Old wine

Archeologists in Armenia have discovered the remains of the oldest known wine-making facility. The findings included a shallow basin believed to have been the wine-press which drained into a deep vat. They researchers also found grape seeds, remains of crushed grapes and some dried vines. Read the full story here.

In one of my earlier posts on Habit Forming, I commented on how the consumption of alcohol has long been intertwined with human -  this discovery suggests that wine has been influencing human endeavors for some time.

The oldest bottle of wine was discovered in Germany in 1867. This Roman glass amphora is believed to date to 325 AD. The bottle contains two liquids - the "wine" and a layer of what's believed to be olive oil - used instead of a cork to reduce oxidation and evaporation.

In episode 12 of the TV Series White Collar, the FBI and their ex-con forger investigate the sale of a bottle of wine believed to have been given to Benjamin Franklin by Marie Antoinette. While such a transaction may have occurred, the writers and producers on this episode probably drew inspiration from the sale of a bottle of 1787 Chateau Lafite believed to have belonged to Thomas Jefferson. This bottle was sold on auction in 1985 and fetched price of $160,000.

Last year Sotheby's sold three bottles of Châteaux Lafite-Rothschild 1869 on auction in Hong-Kong for the hammer price of $232,692 per bottle making this the most expensive (recorded) bottle of wine.

While I am an oenophile, its highly unlikely I will ever have the means to buy wine worth more than a couple of hundred South African Rand. The oldest wine I have ever opened and drunk - I separate the two as some old wines when opened are awful and cannot be drunk - was a bottle of Uiterwyk Cabernet Sauvignon from 1974 - my birth year. 

A wine as old as I am!

I was so impressed by the quality of the wine after so much time, I tracked down the producing wine estate in South Africa and contacted them:

"Uiterwyk Cabernet Sauvignon 1974

Dear Sirs,

I had the pleasure of opening (and drinking) a bottle of Uiterwyk Cabernet Sauvignon 1974 this evening. I live in Nairobi, Kenya. The bottle was given to me by a fellow South African who was heading back to SA and couldn't take any of his wine collection with him.

The cork was brittle, but I managed to get 90% out of of the bottle in one go - the remains were pushed into the bottle. We poured it straight into glasses through a fine sieve. The wine had a purple-red colour - unlike other old Cabernet Sauvignon's I have opened, which are usually brown!

As for the taste? It improved with some air, but was complex yet completely smooth. Very hard to describe actually - the smoothest (and oldest) Cabernet Sauvignon I have ever drunk, yet retaining complexity,

The wine bottle (i have photo's if you like copies) states that the wine maker was a D. De Waal. If he/she is still alive, I'd like to congratulate them on producing a fine wine! And a fine wine that was good after 36 years!

Keep well

JK"

Pieter de Waal, the current MD of the wine estate responded as follows:

"Thank you for taking the trouble to send us such a complimentary letter.

 

My father, Danie de Waal (Snr) is still alive and well at 90 years of age. I have printed your e-mail and will take it to him - he will be delighted, I'm sure.

 

Thanks again

 

Kind regards

 

Pieter de Waal" 

I guess my letter made D. De Waal (Snr)'s day, just as the fruit of his labors - some 36 years past had made our day!

What's the oldest bottle of wine you have ever drunk? What did it taste like?