To understand the origins of the vine you must remember that it is divided into two subspecies Vitis sylvestris, which is the wild vine, and Vitis vinifera, which is the cultivated vine.

From the Paleolithic period, man lived from hunting and gathering berries and fruit. In prehistory, the vine grew spontaneously in the forest amongst the trees. Our distant ancestors quickly learnt to appreciate the fruit of this creeper.

But how did wine come about?

Most likely by chance: after stocking up for winter or by forgetting a harvest in some container or other, man learnt that grape juice underwent a very odd transformation with astonishingly agreeable effects…

Archeological discoveries confirm the use and knowledge of fermented drinks: from impressions of pips in pottery and from containers with the residue of alcoholic drinks…