Wine and the Vine: An Historical Geography of Viticulture and the Wine Trade / Edition 1

by Tim Unwin

Overview

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.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780415144162
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	03/28/1996
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	436
Product dimensions:	6.12(w) x 9.19(h) x (d)

About the Author

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

Table of Contents

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

Editorial Reviews

This unique study delves into the origins of wine and grapes, tracing their use and development through the Middle Ages to the present. Reviewing the relationship between history, geography, and viticulture, Unwin discusses symbolism, society, traditions, chemistry, and wine production in each era. An extensive bibliography and a precise glossary of wine measures conclude the book. The well-organized material reads like a doctoral thesis, reflecting Unwin's scholastic research background. Too detailed and serious for casual readers, this will challenge even intellectual enologists. The chapters on trade development in Europe, the Americas, Australia, and New Zealand may interest those involved in wine marketing. An optional purchase for specialized collections.-- Carolyn Alexander, Technical Information Ctr., Ft. Hunter Liggett, Cal.

Library Journal

An introduction to the historical geography of viticulture and the wine trade from prehistory to the present. Unwin discusses both the numerous symbolic roles assigned to wine and the vine by people of different religions and also the internationalization of wine production and marketing. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Booknews

‘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 thoroughgoing 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

‘... Unwin's study offers originality, scholarship, and depth. It is certainly a volume to be savoured rather than quaffed, being based on substantial, diverse and polyglot sources, rather than the usual recycling of wine bibbers' tales.' - Journal of Historical Geography

‘...a book that fills a major gap in the history of the drink trades (particularly in the English Language) and which should satisfy the generalist and the specialist alike; one that will be appreciated by wine buffs as much as by historians seeking a quick guide to the political and economic significance of the Anglo-Gascon wine trade in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries or the role of the wine trade in the nineteenth century economic crises.' - Business History

From the Publisher