Wine making developed strongly in many parts of Europe during this time, and the roots of many of today’s popular wines can be traced back to this period.
   In Hungary, during medieval times, wines represented a major source of income. Around the 14th century new areas were designated for vineyards and royal vineyards were created. Before the 150-year occupation of the Turks, many varieties of Italian and French grapes were brought in, as well as the custom of producing vermouth.
   In France there was, of course, the famous Château Lafite Rothschild winery, currently owned by members of the Rothschild banking family. There is a mention of the fief Lafite in the 14th Century. The name Lafite is from the Gascon language and is a medieval derivative of “la hite”, meaning hillock.
   Situated in the great wine-producing village of Pauillac in the Médoc region to the north-west of Bordeaux, the estate has been occupied since at least the 14th century. Although the wines we know today from this estate were developed much more recently, their roots certainly can be traced back to at least the 1600s and probably a lot earlier.
   By the 14th century German monks were distilling wine into Brandy, and the German distillers had organized their own guild by as early as 1588. Yet almost from the start, German Brandy (called weinbrand ) was made from imported wine rather than the more valuable local varieties such as the Riesling grape which is believed to be indigenous to Germany, and has been planted there since the 14th century. Riesling is the most planted grape in the Rhine Valley in Germany, and people who talk about a "Rhine Wine" are talking about a Riesling.
   Nobody knows when wine-making was first introduced to Spain but wine was certainly appreciated there even during the centuries of Moorish domination. The Koran frowns on the consumption of alcohol, but the Moors made wine and imbibed it for "medicinal" purposes. From the 15th century onwards, Andalusian wines (from Southern Spain) were shipped to appreciative drinkers all over Europe, particularly England, where there was a great fondness for Sack (as Sherry was called) and sweet wines from Málaga.
   England also began importing wine from Germany when they lost Bordeaux to the French in the 14th century. While Portugal shipped wine to England too, which helped keep both countries on friendly terms.
   The explosion of wine making and consequent trade between various European nations could well have been partly due to the fact that at this time most of Europe lacked a reliable source of drinking water. Therefore wine was still considered to be an important part of the everyday diet. However, during this time, people also began to favor stronger, heavier wines too.