Grape evidence for a dominant position of wine-making in human culture dates from 8,000 years ago in Georgia. The oldest known winery was found in Armenia, dating to around 4000 BC. By the 9th century AD the city of Shiraz was known to produce some of the finest wines in the Middle East. Thus it has been proposed that Syrah red wine is named after Shiraz, a city in Persia where the grape was used to make Shirazi wine. Ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics record the cultivation of purple grapes, and history attests to the ancient Greeks, Phoenicians, and Romans growing purple grapes
Rhône wine by "M"), supplementary varieties (indicated by "S"), and accessory varieties (indicated by "(A)"). Rhône wine The Rhône wine region in Southern France is situated in the Rhône valley and produces numerous wines under various "Appellation d'origine contrôlée" (AOC) designations. The region's major appellation in production volume is Côtes du Rhône AOC. The Rhône is generally divided into two sub-regions with distinct vinicultural traditions, the Northern Rhône (referred to in French as "Rhône septentrional") and the Southern Rhône (in French "Rhône méridional"). The northern sub-region produces red wines from the Syrah grape, sometimes blended with white wine grapes, and white wines