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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

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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.

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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.

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@SmithersDom

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