Faisal Ahsan

October 16, 2009

Paths to Present

Wine: the Drink of Gods

“Thirst is deadlier than hunger. Deprived of food, you might survive for a few weeks, but

deprived of liquid refreshment, you would be lucky to last more than a few days” (Standage 1).

Tom Standage in his, A History of the World in 6 Glasses, vividly describes six of the drinks that

shaped and changed the world we live in today. He presents a history of the world neither

through famous men nor meaningful days, but instead he articulates a story through six

beverages: Beer, wine, spirits, coffee, tea and cola each containing either alcohol or caffeine

have shaped history. Ten thousand years ago the domestication of cereal grains produced beer in

the Far East (Standage 3). Wine flourished in ancient Greece and gave birth to deep intellectual

conversations about politics, poetry and philosophy (Standage 3). Hard alcohol became popular

in North American and these included drinks such as rum, brandy, and whisky. The next three

drinks contain caffeine rather than alcohol. Coffee and tea began dominating the lives of

scientists, businessmen, and philosophers. The Age of Reason brought these two beverages from

the Middle East (Standage 4). In the late eighteenth century the invention of Coca-Cola, which

was intended for medical reasons is now an icon of the world. Standage best describes these

drinks as “living reminders of bygone eras, fluid testaments to the forces that shaped the modern

world” (Standage 6).

In order to better understand how these drinks shaped the modern world I will focus on

the influence of wine on social, cultural, political, and economic events. Additionally, I aim to
compare the far reaching effects of wine, on the cataclysmic upheavals that the internet incited.

Both developments altered history in pivotal ways.

The origins of wine are not rigidly defined; wine is believed to have been produced

during the Neolithic period in the Zagros Mountains (Standage 47). Wine consists of fermented

juice of crushed grapes (Standage 47). The social power of wine is best described when

Ashurnasirpal II served ten thousand jars of wine and beer at his feast in Mesopotamia (Standage

45). This feat was incredible in the regards that only very small quantities had been imported

from the mountainous regions because of the difficult journey, thusly, wine at the time was ten

times more expensive than beer (Standage 45). This is vital to understand because it shows how

neither the price of wine nor the difficulty of importing it was taken into account for this feast

and this shows the lengths that Ashurnasipal was willing to take in order to demonstrate his

power. More than 70,000 men and women joined Ashurnasirpal for this grand feast and under

the Assyrians, wine drinking developed into a formal social ritual (Standage 46). Furthermore,

the social implications of wine caused a beheading of a Roman emperor. Marcus Antonius was

in refuge and his host sent out a servant to get Marcus wine worthy of his name. The servant

wanted expensive wine and the vintner asked, “Why?” and the servant revealed the identity of

his master’s guest. In the end Gaius Marius, a general, who was looking for refugees in support

of his rivals ordered soldiers to go and kill Marcus Antonius (Standage 75). Wine determined

distinction between the poor and the wealthy in these times and consequently ended up being the

demise for Marcus Antonius. These examples show how wine impacted people’s interactions

through gatherings, such as feasts, and how it catalyzed them to behead people.

Culturally wine also played an important role in influencing people. Culture can be

described in many ways but more simply can be said to be the values and beliefs shared by
individuals and groups (What is Culture). The Greeks gathered at formal drinking parties,

symposia, where intellectual conversations and formal dinners took place (Standage 53). The

Greeks believed that they were far more “civilized” because they drank wine rather than beer.

Greek tradition even had a legend that Dionysus, the God of Wine, left Mesopotamia and fled to

Greece to escape beer-loving Mesopotamia (Standage 53). Wine changed the way the Greeks

lived and impacted their lives every day. The cultural influence it had on the region and its

people is immense. Wine’s ability to catalyze the Greek’s intellectual gatheringswhich

undoubtedly gave rise to some of the most prolific ideas about music, tradition, and other

elements of cultureis just one example of wine’s overarching role in shaping the Greek

culture. The fact that it permeated their art and mythology speaks to how deeply imbedded this

beverage was in some of the most defining elements of culture.

Wine not only has had a social and cultural influence but also a political one. It is

essential to understand that political decisions go hand in hand with economic decisions. Only

privileged men drank wine and could participate in the Greek democracy (Standage 65). Plato

conceived his book The Republic with the aid of wine by his side. In his book he depicted

Socrates denouncing proponents of democracy as evil wine pourers who encouraged the thirsty

people to overindulge in the “strong wine of freedom” (Standage 65). Plato believed wine was an

intellectual drink that was needed in order to have discussions. Economically wine and alcohol

in general, helped economies and countries grow. Wine had the ability to draw in 70,000 people

from all over the world to Ashurnasirpal grand feast and that left a mark for the future.

Economically, wine and more specifically alcohol were prohibited by the 18th amendment in the

United States. However, that did not stop Al Capone and other gangsters in their efforts to

smuggle across Canada (Pendleton). The U.S could have been the beneficiary of alcohol, but
instead, it was outlawed rather than a tariff put on it. A tax on alcohol would have benefited the

nation tremendously. The economy could have expanded and all Americans could have been

better off but the prohibition of alcohol hindered that cause.

The influence of wine socially, culturally, politically, and economically cannot be

compared, but, the internet has also had far reaching consequences. I feel that the internet has

impacted the world globally as wine did hundreds of years ago. The internet is a “global system

of interconnected computer networks” (NSF). The internet has enabled billions and billions of

people to be connected with each other with the use of email, webcam, social networking sites,

etc. The internet is a social and cultural phenomenon and it is impossible to fathom life without

the existence of it. Socially, the internet connects people of all ages because of the existence of

email, Facebook, and MySpace (NSF). These social networking sites provide its users to network

amongst friends, family, and colleagues. The internet connects people of all ages, sexes, and

races just as wine did hundreds and thousands of years ago.

The political consequence of the internet was more evident than ever in the election of

Barack Obama in 2008. Obama’s campaign utilized the internet to further gain support especially

among the younger generation and the usage of it helped him compete with, and ultimately

defeat John McCain by a substantial margin. Furthermore, he used the internet to raise money for

his campaign and also put his message out in order to gain votes (Miller). YouTube played an

intricate role by connecting voters and politicians so one could further evaluate a candidate

before Election Day. Politically the use of the internet will help decide the president of the

United States from 2008 onward, just as Kennedy brought television to the forefront in preceding

decades (Miller). These political decisions will elect representatives who will make economic

decisions to better this nation in times of need.

 The internet has had far-ranging consequences socially, culturally and politically. The

internet has become an epidemic just as alcohol was and continues to remain one. It has defined

not only Americans but has become a social norm of the world. This epidemic defines us and has

shaped our lives just as alcohol did and more specifically wine. Wine and the internet are not

much different because the fact they shaped the way that we live and will continue to shape the

way we will live. The internet will become faster and more accessible as time progresses. Smart

phones such as Blackberries, Pantech duos, and iPhones have made the internet more accessible

than ever by having essentially the world in the palm of your hand. The internet has shaped the

way I live and has been an integral part of my life. Wine, however, has not had that effect on me

since I am under the age and access to wine is although possible it is more difficult.

Wine is the drink of Gods. It is the only drink that better illustrates its drinker’s status,

power, and wealth (Standage 90). I believe Standage puts it best when he says “The host is

responsible for the choice of wine, and the selection is expected to reflect the importance of the

occasion and the social standing of both the host and his guests (Standage 90). This link began

with the Greeks and was furthered strengthened by the Romans. Wine remains a social beverage

that entices conversations and continues to be a distinctive factor of social classes. Wine and the

internet have both influenced and have had their consequences on society and both will continue

to shape the way we live.

 Works Cited

Miller, Claire . "How Obama’s Internet Campaign Changed Politics - Bits Blog -

NYTimes.com." Technology - Bits Blog - NYTimes.com. 20 Oct. 2009

<http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/11/07/how-obamas-internet-campaign-

changed-politics/>.

NSF. "The Internet - From Modest Beginnings." nsf.gov - National Science Foundation - US

National Science Foundation (NSF). 20 Oct. 2009

<http://www.nsf.gov/about/history/nsf0050/internet/modest.htm

Pendleton, Stacey . "Alcohol and America." Auroria Campus, Denver. 5 Oct. 2009

Standage, Tom. A History of the World in 6 Glasses. New York: Walker & Company, 2006.

"What is Culture?" Hungarian People - Hungarian Social & Business Culture - Budapest. 20 Oct.

2009 http://www.filolog.com/crosscultureWhatculture.html>