Wine is much more than a drink. It is a social object imbued with meaning, a terrain on which identities and hierarchies are negotiated, and a privileged window through which to understand human relationships. This is the premise of The Sociology of Wine, in which Benno Herzog applies a sociological perspective to one of the oldest and most culturally rich beverages in human history.

In this collection of lively and erudite essays, the author takes readers on a journey from the prison cells where a young Karl Marx served time for his drunken excesses to the vineyards of China, which are challenging French hegemony. With remarkable insight, Herzog dissects a wide range of phenomena, from the “McDonaldization” of taste and the harmonious nature of wine to the fascinating evolutionary theory suggesting that our survival as a species is due, in part, to our ability to metabolise alcohol. An exciting journey, rich in anecdotes, it moves between philosophy, political economy and pop culture, revealing how the simple act of drinking wine also embodies structures of power and social distinction.

With its lucid and accessible style, The Sociology of Wine offers an original and much-needed perspective on how everyday objects structure our social lives and reveal the complexity of human behaviour.