Why do people clink their wine glasses together when making a toast?

when kings had feasts with their allies, they were very cautious about who they could trust. if poison was in one persons glass, it would spill into the other persons glass as well, making the assasination very risky.

True. The point of clinking glasses was for each of you to spill a little of your wine into the other’s glass, thereby proving neither of you were poisoning each other. I wouldn’t suggest doing this with today’s stemware. You have to clink too hard.

maybe high-fives didnt seem appropriate…..?

they could have taken a swig and then kissed each other… That would have proved it too. Maybe there would have been less hate in the world that way. ;)