A series of excavations in Georgia has uncovered evidence of the world’s earliest winemaking, in the form of telltale traces within clay pottery dating back to 6,000BC – suggesting that the practice of making grape wine began hundreds of years earlier than previously believed. The latest find pushes back the early evidence for the tipple by as much as half a millennium. Researchers were particularly intrigued by fired clay pots found in the region – likely to be some of the earliest pottery made in the Near East. Davide Tanasi, of the University of South Florida, said the results of the study were unquestionable and that the findings were “certainly the example of the oldest pure grape wine in the world”. “They have been saying for years that they have a very long history of winemaking and so we’re really cementing that position.”

Source: The Guardian November 13, 2017 19:52 UTC