Wine - The Nectar of Gods

By Gaurav Karn

A symbol of fertility, immortality, and divinity, wine was the favoured drink of choice across the ancient Near East and Mediterranean and even now. Wine is mentioned oftentimes in biblical scriptures as well as in Hindu and Arabic structures and was used for everyday functions in cookery and medicine. Naturally, you recognize that wine comes from fermented grapes. Grapes ferment on their own while not having to feature any additional sugar, nutrients, acids or enzymes. The sole addition to the fermentation of grapes is yeast. There are different types of grapes and there are different types of yeasts that are used. Wine dates back to 6000 B.C. and 5000 B.C. With its origins in Georgia and Persia. archaeological digs have provided proof that clearly shows the domestication of the grapevine around the Near East, Sumer and Egypt throughout the third millennium B.C. Then we glance at the oldest proof there's that show wine production in Europe. Greece, to be more precise, dates back 6500 years ago. A study discharged by the U.S. National Institute of Ageing reveals that a substance referred to as resveratrol, an antioxidant found in red wines, slows age-related deterioration within the heart, bones and eyes. Another study by researchers at the University of Wisconsin in Madison has found that resveratrol seems to halt age-related changes in the function of heart genes, thereby retarding the ageing process. A couple of glasses of wine on a daily basis could also be good for circulation of blood in the legs, consistent with a study revealed by the American Journal of Epidemiology. Drinking red wine frequently could also be good for the cardiovascular system even for twenty-year-olds according to a new Australian study that found that consuming half a bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon daily showed improved good HDL cholesterol levels and reduced aerobic stress on their blood levels, though there was a very little result on the bad LDL cholesterol levels. Yet one more study conducted by researchers at Stockholm's Karolinska Institute has reportable that red wine can reduce the incidence of Kidney cancer.

Types Of Wine:

Red: Red wine gets its colour from the skin of black grapes. it's a deep style, is most serious on tannins {bitter-tasting seed-like substances that makes the top of your tongue dry} with an exact hit to the style buds at the back of your mouth, and goes well with foods like red meats; sausage, veal, duck, lamb and beef. The most noted red wines are {depends on the type of grapes used in making} are Shiraz, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Pinot Noir, Zinfandel, and Sangiovese. White: White wines are made by fermenting non-coloured pulp of the grapes. Crisp, clean and best enjoyed chilled, the wine goes well with seafood, salads, white meats, chicken and pork. The foremost noted wine varieties are Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, Moscato, vinifera Grigio and Riesling. Rosè: Also referred to as blush wine, rose could be a fruity refresher. The foremost noted rose selection is Zinfandel. Fortified Wines: It’s made by adding a distilled spirit and are terribly sweet. The most famous fortified wines are Port wines, Madeira and Sherry. Types Of Wines based on Taste: Wines are often classified into four classes based on the taste. They're dry, off-dry, medium and sweet. Dry wines aren’t that sweet, medium wine consists of some sweet style and aroma, and sweet wines are, as the name suggests, sweet. After all this, we make our own this Egyptian proverb that says lots about this exceptional beverage: “ In the water, you can see the reflection of your face but in the wine will always emerge your best virtue”

Gods & Goddesses of Wine in various Mythologies :

Dionysus He wasn’t simply the god of wine. He was the god of the grape harvest, winemaking, ritual madness, and ecstasy. He's from Greek mythology. Varuni She is from the Hindu religion. The deity of wine and ecstasy. Geshtinanna She is a Sumerian goddess of wine. In her mythology gods didn’t have many things to experience in, so she might solely become the deity of wine. Even though that’s solely a little part of what she is really smart at. Liber He is a Roman God. And after all, he's based on Dionysus. you may have already detected his more common name, Bacchus. While the god does use that name, Liber is the one that was originally given to him. He only started Bacchus after he became infamous. He is the god of fields, fertility, freedom of speech and wine. Sesmu Egyptians weren't that famous for their alcoholic drinks, thence why this god is sort of utterly forgotten these days. He's the god of pressing oil and wines. Although, we only care about the latter. Quick trigger warning: Skip future paragraph if you don’t feel comfy with violence. The god is a remarkable god though. He's originally from the underworld, that is why individuals call him a demon god. His ways were a bit weird, as in the case justified dead he gave them red wine to drink. But if he ever crossed a wrongdoer he tore their heads off and threw it in a wine presser, squeezing out the blood as if it were grape juice. He used that to create his own wine that gave him strength and power. Yeah, Egyptian mythology is pretty brutal. However, fortunately, that’s the sole dangerous part of Sesmu’s lore. He was a fairly good god besides that. He provided individuals with fragrance and oils. The latter was used for the embalming method, that prevented the dead from becoming into a skeleton. These oils were ready to slow or utterly stop the rotting method, saving the person’s body as it is. Acan Now, this guy is sort of onerous to seek out if you're trying to find “god of wine”. Because he's specifically known as the god of mead. Which is otherwise referred to as honey wine. He's the Mayan god. The Mayan god is originally responsible for Balché, a honey-based cocktail that the Mayans used to drink. Although, we prefer to call it mead in its’ early phases. We really don’t recommend that you try it though. It’s very intoxicating and can make any person sick nowadays. Yidi This Chinese deity is the god of wine and alcohol. His lore began when the Emperor’s daughter wanted to present her father with an amazing gift. This prompted Yidi to take action and start experimenting with brewing and fermentation. As a final result, he got a spicy and strong drink, which we know as wine today. He gave it to the Emperor, in hopes of it pleasing him. The Emperor was trying to hide his disgust at first, as this drink was very potent and he couldn’t really handle his alcohol well at the time. He said that his heirs won’t be able to drink it, as it’s “almost too strong for him even”. Thus, Yidi was forbidden from ever brewing again. But of course, that didn’t stop him and he continues experimenting, eventually reaching the level of a god.

It’s good to know how our favourite drink was first discovered. So even though these stories are likely not true, they can still have some slight truths in them. At the end, who cares? They are entertaining at the very least and you have once again learned a lot about wine! So raise your glass to all of these gods & goddesses of wine in various mythologies and bottoms up!

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