Divine Vintage
Following the Wine Trail from Genesis to the Modern Age
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- $11.99
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- $11.99
Publisher Description
Winner of the Gourmand Wine Books prize for 'Best Drinks Writing Book' in the UK
A fascinating journey through ancient wine country that reveals the drinking habits of early Christians, from Abraham to Jesus.
Wine connoisseur Joel Butler teamed up with biblical historian Randall Heskett for a remarkable adventure that travels the biblical wine trail in order to understand what kinds of wines people were drinking 2,000 to 3,500 years ago. Along the way, they discover the origins of wine, unpack the myth of Shiraz, and learn the secrets of how wine infiltrated the biblical world. This fascinating narrative is full of astounding facts that any wine lover can take to their next tasting, including the myths of the Phoenician, Greek, Roman, and Jewish wine gods, the emergence of kosher wine, as well as the use of wine in sacrifices and other rites. It will also take a close a look at contemporary modern wines made with ancient techniques, and guide the reader to experience the wines Noah (the first wine maker!) Abraham, Moses and Jesus drank.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Butler, a beverage professional, and Heskett, a biblical scholar, jointly examine the connections between oenology and the oldest texts in the Western canon, primarily the Bible, and the results are fascinating but uneven. In the first half, the authors sift evidence from such diverse fields as archeology and meteorology and parse various Greek, Persian, and Sumerian classic texts, particularly Old Testament patriarchs like Noah and Moses and prophets like Elijah and Isaiah. They decode hieroglyphics and biblical scholarship and explore ancient wine culture both medical and magical along with aspects directly related to trade and religion. Shifting now and then to look at how wine and winemaking evolved, the authors chronicle the beverage's role in imperial Rome and during early Christianity. The book's latter half examines the current state of winemaking in those same, ancient and much-beleaguered regions today, providing tasting notes for such exotic bottlings as Turkish Fum Blanc and Jordanian Viognier along with established producers like Lebanon's Chateau Musar before turning to the not-entirely-ironic question: what would Jesus drink? If only some of that humor had more fully mixed into the often dry first half of the book, the results could have been a more lively read.
