All wine glasses are about history

Although wine has a rich history that dates back to 8000BC, it was only around 6000BC that containers for drinking wine began to make an appearance. And since glass was discovered only much later, around 3500BC, it was clay and precious metals that were originally used to make vessels for holding wine.

Early wine glass

Traces of wine have been found in traditional clay glasses. In fact, even after the discovery of glass, clay continued to be the preferred choice because making and blowing glass was an extremely tedious task. Glass was actually considered more valuable than gold and silver!

The earliest wine vessels were made of leather, pottery, and even animal horns. 

Glass began to replace clay and metal

Finally, it was during the Roman Empire and at the suggestion of the historian Pliny, that glass began to be used to make wine goblets.

By the 5th century AD, shallow cups with slender long stems began to be used by the upper classes while commoners had to make sturdier-looking earthenware goblets.

The first wine glasses made of glass wine history dates back to 15th century Europe. These glasses had stems and a base. Enameled goblets from that period have also survived to this day.

The elaborate design makes an appearance on the glasses

Earlier, no distinction was made between glasses used for drinking water or alcohol. Both are drunk from the same glass. Many factors came into play when the qualities of wine began to be known.

The Germans were the pioneers of wine history details glass engraving, beginning in the late 6th century AD. At the time, wine was mostly poured into straight glasses with stems. In the 8th century, congenial glasses with bowls were predominant.

Wine glass becomes elegant

Somewhere between being drunk from tumblers and tankards (like its stronger brethren), wine soon began to gain a distinction of its own. Wine cannot be confused or equated with strong spirits. For example, the glass may not be the same size as the beer. A more sophisticated design began to evolve. A broad base with mouth tapering at the edges. And the glass must have a stem so that the taste of the wine is not affected by the warmth from the hand gripping its surface.

Modern wine glass

Today, wine glasses have come a long way from their early days when wine was drunk from silver flagons and even animal horns. There are elaborate designs and colorful motifs to add a new depth to the wine glass.

Chilean wine history, regions, and wines

Chile has been growing grapes for more than 500 years, but its renaissance dates back to the mid-1980s when modern production techniques arrived in the country, including steel fermentation techniques. The country has since become the ninth largest timeline of wine history producer in the world, and Chilean wines are now quite famous.

The country might have ranked even higher had it not been for government restrictions on production and the nationalization of wineries at one point in the 1950s. The initial wines exported in the 1980s were nothing to write home about, but they were good enough to attract the attention of some foreign investors, such as Robert Mondavi and Spain's Miguel Torres, among others.

One of the reasons why Chile is a paradise for grape growing is its climate, which offers hot sunny days and cool nights. Rainfall is ample and the cool air helps the grapes ripen consistently.

Chilean wines are full of fruit and of extremely high quality. Even the lower price points offer decent wines, including Concha y Toro, which many customers may have seen on store shelves. Concha y Toro is no stranger to winemaking. 

Cabernet Sauvignon grows extremely well in Chile and these wines are full-bodied and deeply flavored. An old Bordeaux grape, Carmenere has become the country's signature wine for Argentina, much like Malbec. It has characteristics similar to Merlot, and the flavor is rich with strong tannins on the finish.

White wines are dominated by Chardonnay, which grows readily in the Casablanca and San Antonio valleys. An ambitious replacement program saw the introduction of Sauvignon Blanc. Some vintners are also experimenting with Riesling, Viognier and Gewürztraminer