Wine: archaeology, history and humanity, from Alicante to the world.
24 Feb 2026 Wine: archaeology, history and humanity, from Alicante to the world.
Opinion article
Three days at the end of October allowed us to experience and appreciate the enormous weight that history, archaeology, and research carry in the world of wine. It’s a true universe that is impossible to understand today as a simple beverage, or at least, from Alicante, we feel it has a longer and broader connection than we imagine, not with the geographical area in which each designation of origin operates, but with time itself. Indeed, the alliance between territory and history is a source of great inspiration in this sector.
The congress “The Sea of Wine. Alicante, Historical Capital of Wine in the Mediterranean,” held in a wise partnership between the Alicante Provincial Council, through the MARQ Archaeological Museum of Alicante, and the city’s Tourism Board, brought together professionals from Georgia, Armenia, Italy, France, Greece, Egypt, Germany, Hungary, Turkey, and of course, the Iberian Peninsula, from Andalusia, Catalonia, and the Valencian Community. Together, we traced a path of light into the past, gradually illuminated by an archaeology that has uncovered rich and exciting nuances.
What is clear is that the transformation of grapes into wine remains as essential and primal as it has been for millennia. But the meaning of the entire process, as well as that of wine itself—its use, its rituals, and the pursuit of its quality and identity—has always been present, adding layers of immense richness to different civilizations and eras. We felt this as we explored the sites of the oldest wineries in Georgia and Armenia: where and why they were established, their layout, their spaces. We also learned about the oldest wines, such as those found in Thebes (Egypt), Greece, and Sicily, and how levels of quality are created through sensory characteristics, packaging, travel, and origin. The entire ritual of wine in different cultures. The culture of differentiation, which has existed for ages, its economic value—from being a mere wage to becoming a luxury product—and, of course, the protection of origin and quality, which we have witnessed firsthand in all civilizations, or in regions like Burgundy, Tokaj, Porto, or Alicante itself.
We share the importance of using amphorae and the tradition of clay, of fermentation in its essence: must, natural oxidation, and little else; or the culture of aging in wood, more modern but which tells a different story. Both systems are certainly fascinating.
What has not yet been possible is to provide data on grape varieties, on how some wines were made, or whether wines existed as we understand oenology today: by variety, by terroir, by color, by style… the trail of this information has been lost along the way. Although there are increasingly more clues being studied, such as the wines found in the necropolises of Porta Nola in Pompeii (Italy) and Carmona (Seville), or the extraordinary case of the Speyer bottle (Germany), it is undoubtedly a journey still to be undertaken, but a very exciting one.
What we conclude from all this discussion is that wine has certainly not been a simple, basic beverage, but rather that throughout history it has always had ramifications, social strata, and religious, metaphysical, and cultural meanings. And that archaeology and historical study are absolutely linked and must continue their research process. Through wine, we learn about the men and women of the past, but also about their ways of life, their daily customs, and the slow passage of the hours of the day where wine had an essential and important presence.
All of this continues to spark enormous interest in us. We noticed that a sense of mysticism, a thirst for knowledge, and a deep respect for all that was discovered filled the air among all the attendees—a feeling of shared culture that further convinced us that, beyond current territorial differences and diverse languages, wine has forged a common ground, making all the peoples who inhabit the shores of the Mare Nostrum Mediterranean and uniting us as a shared language through wine. This message is powerful and resonates with those who believe that this ancient crop is, and must remain, one of our most defining characteristics.
From the organizing perspective, we realized that what had begun as an educational endeavor to bring these experts to Alicante had transformed into a great responsibility. For who today is capable of continuing to speak about this vast wine culture and its history? The sector is facing a new global trade and consumer crisis, and no one is addressing this culture, which has been erased from mainstream media, among young people—who were also discussed in light of the difficulties.
For Alicante, it was also a great source of pride to share our wines with the finest Mediterranean wines brought from all corners of the Mare Nostrum. We were proud to hold this seminar in exceptional historical locations such as the l’Illeta dels Banyets archaeological site in El Campello, where we began the events with a welcome toast under the setting sun overlooking the sea. Other notable locations included Santa Bárbara Castle, the Casa Mediterráneo, and the Co-cathedral of San Nicolás.
We were proud to present the research project “Alicante 1510,” in which we claim to be the oldest Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) in the world. And finally, we were proud to offer tastings of our delicate grape varieties and share the mystique of our most internationally renowned wine, Fondillón, with leading experts in the field. We are very proud of this, and with this congress, our historical roots have been extended even further into the past, the land, and the “Alicante” brand.
We were proud to present the research project “Alicante 1510,” in which we claim to be the oldest PDO in the world. We want to thank all the attendees and speakers, who were incredibly happy during those days, because we truly felt it and they conveyed it to us afterward; all the invited tasters; the wineries from around the world that provided their “heirloom wines”; and all those who remain enthusiastic or will one day become enthusiastic about this story, which is the story of a humanity that has eaten, drunk, and transcended for centuries on this planet called Earth.
Jose Luis Menéndez
MARQ Archaeological Museum of Alicante
Eladio Martin
CRDOP Alicante