The Author

For millennia, wine has followed human civilization across both space and time. It has been a divine elixir and a cardinal sin; the inspiration for poets and the bane of empires. It turned pirates into dolphins, and hid from Nazis in cellars. This is a tale of powerful Gods and lowly mortals, of petty kings and star-crossed lovers. This is the story of wine.

Across the world, the grapevine has made a home for itself on the hills and valleys of the land, and the hearts and minds of its peoples. It has sailed the seas, braved blizzards, crossed deserts, and scaled volcanoes. Even now, the vine claims bold new frontiers, and the fruit it bears is as diverse as the cultures who tend it. This is the map of wine.

The modern era is a time of great scientific breakthroughs, and Vitis Vinifera is no stranger to the insatiable curiosity of biologists, chemists, horticulturalists and engineers. Unlocking the secrets of wine is a noble pursuit for many an aspiring researcher. This is a study of fermentation and oxidation, of VOCs and sulfites. This is the science of wine.

For most of us, wine is more than the myths and the stories, the vines and the hills they grow on, its alchemy or its industry. It is the sum of the experiences we pair it with: the cuisines we explore, the friends we meet, the loved ones we toast and the memories we make. This is a diary of sensations and sensibilities. This is the art of wine.