16 Jul THE OLDEST WINE CELLARS KNOWN TO MANKIND
It’s been a few months since the COVID-19 pandemic kept us all hidden behind closed doors, in our houses. And as such, our homes have become human cellars, keeping us safe in the same way Cellars have been keeping bottles of wine since forever. Out of the curiosity that envelopes the human mind when idle, we at Papro consulting decided to research three of the oldest wine cellars known to mankind. Trust each one comes with its own special surprise.
1. The Tel Kabri wine cellar
Location: Israel
Discovered: Nov 2013
Age: 3,700 years old
Have you always wanted to know what the wine you read about in the Bible tasted like? Well, Papro consulting might have a clue after all.
One of the world’s oldest cellars was unearthed in the holy land in 2013 by a group of American and Israeli researchers. The cellar was said to be part of a palace which existed during the time the Israelites occupied Canaan. The cellar is quite an antique, with researchers claiming it was at its peak between 1,900 BC and 1600 BC.
It was a 15-by-20-storage room which housed forty jars of wine. The first jar which was dug up was named bestie. Soon, 39 other jars were found, bringing the total to forty jars.
If all that wine were to be put in bottles, it would fill almost 3,000 bottles of red and white wine with modern day measurements. That’s quite a lot of wine, even for a palace. That means humanity’s extravagance with wine is age long. While Israel was a wine center in its day, this discovery is quite an interesting one.
2. The Areni Cave wine cellar
Location: Areni, Armenia
Discovered: 2007
Age: 6,100 years old
This is not just a cellar, it’s also a winery. This cellar was discovered in 2007 by a team of Armenian and Irish archaeologists. The excavation of the area was completed in 2010. It is reputably the oldest wine cellar in the world, even though there are some wineries that claim to be older than this. The Areni cave still is one of the oldest cellars in the world.
3. The RMS TITANIC wine cellar
Location: somewhere under the sea
Discovered: 1985
Age: 108 years
In 1985, an expedition was sponsored by the US Navy. Led by a marine archaeologist named Robert Ballard, the goal of the expedition was to comb the seafloor and find debris of the RMS Titanic which went down in 1912, on its first voyage.
A week into an expedition that was slated to last twelve days, the team hit the jackpot. They found the debris of the ship. They came across a lot of luggage, clothes, among other items. And then they found the unbelievable; 10,000 bottles of wine still intact. They had found the cellar of the Titanic.
This was an epic discovery and still is today. Most of the bottles are still under the sea, and are said to be some of the most expensive bottles of wine in existence, due to their history and rarity. If you are interested in how they would taste, you may have the go down to the ocean floor yourself and try it out.
At Papro consulting, our priority lies in providing efficient solutions to your winery needs. From cellars, to the most esoteric topics with regard to wine, we have you covered. Contact us today, and you’d be glad you did.