The riveting eight-thousand-year story of wine, nectar of the gods and the pleasure and support of man As far back as history can reach, wine has been intertwined with the growth and development of the human race. Over eight millennia, this remarkable drink has influenced cultures, built economies, healed men, and supported armies. Ranging from the Late Stone Age to the present day, historian Kathleen Burk illuminates the rich history of wine. Beginning in Neolithic-era Georgia in the Caucasus, Burk methodically traces how wine has evolved over time and place as a religious, social, cultural, economic, and even culinary force—including the complicated relationship between Islam and alcohol, the rise and decline of France as the world’s wine superpower, and the rapidly growing importance of Asian countries in the world of wine. Through this, Burk weaves a comprehensive history not only of wine, but also of the peoples who produce and enjoy it. Ambitious and engaging, Wine is essential reading for everyone who enjoys a glass, whether a devoted connoisseur or a curious dabbler.