Genesis 9:20
Noah, a man of the soil,
was the first to plant a vineyard.
Biblically, and technically, Noah was not the first, since God was the first gardener:
Genesis 2:8
And the Lord God planted
a garden in Eden, in the east;
and there he put the man
whom he had formed.
...but Noah was the first gardener after the Flood in a new world. It is not
coincidental that an aspect of gardening is prominent in Noah's new world. It indicates the importance of man's reliance on
Creation for sustenance, realizing unity therein.
"From the wine came the grape
from the grape came the wine..."
So sang Dean Martin in the 1950's. Mr. Martin's life style may not have been what we'd admire, but the admiration for the vine, its fruit and resulting beverages have been known since man became a tender of the garden.
My trips to the grocery indicate my reliance on the produce and service of others for sustenance. Let me not take this phenomenon for granted; let me thank all those who labor in bringing the bounty and unity of the earth to me.