Well, Caesar was born in 100 BC and they knew how old he was. Simple calculation, really.

Likely for the same reason they speak modern French.

The means by which the wine would be removed would introduce contaminants.

These contaminants might ruin the wine for whatever purpose they are saving it for.

Are we even sure the sun isn't filled with a "mix of various herbs"?

Unlike a bottle of wine, the sun is an electromagnetic energy source. Without accessing the wine its chemical composition is unknown. Consider medical diagnostics like MRIs and CT scans ... they detect density and shape, but for a biopsy you need tissue.

The 1576 event was perhaps the earliest example of deliveroo. As part of a major shooting tournament, a delegation from Zurich travelled by boat to deliver a cauldron of hot millet porridge to the city, to prove they could reach Strasbourg swiftly (in just 18 hours) and still keep the porridge warm. This was a diplomatic performance reinforcing the Protestant alliance and mutual support between Strasbourg and Zurich during the Reformation.

It seems the next time it will be tasted should be sometime in 2130.

It has actually been drank at least once more, by two French oenologists in 1994:

>La verdeur du vieillard En 1994, une analyse du vin de 1472 a été réalisée par deux oenologues, MM. Lobre et Windholtz, prouvant « que c’est encore du vin » et non pas « une mixture bonne à assaisonner » une batavia. Le nez a été jugé « puissant, très fin et d’une grande complexité ». En bouche, ils ont relevé des notes de vanille, de miel, de cire, de camphre et de noisette. Alors qu’un « vin normal » possède 20 g d’extraits secs, celui des hospices strasbourgeois dépasse les 45 g ! Conclusion : « Ce vieillard a conservé une étonnante verdeur », 538 ans après sa naissance.

from https://web.archive.org/web/20131103183014/https://www.lalsa...

Who says they wished it?

Then again, plenty of people pickle themselves while alive

Which bring to mind those bottles of Napoleon era champagne found preserved under pressure in a ship wreck. Any info on how those turned out or was the one opened a palatable vinegar?

Perhaps with a dash of cobalt-60 we can ensure both a long shelf-life and discourage premature opening.

Sorry, your comment is bullshit.

>Most wine bottles lose their ethanol within decades

Not true at all, even for bottles sealed with cheap, short corks, or bottles that leak. One delicious example is 1977 Vintage Port, which is notorious for faulty corks. Roughly speaking, 1/3 to 1/2 of corks failed even with good storage. And yet - the port inside is still in near-perfect shape, alcohol intact. Indeed, I just opened another bottle of '77 Dow's the night before last, and it was flawless.

>200-300 years is normally the limit before wine loses all ethanol even without a leak.

Also entirely untrue - I have wine in that age range as well :) And once again, some of it has leaked, and once again, the alcohol remained intact...

If you don't believe me, I recommend looking up tasting notes for old wines. There are plenty of datapoints on this particular subject. Or, you could buy a bottle! Vintage Port with fifty years on it isn't terribly expensive for the quality and age of wine you're buying.