S26: History of Wine

Wine has played a significant role throughout history as a beverage, sometimes highly valued and other times condemned, and has evolved alongside local cuisines, spreading as an agricultural product worldwide. This course traces the evolution of wine from ancient times to the present, examining how culture, religion, politics, and trade have shaped its development. Along the way, we’ll consider how science, health debates, and globalization continue to reshape the way we experience wine today.

Over the span of the course, students will learn: 

• The evolution of winemaking and viticulture from antiquity to the present.
• How wine became integral to the culture of early civilizations.
• The symbolic and religious meanings attached to wine throughout history.
• How the views of wine and health have shifted across eras.
• Wine’s economic power through trade, taxation, and commerce.
• The dynamics of diversity and exclusion within the wine industry.
• How political forces have influenced wine’s production and distribution.