Royalty, Blood, and Wine
In Genesis 49:8-13 we’re told that Judah is the royal tribe, the one from whom “the scepter” shall not depart, and in this context it’s said of Judah, “he has washed his garments in wine and his vesture in the blood of grapes. His eyes are darker than wine.” The image of Judah washing his garments in wine is tied back to when he and his brothers “slaughtered a goat and dipped [Joseph’s]robe in the blood” (37:31), which is why this wine is also referred to as “the blood of grapes.” This is incredibly significant, primarily for two reasons.
First, this solidifies the biblical connection between wine and kingship. We already got hints at this in Genesis 9:5-21, wherein Noah is established as a civil masteriate, being given the authority to shed the blood of man, after which point he drinks wine; and in Genesis 14:18 when Melchiezedek, the king of Salem, brings out bread and wine for Abraham. So the fact that Genesis ends with the royal tribe being blessed with imagery of wine, sets the stage for later explicit connections between royalty and wine (cf. Esther 1-7).
Second, this sheds light on the association of blood and wine. In Exodus 29:40, we learn that the Levitical priests were able to offer wine to God by pouring it on the sacrifice, but they were forbidden from drinking it themselves (Leviticus 10:9, 23:13); this sounds reminiscent of how the priests were able to offer sacrificial blood to the Lord by pouring it on the altar (cf. 3:2-13), but were absolutely forbidden from drinking it (17:10-12). That Genesis ends by literally referring to wine as “the blood of grapes,” and connecting it to the blood of a slaughtered goat, solidifies this association beyond any reasonable doubt.
Thus it should come as no surprise that, when we get to the New Testament, Jesus associates the wine of the Last Supper with His sacrificial blood that is “poured out” for our salvation (Matthew 26:27-28); and it’s in this context where He promises His apostles royal authority, “you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel” (Luke 22:30).