This is world's oldest wine, buried 2000 years ago in Spain, it belonged to...

An archaeological discovery in Spain's Carmona has revealed the world’s oldest known wine. Found in a Roman tomb, this ancient wine is estimated to be around 2,000 years old. It was preserved in a sealed glass urn, surpassing the previous record held by a 4th-century wine bottle from Germany.

The tomb, discovered in 2019 during renovations, contained a variety of well-preserved items like clothing, glassware and jewellery. Among them was the sealed urn that protected the wine from leaks and other environmental damage, keeping it intact. Chemists from the University of Córdoba, led by Professor José Rafael Ruiz Arrebola, confirmed the liquid as wine after detailed analysis. Their findings were published in the Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports.

The preservation of the tomb surprised researchers, as they rarely find liquids still intact after so many centuries. The wine was discovered alongside the remains of a man, suggesting it was part of a funerary ritual meant to accompany the deceased into the afterlife.

Chemical analysis showed that the wine, though significantly decayed, was similar to modern Spanish sherry and fino wines. It contained polyphenols, natural antioxidants found in wine, but lacked compounds linked to red wine, confirming it was white wine.

This discovery offers insight into Roman burial customs and highlights the long history of wine production. Researchers hope to learn more about the wine’s composition and origins as they continue their studies.