Wine and the Vine An Historical Geography of Viticulture and the Wine Trade

The products drawn from the grape vine are among the most diverse of any agricultural crop. Aside from the influences of soils and and climate, this diversity embodies the traditions of countless genrations of wine growers and vintners. Exploring this interaction between people and environments, "Wine and the Vine" provides a full understanding of the growth and spread of viticulture and wine production throught human history.
"A thoroughly fascinating book offering many insights into the importance of wine in our culture and the effect of variables such as religion, government, marketing, economics, and even colonialism on the growth of the wine industry... It will give the wine lover scores of insights into aspects of wine that for decades have simply been taken for granted."
--California Grapevine

Wine and the Vine provides an introduction to the historical geography of viticulture and the wine trade from prehistory to the present. Throughout, the rich symbolic and cultural significance of wine is related to its evolution as a commercial product. The book thus discusses both the numerous symbolic roles assigned to wine and the vine by people of different religions and also the internationalisation of wine production and marketing.

List of Figures List of Tables Preface Acknowledgements 1. Themes in the Historical Geography of Viticulture 2. Viticulture and Vinification 3. The Origins of Viticulture; Symbols and Mysteries 4. Wine in the Graeco-Roman Economy 5. Viticulture and Wine in the Early Middle Ages 6. Medieval Viticulture and the Wine Trade 7. Wine in the Age of Discovery 8. Capital in the Sphere of Production 9. Crises and Expansion: The Restructuring of Viticulture in the 19th Century 10. The Dominance of Capital in the 20th Century: Demarcation, Sectoral Integration and the Creation of Fashion Conclusion Appendix: Historic Wine Measures Bibliography

Tim Unwin is a Reader in Geography at Royal Holloway, University of London.