Tracing the Origins of Wine in Language and LiteratureAncient literature and linguistics, alongside archaeology and genetics, reveal wine’s origins in the Caucasus and Levant. Myths from Mesopotamia, Israel, and Greece preserve cultural memories of early viticulture, while the shared word for wine across languages shows how the culture spread through contact and trade.
See also Tracing the Origins of Wine in the Ancient Mediterranean (Routledge, 2025).
By Luke Gorton
Senior Lecturer in Classics and Religious Studies
University of New Mexico
October 2025
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