phyloxera, Christian churches solely depend on wine made of dry raisin.

1935: the replantation started

  • on the East of Addis Ababa, around Kality by the Greek man called Sarris,
  • followed by Haile Selassie’s Vineyard on the route to Ambo
  • in the center of Addis Ababa by an Italian

1974: overthrow of the Emperor Haile Selassie’s overthrown:  wineries merged and get  nationalized under Awash Wine by the Derg regime.

Source: Richard Pankhurst (The History of Grapes, Vineyards and Wine in Ethiopia, prior to the Italian Invasion), 2008.

- -