Red, white, sparkling or rosé - arguably no other alcoholic drink has had more impact on our society than wine. From its earliest iterations in earthenware jars all the way to the bottles we find lining supermarket shelves today, it has evolved from its use in religious rites along with culture, diet and society as a whole. And with literally billions of litres drank worldwide, our love of fermented grape juice shows no signs of waning.

This little book gets to the heart of our love affair with wine. After taking a tour through a history of its evolution through the centuries, it delves into the nitty-gritty of production before we taste the fruits of all that labour - in moderation of course - and learn all about drinking (and hopefully appreciating) this most esteemed of beverages. As well as a whole caseload of quaffable facts and famous sayings about the nectar of the gods, there is also a glossary of useful wine terminology for the aspiring connoisseur, just in case you need a handy reminder during a particularly arduous tasting session...

"A bottle of wine contains more philosophy than all the books in the world." - Louis Pasteur

"My only regret in life is that I didn't drink more wine." - Ernest Hemingway

Vitis vinifera is the principal wine-producing plant, and the majority of the world's wine comes from varieties of this species, mostly because of its high sugar content.