The Oldest Bottle of Wine in the World

It has survived the fall of the Roman Empire, the entire Middle Ages and the birth of the modern wine world. Nearly 1,700 years after it was sealed, the Speyer wine bottle still contains liquid. It is therefore widely described as the oldest unopened bottle of wine in the world.

The remarkable vessel dates from the fourth century AD and was discovered in a Roman tomb near the German city of Speyer in 1867. Since then, it has fascinated wine enthusiasts, archaeologists and historians alike.

Its contents would bear little resemblance to anything served as wine today. Nevertheless, the bottle provides a unique connection to the drinking habits, craftsmanship and burial customs of the late Roman world.

In 1867, archaeologists excavated a late Roman tomb near Speyer in what is now the German state of Rhineland-Palatinate. The grave contained two stone sarcophagi holding the remains of a man and a woman.

A collection of glass vessels had been placed beside them. Food, drinks, jewellery and personal possessions were frequently included in Roman burials. Such objects could serve as provisions for the afterlife, express the status of the deceased or commemorate the way they had lived.

Several of the vessels found in the tomb appear to have contained liquids. Most were empty or damaged, but one bottle remained sealed and still held a visible amount of liquid. It became known as the Speyer wine bottle or the Roman wine of Speyer.

The identities of the two people buried in the tomb remain uncertain. However, the substantial sarcophagi and valuable glassware suggest that they belonged to a prosperous Roman family.

The Speyer bottle is made from pale yellow-green glass and holds approximately 1.5 litres. It is therefore about twice the size of a standard modern wine bottle.

Its broad body and narrow neck resemble a small amphora more than the cylindrical bottles used by wineries today. Two decorative handles connect the neck to the body. These handles are often described as being shaped like dolphins.

The elaborate appearance suggests that the bottle was not a disposable container for ordinary daily use. Although glass production was well established throughout the Roman Empire, carefully shaped and decorated vessels still required specialist skills.

The object is consequently valuable for two reasons. It preserves evidence of ancient wine culture, but it is also an impressive surviving example of Roman glassmaking.

The contents no longer look like a clear and aromatic wine. A cloudy, brownish liquid occupies the lower part of the vessel, while a denser, resin-like layer can be seen above it.

The bottle is generally believed to have contained grape wine, possibly mixed with herbs or other flavourings. Roman winemakers and drinkers regularly added ingredients to wine. Honey, spices, medicinal plants and tree resins could change its flavour or improve its stability.

Olive oil was apparently poured over the wine to reduce its contact with oxygen. Because oil is lighter than wine, it floated on the surface and created a protective barrier. The bottle was also probably closed with wax.

This was an ancient solution to a familiar winemaking problem. Roman producers did not have the modern corks, screw caps and precisely manufactured closures available today. Oil, resin and wax could help protect a liquid during storage or burial, even if the resulting seal was not perfect.

The bottle’s survival resulted from an exceptional combination of circumstances. Its oil and wax layers limited exposure to air, the glass remained intact, and the sealed tomb protected the vessel from light, movement and many external disturbances.

Relatively stable underground conditions may also have helped. Strong temperature changes or physical pressure could easily have cracked the glass or loosened its closure.

This does not mean that the wine continued to mature in the way a fine Bordeaux or Burgundy develops in a cellar. Even the greatest wines have a limited drinking window. At some point, their fruit, aromas and structure begin to fade.

Inside the Speyer bottle, centuries of chemical change have transformed the original liquid. Most or all of its alcohol is likely to have disappeared, along with the aromas that once defined the wine. What remains is not an extraordinarily mature fine wine, but the altered substance of an archaeological object.

That depends on how the term “oldest wine” is defined. Archaeologists have identified evidence of winemaking that is thousands of years older than the Speyer bottle. Ancient residues found in pottery show that humans were fermenting grapes long before the Roman period.

Those discoveries usually consist of chemical traces, stains or empty containers. The Speyer object is different because it is an intact, sealed glass bottle that still contains part of its original liquid.

For this reason, it is popularly described as the world’s oldest unopened bottle of wine. The Historical Museum of the Palatinate uses the more cautious description of the oldest preserved grape wine north of the Alps. That wording recognises that archaeological definitions can vary and that new discoveries may change global comparisons.

It should not be confused with the world’s oldest drinkable wine. Much younger bottles stored under suitable conditions can sometimes still be tasted. The liquid in the Speyer bottle is not considered a drinkable historic vintage.

Opening the vessel and sampling its contents might appear to be the most direct way to answer questions about the wine. In practice, there is no reliable reason to assume that the liquid would be safe to drink. It would almost certainly smell and taste nothing like wine as we know it.

More importantly, opening the bottle would irreversibly alter a unique cultural object. The glass, closure and separate liquid layers have remained together for almost 1,700 years. Once air and microorganisms entered the bottle, its contents could change rapidly.

The bottle has therefore remained unopened. Non-invasive analytical techniques may reveal information about the glass and liquid without destroying the ancient seal. Preserving the complete object is considered more valuable than satisfying curiosity about its possible taste.

The decision also leaves opportunities for future research. Scientific methods continue to improve, and later generations may be able to study the bottle in ways that are not currently possible.

Wine occupied an important position in Roman life. It was an everyday drink, a commercial product, a religious offering and a symbol of hospitality and social standing.

Roman wine did not necessarily resemble the dry table wines familiar to modern consumers. It was commonly diluted with water and could be sweetened, spiced or flavoured with herbs. Resin and other substances were sometimes used to protect it during storage and transport.

Large ceramic amphorae played a central role in the Roman wine trade. Glass vessels were better suited to smaller quantities, serving or presentation. An ornate glass bottle placed in a substantial tomb could therefore communicate value and status.

Its presence among grave goods also shows that wine had a symbolic function. It may have been intended as a provision for the deceased, a ceremonial offering or a reminder of the comfort and prosperity they had enjoyed during life.

The bottle consequently tells several stories at once. It reflects Roman viticulture and drinking customs, demonstrates ancient glassmaking skills and provides insight into beliefs surrounding death and remembrance.

The bottle belongs to the Historical Museum of the Palatinate in Speyer, Germany, where it has long been associated with the museum’s wine collection.

Exhibitions may be renovated or temporarily reorganised, so visitors should confirm whether the original bottle is currently accessible before travelling to see it. Regardless of its display status, it remains one of Europe’s most famous objects connected with the history of wine.

The Speyer bottle is fascinating not because it promises an extraordinary tasting experience, but because it creates a direct connection with the ancient world.

Almost 1,700 years after someone filled and sealed it, the vessel remains intact. It reminds us that wine was already part of trade, craftsmanship, ritual and daily life long before the appearance of modern estates, printed labels and temperature-controlled cellars.

The Roman wine of Speyer is therefore more than an old vintage. It is a time capsule made of glass: a fragile object preserving traces of ancient wine, technical knowledge and the beliefs of a society that disappeared many centuries ago.