The Speyer wine bottle is a bottle of liquid, most probably containing wine, originally found near Speyer, in Germany, in 1867.[1] The bottle has been dated at 325[1] or 350 AD[2], and it is believed to be the oldest unopened bottle of wine in the world.[1][2][3][4] Since its discovery, it has been exhibited at the Wine Museum within the Historical Museum of the Palatinate in Speyer, always in the same location in the museum. [5] It is a glass amphora yellow green in color with "handles formed in the shape of dolphin" embellishments.[6] The same museum also houses "the oldest wine bottle in Germany that is still completely filled with wine", found in 1913 and bearing vintage 1687 of Steinauer vineyard near Naumburg .[1]
Preservation
The vessel was found in 1867 within a 4th century AD Roman nobleman's tomb. The tomb contained two sarcophagues, one with a man and one with a woman.[1] One source says he was a Roman legionnaire and the wine was a provision for his celestial journey.[7] Of the six glass bottles in the woman's sarcophagus and the ten vessels in the man's sarcophagus, only one actually still was containing a fluid Vorlage:Mdash a clear liquid in the bottom third, and a mixture similar to rosin above. While it has lost its ethanol content, analysis is consistent with at least part of the liquid having been wine.[1] The wine was actually diluted with a mixture of herbs.[1] The wine was most probably produced in the same region.[3] The preservation of the wine is attributed to the large amount of thick olive oil that had been put on top to seal it off from air[1], along with a hot wax seal.[2][3]
While scientists have thought of accessing the liquid to further analyze the content, as of 2011 the bottle remained unopened, because of concerns on how the liquid would react when exposed to air.[3][5] The museum's curator, Ludger Tekampe, has stated he has seen no variation in the bottle in the last 25 years.[5] It is thought that, while micro-biologically uncontaminated, the liquid would not actually be enjoyable to drink today.[2][3]
Petronius (c. 27Vorlage:Ndash66 AD) in his Satyricon writes of plaster sealed bottles, and this one is analogous. The Vorlage:Convert bottle is a survivor.[4] Its condition has defied inherent fragility of bottles and bungs; and depredations of war, looters, pillagers, and imbibers; and the ever present threat of evaporation Vorlage:Mdash making it preeminent[8]
References
External links
Vorlage:Wines Vorlage:Wine by country Vorlage:Winemaking Vorlage:Viticulture Vorlage:Alcoholic beverages Vorlage:Use dmy dates
- ↑ a b c d e f g h The Roman Wine of Speyer: The oldest Wine of the World that's still liquid. Deutsches Weininstitut, abgerufen am 25. April 2014.
- ↑ a b c d The Globe and Mail: Ask A Wine Expert: 101 Things We All Want to Know. Booktango, 2013, ISBN 978-1-4689-4147-0, S. 13– (google.com [abgerufen am 25. April 2014]).
- ↑ a b c d e Allan Hall: Shall we crack open the 350AD vintage? Historians debate whether to open 'world's oldest bottle of wine' In: Daily Mail, December 10, 2011. Abgerufen im 25 April 2014
- ↑ a b Ronald S. Jackson: Wine Science: Principles and Applications. 3rd Auflage. Academic Press/Elsevier, Burlington, MA; London; San Diego 2008, ISBN 0-12-373646-3, S. 489 (google.com [abgerufen am 24. April 2014]). ISBN 978-0123736468
- ↑ a b c Museum scared to open ancient Roman wine In: The Local - Germany edition, December 9, 2011. Abgerufen im 25 April 2014
- ↑ Victor Marques: The oldest bottle of wine.... Sunzu, abgerufen am 2. April 2014.
- ↑ The oldest wine in the world. Pfalz, abgerufen am 25. April 2014.
- ↑ The Oldest Bottle of Wine in the World. World of Fine Wine, 3. März 2014, abgerufen am 24. April 2014.