It is hard to say how long people have been drinking wine. Wine is far older than recorded history. Some experts say it is as old as (31) itself. The flint wine ever made was (32) an accident. People in ancient times (33) have picked ripe grapes. Some juicy grapes at the bottom of the container were (34) together. As the grapes broke open, yeasts on the skins went to work turning sugar from the fruit into alcohol. It is the fermentation (35) that turns grape juice into wine. Wine was not just about having a/an (36) drink. It could be stored for future use. (37) it was nutritious and much safer to drink than water during early times. Some experts say that up (38) the 1600s in Europe, wine was one of the only prepared drinks. After that, wine had (39) from beer, coffee, and tea. Winemaking probably began in the ancient Near East and Egypt. Burial places in ancient Egypt (40) information about wine and its importance in Egyptian culture. The ancient Romans greatly expanded the winemaking (41) By the end of the Roman Empire, almost all of the major wine producing (42) still in production today (43) established in western Europe. One thing was very important for the start of the modem wine industry. Wine (44) a better storage method. In the mid-16OOs’ people began making glass wine bottles that were (45) and low cost. Before that, wine was transported in containers made (46) wood, clay or leather. Glass bottles and the tight seal of a cork (47) wine to last longer in storage. It became clear that wine (48) even better over time. These developments (49) a whole new kind of wine culture. Today, the top wine producing countries in the world are Italy, France and Spain, (50) the United States.