Fans of Pinot Blanc may be relieved to learn that a team of archaeologists has reported the first evidence of white wine in ancient Egypt. And it has turned up in the tomb of King Tutankhamen, writes Dan Vergano in USA Today.

"In ancient Egypt, the royal family and the upper classes drank wine, which was thought to be suitable among the necessities for a good afterlife," write the report's authors, led by Maria Rosa Guasch-Jane of the University of Barcelona, in the latest edition of the Journal of Archaeological Science.

But until now, all the wine, or more accurately its dried remnants found inside clay amphora within tombs, has been red. "Red wine symbolized the rebirth of the dead, being compared with the blood of God Osiris," say the authors.

Commenting on the discovery in King Tut's tomb, they speculate: "This may indicate that white wine was highly valued in Egypt since only the best products were offered for the afterlife of the Pharaoh."

For the complete article, follow this link: http://www.usatoday.com/tech/science/columnist/vergano/2006-05-29-tut-white-wine_x.htm