Von: Virginia Beach Hotels

Wine has evolved as part of European life, culture and diet since time
immemorial. Wine making emerged in Europe with the expansion of the
Roman Empire throughout the Mediterranean, when many major wine
producing regions that still exist today were established. Even then
wine making was a precise husbandry that fostered the development of
different grape varieties and cultivation techniques. Barrels for
storing and shipping emerged, bottles were used for the first time, and
even a rudimentary appellation system developed as certain regions
gained a reputation for fine wine. As wine production became
progressively refined, its popularity increased, and wine taverns became
a common feature in cities throughout the Empire.