[imagesource: Flickr.com/Derek Key]

Around the world, winemakers have gone to herculean lengths to grow grapes in places they really don’t want to grow.

Perhaps it would have been easier for these pioneers of the tipple to grow other fruits adapted to the specific region, like blueberries that can withstand harsh winters or date-palm that can be grown and bottled in desert regions.

But still, the New York Finger Lake and Egyptian winemakers persisted through their struggles to make wine from grapes.

Now the juicy fruit has practically conquered the world.

So, ‘what is so special about grapes then?’, Atlas Obscura asks.

For one, when it comes to fermentation, grapes seem to have some neat biological advantage for doing it really well.

That’s why winemakers the world over will single out the vine even as they are surrounded by an abundance of alternative options.

But the real moment that wine became ubiquitous with grapes, was all thanks to the likes of Plato and Caesar.

While in BC times most humans enjoyed a good grain-based beverage, like beer, to get tipsy, there were a few fancy rulers who often imported wine from the regions where it could be made with better success.

Those imports came at great expense, which is why wine is still connected with luxury today.

Here’s more about the history of wine and grapes in a nutshell, per Tom Standage’s A History of the World in 6 Glasses:

…Ancient Greece was the first place where wine-drinking became universal. The vines took well to the Mediterranean climate, producing enough wine for drinkers of all social classes, who often opted for watered-down wine to sterilize pathogens in the water and to stay sober enough for symposiums of (allegedly) high-brow thought and debate.

When Rome established its empire, it admired and adopted much of Greek culture. And as a land that lionized farmers and grew its own grapevines, that very much included wine. Along with aqueducts and togas, grape-based wine spread with Roman conquest and trade, forever associating it with power, taste, and the good life.

Here in South Africa, winemakers can be thankful for finding great success in turning grapes into wine.

In Franschhoek, for example, the royal blue Cabernet Sauvignon varietal, known as “the king of the reds”, thrives into the most delicious regional wine.

We have the winemakers at Anthonij Rupert Wine to thank for that:

Nestles among the Franschhoek mountains, the wine farm boasts a grand history and stunning wine tasting options for anyone to enjoy the grape in its finest form:

 

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Today Anthonij Rupert Wines encapsulates six distinctive wine brands, made from some of the more superior sites in the Western Cape.

Head over to the online shop for more about each wine, and then take a gander at some of the exciting events and activities available on-site, too.

Word on the street is that the farm is hosting a fantastical truffle dining experience alongside some of its best wines at the moment.

[source:atlasobscura]