We know that wine making was prevalent during Ancient Egyptian times, but where did the grapes come from? Grapes were not indigenous to the region. They had to have been imported. Although the origin of the grapes remain disputed, they are thought to have come from Palestine. Once arriving in Egypt, the fermented drink gained popularity quickly. At first it was the drink of kings and nobles. This was probably due to the rarity and scarceness of the grapes. Eventually it became common to bury loved ones with jars of wine for use in the afterlife. Baskets of wine we also used.
Wine making was extremely different from what we know today. The Egyptian had to find creative ways to hold moisture in the dry desert soil. The vines tended to be trained low to the ground, bush-like to provide the most shade. There have been hieroglyphs showing grape vines would around low trellis like structures. These cryptic pictures also have shown different types of vats, jars, and materials used in the wine making process.
After harvesting, many different types of presses were experimented with and utilized. The must was sometimes heated to enhance the sweetness of the wine. The wine was strained through tight clothes before fermentation possibly to reduce sediment. Earthenware jars were used as fermentation vats. each jar was sealed and left for a period of time. The Egyptians were meticulous about labeling each vintage and the quality of each wine.
Ancient Egyptian recipes have been sought for decades but remain elusive. The difficulty of deciphering the Egyptian written language plays a huge part in the failure of ascertaining a solid historic wine recipe. Attempts have been made to reproduce the wine of the Pharaohs. In 1831, it is thought that the closest reproduction to the ancient wine was produced. This recipe is still used today, but those who try it find it a very poor quality wine, hardly palatable.