1st Edition

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

By Tim Unwin Copyright 1991
    436 Pages
    by Routledge

    436 Pages
    by Routledge

    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

    Biography

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

    'An organised odyssey through centuries of wine making, illuminated by the author's viticultural excursions and always fired by his enthusiasm for the subject. In short, this book has both depth and breadth and demonstrates enthusiastic scholarship throughout. It will be appreciated by all who claim more than a passing interest in wine.' - Times Higher Education Supplement

    'This book is for anyone who wants to know where wine came from and the role it has played throughout history.' - New York Times

    'A thoroughgoing examination of the complex interplay of the entire range of environmental and cultural factors that have marked human relationships with wine for at least the past ten thousand years.' - Journal of Wine Research

    '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