"Remarkable." --Adam Gopnik, New Yorker "Riveting, informative and thought-provoking." --James C. Wright, American Scientist "No one is better qualified to sift through the widely scattered clues [to the origins of winemaking] than McGovern, a skilled scientific sleuth who wields the most powerful tools of modern chemistry in his search for the roots of ancient wines." --J. Madeleine Nash, Time Magazine "A rich treasury of lore on viticulture. [W]ill likely remain a standard in every serious wine-lover's library for a long time." --Laurence A.

Marschall, Natural History "Patrick McGovern serves us a magnificent feast of science and history that melds sophisticated chemistry with good, old-fashioned historical sleuthing. His innovative research has revolutionized our knowledge of the origins of one of humanity's greatest pleasures. This is an archaeological and gustatory delight for specialist and general reader alike." --Brian Fagan, author of The Little Ice Age.