A firsthand account of the splendid rise and frightening fall of Mississippi's first winery.

Bringing together a wide array of modern scientific techniques and interdisciplinary approaches, this book provides an accessible guide to the methods that form the current bedrock of research into Roman, and more broadly ancient, wine. Chapters are arranged into thematic sections, covering biomolecular archaeology and chemical analysis, archaeobotany and palynology, vineyard and landscape archaeology and computational and experimental archaeology. These include discussions of some of the most recent techniques, such as ancient DNA and organic residue analyses, geophysical prospection, multispectral imaging and spatial and climatic modelling. While most of the content is of direct relevance to the Roman Mediterranean, the assortment of detailed case studies, methodological outlines and broader 'state of the field' reflections is of equal use to researchers working across disparate disciplines, geographies, and chronologies. The study of ancient Roman wine has been dominated until recently by traditional archaeological analyses focused upon production facilities and ceramic evidence related to transport. While such architecture and artefact-focussed approaches provide a fundamental foundation for our understanding of this topic, they fail to provide the requisite nuance to answer other questions regarding grape cultivation and wine production, consumption, use and trade. As the first compendium of its kind, this book supports the embedding of modern scientific and experimental techniques into archaeological fieldwork, research and laboratory analysis, pushing the boundaries of what questions can be explored, and serving as a launching point for future avenues of interdisciplinary research.

"A companion is a wonderful thing and this one is no exception. Its unique combination of depth, breadth, and links between subjects is a perfect companion for anyone travelling through the world of wine, for those who are fascinated by it and those who just love it, for pleasure seekers as much as for students. If you already own a copy, why should you buy this 5th edition of The Oxford Companion to Wine? Because the world, and the world of wine, has changed a great deal in the eight years since the 4th edition was published and every single entry has been reviewed and updated to reflect those changes. The greatest challenge is knowing that even before the ink is dry, we will have started a file on possible updates for the 6th edition"--

Object Lessons is a series of short, beautifully designed books about the hidden lives of ordinary things. While wine drunk millennia ago was the humble beverage of the people, today the drink is inextricable with power, sophistication, and often wealth. Bottles sell for half a million dollars. Point systems tell us which wines are considered the best. Wine professionals give us the language to describe what we taste. Agricultural product and cultural commodity, drink of ritual and drink of addiction, purveyor of pleasure, pain, and memory - wine has never been contained in a single glass. Drawing from science, religion, literature, and memoir, Wine meditates on the power structures bound up with making and drinking this ancient, intoxicating beverage. Object Lessons is published in partnership with an essay series in The Atlantic.

There has never been a more exciting time to drink Australian wine. Centuries of innovation and determination have led to an era of exceptional achievement in Australia, yet it is a country whose output is not matched by its scholarship. Until now. How to Drink Australian brings together global experts to answer its namesake question, offering sweeping, practical, and compelling insight to all aspects of Australian wine: exhaustive analysis of every significant region, stunning and detailed maps, bespoke illustrations and artwork, individual wine recommendations, hundreds of producer profiles, a fold-out region-by-region grape table and more, all curated with a reverence for Australia's first custodians. How to Drink Australian is the modern wine book that Australia (and a world of wine drinkers) has been waiting for. Jane Lopes and Jonathan Ross lead this important book, with contributions from Mike Bennie, Kavita Faiella, and Hannah Day, and original maps by Martin von Wyss.

The Oxford Companion to Wine is an essential reference for both the novice and professional wine lover, written by a vast team of experts. Covering the entire world of wine, it avoids jargon to deliver clear, concise entries on the winemaking process, and practical advice on everything from opening a bottle to finding sustainably produced wines.