Wine has a long and rich history dating back almost 10,000 years ago. Although we are not sure who or even what culture invented this beverage, scholars have their eyes on the Phoenicians who depended upon wine for trade. The Roman Empire by far had the greatest impact on the development of viticulture andenology than any other ancient culture. Wine was an integral part of the roman diet and hence wine making became a fluent business. As the Romans expanded their empire, wine production in the provinces expanded as well. Virtually all the major wine producing regions of Western Europe today were established by the Romans. Once the Roman Empire fell (500 A.D.), Europe went into a period known as the dark ages. The only stable social structure was the Catholic Church and much to its credit, the grape growing and wine making technology was preserved during this dreadful period. By the late 18th century, the major wine regions were well established. As European nations began to explore the world and have dramatic impacts on various cultures worldwide, wine traveled along with them. British and French colonists were unable to grow European wine grapes along the east coast of the North American continent because of the winter cold; instead they developed cultivars of some of the native species and eventually created hybrids and vitis vinifera. Catholic Franciscan missions planted grapevines around California, and by 1823 they had worked their way up to Sonoma. Today wine production has reached every corner of the globe and now more than ever we can say that no good meal is possible without good wine.