It is estimated that the wine appeared on Earth about 100 million years ago and it is estimated that the varieties existing today are about 100,000. It is very difficult to establish with absolute certainty which is the homeland of the wine; in any case, it was ascertained that there were three centers of origin: North America, Northeast America and Europe-Asia. The latter center mentioned, which includes the Mediterranean countries and the Near East, is the most important as it is in this area that the wine used for the production of grapes to be used for wine originated, called '' European vine '', as all scholars now agree.
Various authors believe that the vitaceae have been present in the fossil flora for about 40 million years. The first fossil records of Vitis Vinifera date back to one million years ago.
The most recent acquisitions lead to the conclusion that the wines currently cultivated are the fruit, at least in large part, of spontaneous crossings between semi-wild wines already present in our territories and vines imported from the East; finally, local selection followed in the various cultivation areas.
According to the tradition that is linked to Biblical history (where wine is cited about 5,000 times) the vine was planted by Noah (in today's area of Armenia), after the patriarch had come down from the ark. In fact, in the Bible we read: '' Noah started farming and planted a vineyard. One day he drank some wine and got drunk, and undressed in his tent.'' (Genesis 9:20,21)
From these two simple phrases the conviction was born that he was the first winemaker and consumer of wine, consolidated over time due to the fact that, as far as wine is concerned, there are no written documents prior to the biblical text cited.
However, it is now shown that the most ancient archaeological finds date wine back to around 5400 BC. or at the latest 6000 BC near Armenia and Assyria. In Italy it is probable that viticulture was imported to Sicily in 2000 BC. by the Aegean-Mycenaean colonizers, while in some areas of the Center it would have been spread mainly by the Etruscans around 1000 BC. However, it remains true that the vine was spread throughout the Mediterranean area by the Phoenicians between 1000 and 700 BC. and, in central-southern Italy and along some northern coasts, by the Greeks between the eighth and sixth centuries. B.C. The Romans then perfected and spread the winemaking technique also in the conquered countries.