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As noted previously, adventurous and fun-loving humans have made a priority out of making and consuming wine and beer for at least 10,000 years. The National Geographic News highlighted this bit of history this month with a report on the world earliest known winery complex -- in a cave in ancient Armenia. Here's a link to the cave discovery:  http://bit.ly/gD7tRV

And here's a link for news on the search for the oldest cultivated grapes going back to the Stone Age:  http://bit.ly/9anTbU 

Wine and beer have lubricated family get togethers, social ceremonies and religious observances going back to the earliest human societies. In the fantasy novel Gettysburg Passage, one key character, Father Matt, shows a deep appreciation for wine's religious and social powers. The priest also has a special appreciation for a mysterious and ancient artifact that shows up at his door on day. This discovery draws in a wider circle of friends, acquaintances and threatening characters and leads them all on a wild chase from the Washington area to the hills overlooking Gettysburg, America's most sacred battlefield.

Gettysburg Passage is receiving positive attention as a fast-paced action-adventure fantasy novel available on Amazon.com. Check out the reviews on Amazon or in the media and see if you might want to explore for yourself the mystery linking a sacked and over-run ancient society desperately in need of outside help, a Biblical-like prophesy reaching out to the 21st Century and a burning cave in the hills overlooking modern-day Gettysburg.

Here is a link to Gettysburg Passage on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Gettysburg-Passage-ebook/dp/B00408AOMW

Related articles

• Armenia: Earliest known winery discovered in cave (sfgate.com)
• Earliest Winery Yet Found in Armenia (neatorama.com)
• Earliest Known Winery Discovered In Armenian Cave (huffingtonpost.com)
• Earliest known winery found in Armenian cave (ctv.ca)
• Earliest known winery found in Armenian cave (seattletimes.nwsource.com)
• World's earliest known winery discovered in Armenia (telegraph.co.uk)
• Ancient vintage - Armenia has world's "oldest winery" (bbc.co.uk)
• World's Oldest Known Winery, Discovered in an Armenian Cave | 80beats (blogs.discovermagazine.com)