The Wandering Vine

Wine is alive, ageing, and changing, but it is also a triumph over death. These grapes should rot, but instead, they ferment. What better magic potion could there be to transport us to the past? Driven by a dual thirst for wine and knowledge, Nina Caplan traces the vine's history, journeying from the ancient chalk of Champagne to the mountains of Campania, passing through the crumbling Roman ruins along the Rhône River, and the isolated slopes of Priorat in Catalonia. She encounters individuals whose character, tenacity, and at times borderline madness elevate their wines to greatness: a daring Englishman planting vines in rabbit-infested lands, a glamorous Spaniard chasing eagles, and an Italian lawyer determined to revive Falernian, the legendary wine of the Romans. Throughout her adventures, she imbibes copiously, gaining insights into ancient conquerors and contemporary winemakers, forgotten zealots, and the truth found in wine, as Pliny once said—about herself. In this poetic and enchanting book, Nina Caplan drinks to remember and travels to comprehend the essence of home. This is storytelling through travel writing at its finest.