Various glass containers for liquids were made in ancient Egypt as early as 1,500 BC. However, it was not until the Phoenicians in Syria invented the glassmaking pipe (and thus glassblowing) in the 2nd century BC that the Romans were able to produce glass bottles on a larger scale from the beginning of our era. The oldest wine bottle in the world is on display in a museum in Speyer. It was found in a Roman grave and dates back to the 4th century AD. However, due to the fragility of glass, containers made of clay or earthenware and wooden barrels continued to be used for transport and storage until the 17th century. Wine was also not marketed in small containers at that time, but almost exclusively in large containers (mainly wooden barrels).
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Egon Mark
Diplom-Sommelier, Weinakademiker und Weinberater, Volders (Österreich)