Alicia Steffann

In the north and east, wine was imported, but mainly for the nobility and the members of the church.

Worse yet, the poorest people would have drunk wine that had gone straight from fermentation into animal hides rather than bottles.

This not only further compromised the taste, but also introduced bacteria and all sorts of other undesirable elements that were not good for health.

Meanwhile, wine drinking flourished in sections of some Eastern cultures, such as the Christian and Jewish communities there.

It was less common in regions that were under Muslim control due to prohibitions on everyday alcohol consumption.

However, even in Muslim medieval culture, the idea of wine persisted.

It was mentioned in literature and consumed by discreet privileged groups.

In a discussion of wine, it's reasonable to think of history in terms of the old and the new world.

So while Columbus was certainly a controversial figure, it's fair to say that his voyages did prompt the spread of winemaking from Europe to the Americas.

Once again, the church proved to be a key factor.

Spanish conquistadors brought vines to Mexico, ostensibly to provide supplies for the Holy Eucharist.

Winemaking then spread further via Spanish missionaries, reaching Chile and Argentina during the 16th century.

At this point, Mexico had become the biggest wine producer.

It was so prolific that the King of Spain issued a ban on Mexican winemaking to keep it from damaging business in Spain.

Meanwhile, as winemaking spread across the globe, there was a new and beneficial trend to helping increase the quality of the product.

The containers improved.

As glassmaking practices evolved, the art of glassblowing allowed artisans to create bottles of just about any shape.

Until this time, wine had been stored in glass that was more onion-shaped or pot-bellied in form.

Further, the glass containers were sealed with oiled rags or glass stoppers that could easily cause breakage when they were removed.

Now with the possibility of creating a small neck, glass blowers could make a bottle