Ancient Wine: The Search for the Origins of Viniculture

Patrick McGovern's distinctly archaeological analysis of wine in prehistory documents the remarkable saga of human manipulation of the fermentation process. This book chronicles the evidence of 9,000 years of production not only of wine, but of beer, mead, grog (a delightful mixture of fermented fruit, barley or rice, and honey) and various assorted fruit wines and barley and rice beers. As a professor of archaeology specializing in the art of ancient viniculture at the University of Pennsylvania, McGovern is in a unique position to describe the history of wine-making as it relates to the development of human culture.McGovern outlines how the coalescence of environmental conditions and human technological advancements paved the way for the growing importance of fermentation in early societies. Anyone interested in the historical development of wine-making or the role of fermented beverages in prehistory will certainly be educated and entertained by this book. Societies as diverse as the Egyptians,Greeks, the Sumerians and the Vikings had Gods who oversaw the production of fermented drinks, indicating that the religious significance of alcohol production and consumption is a common cross-cultural thread in the history of fermentation. Using religious, feasting, drinking and alcohol production evidence from the archaeological record as social indicators of alcohol consumption, McGovern blends modern scientific advances with old-fashioned archaeology to describe how he was able to isolate the evidence of fermentation from ancient residues clinging to the internal surfaces of pottery vessels. The descriptive process of recovering, analyzing and interpreting data is the source of McGovern's potency as a writer. Ancient Wine: The Search for the Origins of Viniculture places fermented beverages squarely in the middle of ancient culture and helps explain how the novel flavors, medicinal properties and psychoactive effects of alcohol correlate to the development of civilization. Even though this book may occasionally seem over-technical; or may appear to embellish the social and religious significance of wine, it is an excellent reference for scholars, vintners, brewers and people who enjoy learning about fermentation.

Pardon my title; this is an amazing book. Essential for anyone interested in wine history. There was the occasional repetition of certain sentences and phrases that an editor ought to have caught (I'm an editor, I notice these things) but in a nutshell the approach the author uses - "molecular archeaology" - is truly revolutionary. What I like best is that he has confirmed, once and for all, that ancient wines were distinctly different from modern wine, most importantly in the sense that they were infused with a wide variety of substances such as resins, plant matter, spices, and the like. This confirms the textual accounts that have survived, but have largely been ignored or marginalized in a number of fields. A minor quibble: the author is surprisingly skittish on the matter of the potion of the Eleusinian Mysteries, the "kykeon" and makes no mention of works like The Road to Eleusis, and appears to take the position that the Eleusinian kykeon was a "grog" of the sort mentioned in epic poetry. This is unpersausive; grogs do not produce sublime visions, and the ingredients of the Eleusinian kykeon were water, mint, and barley. No wine was present during initiation into the Greater Mysteries, nor would one expect it given that Demeter refuses wine in the Homeric Hymn to Demeter.

I cannot remember holding a book in my hands that caused me more excitement and enchantment any time recently. And the best thing of all is that it is not a fairy tale, not even a "romanticized" account of the ancient history of wine; on the contrary, with all the diligence and impartiality of a good CSI detective, this book sticks to evidence and confirmed facts. Still, it manages to weave a compelling story of how wine was intricately connected with the very origins of civilization (or, should I say, civilizations). The book is not only difficult to put down, but as a viticulture and wine educator I find it impossible to ignore when preparing teaching materials. Granted, there is still a lot of uncertainty about certain wine archaeological issues and much more work to be done, but I find that part probably the most exciting. I recommend this book to the viticulture and wine professional and enthusiast alike, as well as anybody interested in archaeology and origins of civilizations.

There is no book on the history of wine that is so widely quoted. In fact,it may not be possible to write a credible history of wine without referring to this brilliantly assembled volume. What makes this book outstanding is its author's background. He is a chemist and archaeologist. As such, he holds dual citizenship in two of the least sentimental professions in the world. While other authors may be taken in by their own poetry, McGovern relentlessly sticks to the facts as manifest in the physical evidence. This Joe Friday approach makes him not only believable but readable. A case in point is the Godin Tepe jar, an artifact some 5500 years old from Iran. McGovern gets his description rolling with the following: "My laboratory had already developed techniques for identifying very ancient biomolecules." You know you're in the company of a heavy hitter with an opening like that. McGovern goes on to describe his skepticism that the jar could have contained wine and then his assurance, based on molecular- level study, that it had. Compare this with the High School Book Report nature of a lot of wine history writing. No, don't bother. There is no comparison. --Lynn Hoffman, author of THE NEW SHORT COURSE IN WINE and the forthcoming novel bang BANG from Kunati Books.ISBN 9781601640005

I have enjoyed many books on the history of wine and grapes, my favorite being Johnson's The Story of Wine. McGovern's new book may replace Johnson's at the top of my list. McGovern's attention to detail is wonderful but his story telling is really top notch. He manages to weave a great story while at the same time providing us with an academician's attention to detail -- all without boring us! His examination of early cultures and their use of the grape is fascinating. A very enjoyable and educational book.