ladbible homepage
ladbible homepage
  • Home
  • News
    • UK
    • US
    • World
    • Ireland
    • Australia
    • Science
    • Crime
    • Weather
  • Entertainment
    • Celebrity
    • TV
    • Film
    • Music
    • Gaming
    • Netflix
    • Disney
  • Sport
  • Technology
  • Travel
  • Lifestyle
  • Money
  • Originals
    • FFS PRODUCTIONS
    • Say Maaate to a Mate
    • Daily Ladness
    • UOKM8?
    • FreeToBe
    • Citizen Reef
  • Videos
  • Advertise
  • Terms
  • Privacy & Cookies
  • License Our Content
  • About Us & Contact
  • Jobs
  • Latest
  • Archive
  • Topics A-Z
  • Authors
Facebook
Instagram
X
Threads
Snapchat
TikTok
YouTube
Submit Your Content Here
  • GAMINGbible
  • LADbible Group
  • UNILAD
  • SPORTbible
  • Tyla
  • FOODbible
  • UNILAD Tech
The world's oldest bottle of wine is still probably okay to drink
Home>News
Published 20:13 27 Apr 2023 GMT+1

The world's oldest bottle of wine is still probably okay to drink

Would you, though?

Dominic Smithers

Dominic Smithers

google discoverFollow us on Google Discover

Let me set the scene: it's getting late, you're out of booze and the corner shop's closed.

So you desperately search your fridge and raid your cupboards, looking for any drop of alcohol you can lay your hands on to get you through the night.

It's a bleak picture I think we can all relate to. Or maybe I'm alone in that.

Usually, it ends up with me you stumbling across some obscure liquor your aunt and uncle got you from their trip to Tenerife a couple of years back.

Advert

Well, while past its best booze is never ideal, it's got nothing on the Römerwein, which dates back over 1,650 years.

Yeah, that's certainly enough to make you think twice before taking a swig.

The Römerwein dates back to the 4th century.
Immanuel Giel

The priceless bottle of plonk was brewed in the 4th century at some point between 325 and 359 CE, experts believe.

To put that into some contest, that was about 600,000 days ago.

It was one of 16 such bottles - the only in tact, mind - discovered in 1867 during the excavation of a Roman nobleman and noblewoman's tomb in what is now Germany, in the city of Speyer.

And by the looks of the bottle's current state, it's certainly seen better days.

However, there is a reason for this. As well as being incredibly old, back then people would use olive oil to preserve wine, sealing it from outside air.

As such, what's left of the wine now is a clear, non-alcoholic liquid, and a solid rosin-like substance.

Now, with that in mind, what would it take for you to take a sip, and what, if anything, would happen to you if you did?

Grab yourself a glass.
WHPics/Alamy

The bottle has been on display at the Pfalz Historical Museum for over one hundred years, with experts wondering whether they should try it out.

For obvious reasons, they have never followed through on the idea, largely due to the fact the liquid would most likely not survive in the atmosphere because of its age.

But they do say that if one was to have a sip, while it would taste bloody awful, it probably wouldn't kill you.

Wine professor Monika Christmann said: "Micro-biologically it is probably not spoiled, but [as you can tell based on its appearance] it would not bring joy to the palate."

And there's not much worse than a joyless wine, no one needs that, do they?

Featured Image Credit: dpa picture alliance archive/Alamy
Dominic Smithers
Dominic Smithers

Dominic Smithers is LADbible's Editorial Lead. After graduating from the University of Leeds with a degree in French and History, he went on to write for the Manchester Evening News, the Accrington Observer and the Macclesfield Express. So as you can imagine, he’s spent many a night wondering just how useful that second language has been. But c'est la vie.

X

@SmithersDom

Recommended reads

Women are spending $20,000 on x-rated surgery to improve sexual performanceGetty Stock PhotoDoctor issues immediate warning to anyone sleeping in one positionGetty StockSidemen issue statement after KSI announces he is leaving groupSidemenExorcist shares disturbing moment that was ‘proof’ devil is realYouTube/Father Carlos Martins

Advert

Choose your content:

an hour ago
3 hours ago
4 hours ago
  • YouTube/Father Carlos Martins
    an hour ago

    Exorcist shares disturbing moment that was ‘proof’ devil is real

    Father Carlos Martins is a Catholic priest who has carried out exorcisms

    News
  • Alfredo ESTRELLA / AFP via Getty Images
    3 hours ago

    Politician raises serial killer fears after seven women killed in same state

    Local prosecutors have said there's no link between the killings

    News
  • Jeff Spicer/Getty Images
    4 hours ago

    Ex-wife of This Morning star hits out at ‘messy’ split after he came out as gay

    Sulvinder Samra was married to the doctor for seven years before he announced his sexuality

    News
  • Win McNamee/Getty Images
    4 hours ago

    Reason behind Donald Trump’s bruised hands revealed in new health test

    The president's hands have been the subject of scrutiny over bruising, but what could have caused it?

    News
  • People are ditching their evening glass of wine for ‘calming’ viral TikTok drink
  • One of world's richest men donates huge reward to Bondi Beach hero
  • Haunting past of ‘world's most infected island' full of human skulls that is less than a mile away from UK coast
  • Brutal reality of how Thai drug gangs convince Brits to smuggle weed into the UK