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
Fiano (grape) Outside of Italy, several Australian wine producers have begun to use the grape. Production seems to be increasing, although the number of vineyards growing it is still small. One place of production is in the McLaren Vale wine region of South Australia and in the Hunter Valley wine region of New South Wales. More recently, some winemakers in Argentina are producing Fiano in the La Rioja district, north of Mendoza. Beyond its strong flavors and intense aroma notes, the Fiano grapevine is noted viticulturally for the relatively low yields it produces. Ampelographers and wine historians consider Fiano a "classical vine"