When the Bible talks about wine does it mean alcoholic wine? In discussions I have had in the past over the acceptability of a Christian drinking alcohol I have heard that some 'dry' believers say that the wine in the Bible was not wine as we know it commonly today. It was actually non-alcoholic grape juice.

I personally believe that the wine of Jesus' day is the wine that we know.

Is there any Biblical/historical evidence to the contrary, that the wine of the past was non-fermented juice?
It is simply impossible to keep the juice from crushed grapes from fermenting without modern refrigeration and pasteurization techniques. So yes, the wine was alcoholic.

There is plenty of textual evidence as well, but this should do:


  The Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say,
  ‘Look at him! A glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and
  sinners! Luke 7:34, Darby 


Hard to be accused of being a drunkard if the wine isn't alcoholic!