You Can (Probably) Still Drink the World’s Oldest Bottle of Wine (2024)
For the last hundred years, Germany’s Historical Museum of the Palatinate has housed the world’s oldest unopened bottle of wine. But a century is nothing to the Speyer wine bottle, also known as the Römerwein aus Speyer. Its murky contents have sat undisturbed inside clear glass for 1,693 years.
The 1.5 liter bottle has handles shaped like dolphins and was buried in the tomb of a Roman nobleman and noblewoman near today’s city of Speyer. Researchers estimate that it dates to around 325 C.E. When the tomb was excavated in 1867, other wine bottles were found, long since shattered or empty. In earlier eras, Romans cremated the dead. But by the time of the Speyer bottle, Romans laid corpses to rest in sarcophagi with grave goods, which included everyday items, including wine.
The wine inside the Speyer bottle was likely made from local grapes that were planted during Roman rule. Unknown herbs were added as well, perhaps as flavoring or as a preservative. The residue inside, however, is no longer truly wine. Instead, it consists of a solid, dark mass and a milky liquid. Even the survival of that residue is unprecedented. An unusually well-made bottle that stayed airtight over the millennia, a wax seal, and a thick layer of olive oil preserved its contents from totally evaporating. In fact, more oil than wine was poured into the bottle, creating the dense, solid layer visible through the glass.
On a microbiological level, yes: Researchers say it’s likely safe and won’t kill you, although the wine won’t taste good. But you’d first have to wrestle the wine away from the museum, where staff refuse to open the bottle, even for research. According to a local news report, most of the museum staff is too afraid to handle the bottle. It’s hard to say which would be scarier: dropping the world’s oldest bottle of wine, or actually drinking it.
The reason the 'wine' is still considered likely safe to drink is twofold. Firstly, the wine was sealed with wax rather than cork – which would have rotted away over the intervening near-2,000 years. Secondly, thanks to a thick layer of olive oil, which was intended to preserve the wine inside the bottle.
People have bottles of wine that have been saved since the 1920s or even before that, that they treasure and drink on special occasions. Wine is an alcohol. The alcohol keeps bacteria and other nasty things from growing in it. You are generally safe in drinking it.
History. The Speyer wine bottle most likely holds wine, and was originally found in 1867, in what is now the Rhineland-Palatinate region of Germany near Speyer, one of the oldest settlements in the area. The artifact has since become known as "the world's oldest existing bottle of wine".
Water that has been underground for a thousand years can taste different, too. It leaches natural chemicals from the surrounding rock, changing its mineral content. Some natural contaminants linked to groundwater age – like mood-boosting lithium – can have positive effects.
A 20-year-old wine should recover its composure within a week or two, while a 30-year-old wine may need up to a month. For a wine over 40 years old, let it sit for four to six weeks–or until it becomes clear. Once you have opened your wine, it should be served as soon as possible.
Post bottling, whisky does continue to change and evolve on it's own over time, especially if it's opened and exposed to oxygen, or different storage conditions such as temperature, but is generally safe for consumption, even after 100years!
In an Instagram post, the museum said that if you were to take a sip from the oldest bottle of wine in the world, the taste “would probably be compared to that of a tasteless chewing gum”, which doesn't sound like it would make for a fun wine tasting session.
A typical wine from ancient times would have had a nose redolent of tree sap, giving way to a salty palate, and yielded a finish that could only charitably be compared to floor tile in a public restroom.
The historical evidence of mead production from ancient times to the present is described in this chapter. Mead is considered by many to be the oldest alcoholic beverage.
Wines often go bad as a result of old age or being open for too long. However, unopened wines can also go bad if they have a wine fault. A fault is a defect that occurs from natural issues, incorrect winemaking practices, or errors in the storage process.
While it may not taste amazing, drinking wine that's past its heyday will not hurt you. Remember, you're better off not trying to age your wine. So few bottles benefit from aging and you could end up ruining a perfectly good bottle.
Wine is actually safe to drink for up to 1,500 years. And most wine actually tastes better the older it gets. This case was very well sealed, but they finally managed to get it open.
And, yes, I have had some red wines that dated back a half century or more and found them remarkably drinkable—which is not the same thing as saying they were wonderful. It was just that it was a surprise—actually more a relief—to find them still in decent condition, with acceptable color and modest oxidation.
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Introduction: My name is Virgilio Hermann JD, I am a fine, gifted, beautiful, encouraging, kind, talented, zealous person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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