A Short History Of Wine

Variously regarded as a sacred, religious drink, inebriant, and even the work of the Devil, wine has always been much more than a commodity. From its origins in ancient Mesopotamia to its present incarnation as a vast, multinational business, wine has consistently generated passions that verge on mania. In A Short History of Wine, Rod Phillips sets out to tell the story of wine in the Western world with all its grandeurs and miseries. Packed with fascinating stories, unexpected insights, and the myriad tricks of the trade, A Short History of Wine is an essential book for anyone who treats wine with the zeal it deserves. Phillips re-creates each of the great eras of wine production, from the prehistoric fruits of the Fertile Crescent to this decade's explosion of the consumer wine culture with its varied values and palates, and vividly conveys the sheer magnitude of wine consumption and enjoyment. Among the many engaging themes that Phillips explores is the endless struggle between nature and nurture -- is wine the pure product of the grape, or should it be enhanced by the addition of other substances? He revisits times when wine was a favorite among the American Founding Fathers (Ben Franklin praised it, as a God-given boon), and he sheds light on wine's enemies, both natural and human, recalling dark times when disease struck vineyards, counterfeiting and fraud ran rampant, and anti-alcohol movements peaked. Spanning the globe from Hunter Valley to the Rhine, from Napa Valley to Burgundy (not overlooking Peru and Ohio), A Short History of Wine is an astonishingly enjoyable guide to the social, cultural, and economic worlds inside a bottle.

Originally published under title: A short history of wine. London: Allen Lane, 2000.

This work explains how nationhood emerges by viewing countries as cultural artifacts, a product of "invented traditions." In the case of France, scholars disagree, not only over the nature of French national identity but also over the extent to which diverse and sometimes hostile provincial communities became integrated into the nation. The author offers a new perspective by looking at one of the central elements in French national culture -- luxury wine -- and the rural communities that profited from its production

Wine: A social and cultural historyof the drink that changed our livesis a wine history with a difference. Most histories of wine (like HughJohnson's The Story of Wine, PaulLukacs's Inventing Wine, and RodPhillips's own A Short History of Wine)are chronological narratives that begin with wine in the ancient world and runthrough to modern times. Wine has been seen typically as the subject of broaderhistorical trends and events - how, for example, economic and diplomaticconditions favoured or interrupted the wine trade, and how changes in tasteaffected wine styles. Winedeparts from these approaches byorganizing chapters by theme and by focusing much more on how wine has beenpositively and actively implicated in broad historical changes. It looks at theway wine has been used to demarcate social groups and genders, how wine hasshaped facets of social life as diverse as medicine, religion, and militaryactivity, how vineyards and wine cultures have transformed landscapes, and howsuccessive innovations in wine packaging - from amphoras to barrels to bottles- have affected and been affected by commerce and consumption. Wineneither sees the history of wine as the passiveresult of historical forces nor sees wine as a prime agent of historicalchange. Rather, it views wine as a critical actor in key trends in thehistories of society, culture, and the environment. Each chapter takes a singletheme and the material within each is organized chronologically. The book isformed of chapters that together provide a compact and theme-specific historyof wine in its own right, enabling readers to consume chapters asself-contained units, rather than as parts of a longer narrative whole. This isan ideal reference resource for wine lovers and historians alike.

Stone age wine -- The Noah hypothesis -- The archaeological and chemical hunt for the earliest wine -- Neolithic wine! -- Wine of the earliest pharaohs -- Wine of Egypt's golden age -- Wine of the world's first cities -- Wine and the great empires of the ancient Near East -- The Holy Land's bounty -- Lands of Dionysos : Greece and western Anatolia -- A beverage for King Midas and at the limits of the civilized world -- Molecular archaeology, wine, and a view to the future.

There are many books that explore actual, physical, sacred space and pilgrimage sites. This is a different kind of book. It introduces seven traditional 'sacred spaces' but then leads readers into a deeper reflection on what such 'sacred space' means in our own lives and experience. The various sacred spaces explored are: the Celtic Cross; the infinite knot; hilltops; wells and springs; causeways and bridges; thresholds and burial grounds; and boundaries. In each chapter, the author introduces a 'sacred space' as the main theme and then illustrates this by associating it with a particular stage of life and a particular sacramental experience. The ideas are then brought together by means of a scripture story.

A stimulant at dinner parties, wine tastings and cocktail parties. Plus, as a gift, this book makes an excellent accompaniment to a housewarming bottle. ⿿A great read.⿿ ⿿Rod Phillips, author of A Short History of Wine ⿿Certain to find a wide and grateful readership.⿿ ⿿Anatoly Liberman, blogger The Oxford Etymologist and author of An Analytic Dictionary of English Etymology ⿿Enlightening, engaging and essential.⿿ ⿿John W. Fischer, author and Associate Professor at The Culinary Institute of America ⿿Immensely enjoyable to read⿦well done.⿿ ⿿Tom Wark, Fermentation wine blog and originator of American Wine Blog Awards ⿿I was delighted⿦I learned a lot.⿿ ⿿Debbie Trenholm, Accredited Sommelier & International Society of Wine Educators member Wine's presence at our table is more than 8,000 years old and our conversation and use of words reflects this long familiarity. History of Wine Words is a collection of nearly 400 of the words you use when you enjoy wine, shop for wine or discuss wine with your friends; along with the origins and stories behind the words. The names of wines, grapes and vineyards are explored and bring to life fascinating vignettes from the development of our ancient wine traditions as well as illuminating our habits of speech.

"A fascinating book that belongs on every wine lover’s bookshelf."—The Wine Economist "It’s a book to read for its unstoppable torrent of fascinating and often surprising details."—Andrew Jefford, Decanter For centuries, wine has been associated with France more than with any other country. France remains one of the world’s leading wine producers by volume and enjoys unrivaled cultural recognition for its wine. If any wine regions are global household names, they are French regions such as Champagne, Bordeaux, and Burgundy. Within the wine world, products from French regions are still benchmarks for many wines. French Wine is the first synthetic history of wine in France: from Etruscan, Greek, and Roman imports and the adoption of wine by beer-drinking Gauls to its present status within the global marketplace. Rod Phillips places the history of grape growing and winemaking in each of the country’s major regions within broad historical and cultural contexts. Examining a range of influences on the wine industry, wine trade, and wine itself, the book explores religion, economics, politics, revolution, and war, as well as climate and vine diseases. French Wine is the essential reference on French wine for collectors, consumers, sommeliers, and industry professionals.