Wine (or “irep” in ancient Egyptian) was a status symbol, reserved for the wealthy and for religious occasions.

Grapes were cultivated in Egypt by as early as 4000 BCE. The earliest evidence of wine production in Egypt dates to around 3000 BCE, during the Pre-Dynastic Period. By the time Egypt was unified under one ruler, winemaking was probably well-established in the region. Continue reading Winemaking in Ancient Egypt