Ancient wines, long before the cultivation of vines, were made with wild grapes. Originating in ancient Mesopotamia, the wines in the ancient times used herbs and honey to add flavor as wild grapes had less sugar content than cultivated grapes.

Wines were also well-known in ancient Egypt. Apart from grapes, their wines were also made of other fruits like figs and pomegranates. Other countries like France, Italy, and Greece are also recognized as winemakers in ancient times. Some wines did not require grapes, like mead, but were made with fermented honey.

In ancient times, they picked or purchased grapes and allowed it to rest for 24 hours. By the time grapes are ready, they flattened them on foot. Once they are already flattened, they let the wine ferment in open-top vats. The fermentation would take between one to two weeks.

Each day, they would press the grapes either by foot or using a machine press. Pressing the grapes by foot was their way to remove the wineskins from the juice as it helped release tannins throughout the wine. They let the wine settle so that the particles and refuse would fall to the bottom. Alternatively, they would use linin to strain particles and refuse. They also aged wine using an oak barrel, which naturally aids in the stabilization of the wine.