ChatterBank0 min ago
Vintage Wine.
What is the oldest bottle of wine in existence?
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For more on marking an answer as the "Best Answer", please visit our FAQ.I believe amphora of wine from 3rd century BC Mesopotamia have been recovered in archaeological excavations.
As for the term 'vintage' - this means wine made from the grapes harvested in a certain year. So a '1991 vintage St. Emillion' is made exclusively from grapes harvested in 1991.
Similarly 'vintage Champagne' refers to a Champagne made from one year's harvest - this is slightly unusual, in that most Champagnes are blended from stocks of wine from a number of years. This is in order to produce a consistent product from the Champagne House, (a 'house blend' if you like), so that variances between each year's wine production are smoothed out.
So 'vintage' does not mean 'old'.
Oldest wine in the world?
Even as Capt Graysmith was building his mansion on the hill in Nassau, 18th century monks in Germany were pouring the sweet white wine from their vineyards into half bottles.
One of these, an unprepossessing amber bottle, now rests in Garzaroli's cellar. It may be the last bottle of Apostolwein from 1726 in existence, and it may also be the oldest bottle of wine in the world.
The nondescript brown label shows a naked Baccus raising a flagon, seated atop a building, dated 1727 with the words "Rudesheimer Apostolwein," the region, "Rheinghau," and the place where it originally sold, "Bremer Ratskeller." Once listed for $12,000, Garzaroli says he's been offered $200,000 for the little bottle. So far, he's decided not to sell.
From this link:
http://www.caribbean.com/bahamas/new_providence/garzarol is_fabulous_cellar.html