A pleasure to read and contemplate, this book reaches beyond the conventional to celebrate the poetry of wine, as well as the reasons behind its unique resonance with the human psyche.

Since grape juice was first fermented, wine has captured the human imagination, engaging us in a uniquely personal way. According to authors Evan and Brian Mitchell, wine-more than any other organism, aesthetic object, or experience-reflects what it means to be human.

The Psychology of Wine: Truth and Beauty by the Glass parts company from the overwhelming majority of books on the subject in that it is neither a profile of some aspect of the industry, nor a collection of tasting notes. Rather, readers are invited to explore the body, mind, and soul of wine from the perspectives of flavor, metaphor, geometry, gender, and human characteristics, including beauty, honesty, and subtlety. Attention is paid also to the historical, geographical, and psychological roots of our affinity with wine and to how the language of wine is intimate to our desires, habits, customs, and culture. Entertaining and highly informative, this book will lead readers to think about wine in fresh and challenging ways.