From Vines to Wines in Classical Rome: A Handbook of Viticulture and Oenology in Rome and the Roman West

David L. Thurmond’s From Vines to Wines in Classical Rome is the first general handbook on winemaking in Rome in over 100 years. In this work, Thurmond surveys the biology of the vine, the protohistory, history, viticulture, winemaking, distribution and modes of consumption of wine in classical Rome. He uses a close reading of the relevant Latin texts along with a careful survey of relevant archaeology and comparative practices from modern viticulture and oenology to elucidate this essential element of Roman culture.

David Thurmond took a Ph.D. in Classical Philology with emphasis in ancient technologies from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He is the author of A Handbook of Food Processing in Classical Rome (Brill, 2006).