In a significant archaeological find, a 2,000-year-old glass funerary urn containing preserved white wine has been discovered in a Roman tomb in Carmona, Spain. This ancient wine now holds the record for the "oldest wine ever discovered," surpassing the previous record held by the Speyer wine bottle from 1867, which dated back to the fourth century AD.

Unearthed in 2019, the tomb housed a well-preserved urn that remained sealed and protected from environmental factors, allowing the wine to stay in its natural state for millennia. A team of chemists from the University of Cordoba, led by Professor José Rafael Ruiz Arrebola, conducted extensive chemical analyses to confirm the identity of the liquid. Their findings were published in the Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports.

Juan Manuel Román, the City of Carmona's municipal archaeologist, expressed surprise at finding a preserved liquid in one of the funerary urns. The exceptional conservation conditions of the tomb ensured the wine's preservation, ruling out external causes such as floods, leaks, or condensation processes.

To verify that the reddish liquid was indeed wine, the research team conducted a series of chemical analyses at the University of Cordoba's Central Research Support Service (SCAI). They examined its pH, absence of organic matter, mineral salts, and the presence of specific chemical compounds related to the glass urn or the bones of the deceased. Comparisons with modern Montilla-Moriles, Jerez, and Sanlúcar wines provided initial evidence that the liquid was wine.

The identification of the wine hinged on detecting polyphenols, biomarkers present in all wines. Using advanced techniques, the team identified seven specific polyphenols also found in wines from Montilla-Moriles, Jerez, and Sanlúcar. The absence of syringic acid, a polyphenol found in red wines, indicated that the wine was white. However, the researchers noted that the absence of this acid might be due to degradation over time.

While determining the wine's exact origin was challenging due to the lack of comparable samples from the same period, the mineral salts in the tomb's liquid were consistent with white wines currently produced in the region, particularly Montilla-Moriles wines.

This discovery also offers insights into Roman funerary rituals and gender distinctions. The man's skeletal remains were immersed in the wine, reflecting the ancient Roman prohibition against women drinking wine. The urn containing the woman's remains included amber jewels, a bottle of perfume, and fabric remnants, highlighting the different funerary customs for men and women.

The tomb, likely a circular mausoleum for a wealthy family, was situated along a major road connecting Carmo with Hispalis (Seville). Two thousand years later, Hispana, Senicio, and their companions have provided valuable insights into ancient Roman burial practices and the history of winemaking.