Cuttings: A Pruned History of Vines, Wines & Vignerons

Cuttings: A Pruned History of Vines, Wines and Vignerons traces the story of wine from its uncertain beginnings among wild vines in the Caucasus to its place as a global cultural staple. Drawing on archaeology, myth and history, it follows the spread of viticulture through ancient Georgia and Armenia, across the trading routes of the Phoenicians, and into the civilisations of Greece and Rome, where wine became central to daily life, commerce and ritual.

As vines travelled across Europe and into the New World, the book reveals how wine adapted to new lands and challenges, including the devastating phylloxera epidemic that nearly destroyed vineyards worldwide before innovation restored them. Interwoven throughout are the stories of vignerons, from early pioneers to modern makers, whose dedication to craft and land has sustained winemaking traditions across centuries.

Spanning continents and millennia, Cuttings offers a concise and engaging account of wine’s enduring legacy, shaped by migration, resilience and the people behind the vines.