Prior to the 19th century little was known about the process of fermentation or the causes of spoilage. The Greeks stored wine in earthenware amphorae, and the Romans somewhat extended the life of their wines with improved oaken cooperage, but both civilizations probably drank almost all of their wines within a year of vintage and disguised spoilage by adding such flavourers as honey, herbs, cheese, and salt water. Wooden barrels remained the principal aging vessels until the 17th century, when mass production of glass bottles and the invention of the cork stopper allowed wines to be aged for years in bottles.

In the mid-19th century the French chemist Louis Pasteur and others explained the nature of fermentation and identified the yeasts responsible for it. Pasteur also identified the bacteria that spoil wine and devised a heating method (later called pasteurization) to kill the bacteria. Later in the century, methods were developed for growing pure strains of specific yeasts in culture. Advances in plant physiology and plant pathology also led to better vine training and less mildew damage to grapes.