It's not the French who are the world's biggest consumers of wine. As it turns out, the first place in this category goes to the Vatican. It is surprising that such a small country with only 825 inhabitants in 2019, drinks 62 liters of wine per capita per year. ¹⁾

It turns out that wine may have been invented even before the wheel was invented. The remains of wine storage vessels were found in what is now Georgia. After careful examination, they were found to be as much as 7.5 to 8 thousand years old. For example, the invention of the wheel dates back to the fourth millennium BC. ²⁾

To judge the quality of a wine, you have to smell it. It is said that the number of perceptible aromas indicates whether a wine is of high quality. The more aromas we can distinguish, the better the wine is. ³⁾

In the case of diet, it is advisable to drink a glass of wine with dinner. The best wine here turns out to be white and red, but dry, with a limited amount of sugar in the composition. A glass of such wine has less than 100 kcal, so you can easily afford it from time to time. ⁴⁾

Wine has a health-promoting effect. It positively affects digestion and the circulatory system. In its composition, we can find polyphenols, flavonoids, and antioxidants, especially valuable resveratrol, which stimulates the longevity gene. ⁵⁾

Each type of wine goes well with a different dish. For example, white wines are very light, so they go well with equally light dishes. They go well with all kinds of salads, seafood, and fish dishes. They are equally suitable as an aperitif. Matured wines go well with exquisite dishes, which can include duck or roast pork. ⁶⁾

The word “wine” may be derived from the Georgian “gvino”, at least that is what some linguists confirm. ⁷⁾

There are orange wines. Contrary to their name, they are not made from oranges, but from white grapes. They are created through a long process of maceration of skins in contact with the must. They are not new, because for centuries they were created in Georgia, however, they are quite rare on the shelves. ⁸⁾

The most expensive bottle in the world cost $225,000 and it didn't actually sell. William Sokolin was in possession of a 1787 Chateau Margaux that was valued at $500,000. He took it with him to a restaurant, where the bottle was broken by an inattentive waiter. However, Sokolin had previously insured the beverage and was paid $225,000. ⁹⁾

Salt comes in handy for chilling wine. Put ice cubes in a bucket, add salt, and put a bottle of wine. This will speed up the cooling process and after a while, you will be able to enjoy a cold drink. ¹⁰⁾

The oldest bottle of wine in the world is the one you can see in the Speyer museum in Germany. It dates back to 325 AD. ¹¹⁾

In ancient Greece, the host of a toast was the first to drink, thus proving to the other guests that the wine served was not poisoned. ¹²⁾

The flesh inside grapes of both types, whether white or red, is actually mostly clear. Only representatives of grapes called “teinturiers”, also have interiors colored red. In other cases, it is the skin of the fruit that contains the pigment and is responsible for the dark-red color. If we squeeze the juice from peeled dark grapes, it will remain white. If, on the other hand, it comes into contact with the skin during fermentation and sometimes even before, it will acquire a red color. ¹³⁾

Producers put the wine through a clarification process, using zoonotic products like gelatin, fish glue, or the most common - egg white. These substances stick to unwanted particles in the wine, making them larger and thus easier to remove. ¹⁴⁾

Oenophobia is the fear of wine. ¹⁵⁾