How long would grape juice last in the ME without refrigeration, and why would people go to all the trouble and expense to make such a big deal about a drink that would be so hard to handle and that would turn into wine within hours?
They had caves and cooler areas to store liquids. I’m not convinced either way and think the point is irrelevant. But both sides seem to get all exercised over it for some reason. Let each be convinced in their own mind.
It would have been boiled - that was also called “wine”.
But I think it is pretty clear that fermented wine was used as the parable of the wine skins was about fermentation. Though that was commonly diluted to allow it to last longer.
It was also used medicinally to kill bacteria - they didn’t have water filtration and purifiers back then. Paul’s letter to Timothy advised him to include some wine to treat a stomach ailment...a verse used falsely used commonly as proof text to justify drinking when it is clearly about using it as medicine.
“Jesus drank wine” is correct. That does not justify drinking intoxicating amounts of wine or any other type of alcohol, and the Word is very clear on that in multiple places.