Wine as a key constituent of our civilization, and I liked the idea of its being moved on great conveyor belts of happiness.

For much of Europe, civilization has been intimately and happily tangled up with wine  – the essential element in wave upon wave of cities, cultures, ways of life.  With different histories Spain, France, Italy and Greece have been united in being great conveyor belts for wine, drinking immense amounts and exporting it to less happy environments.

See also some thoughts on wine as a means to extend life and as part of a celebration of simple pleasures; and a comment by the great Greek nuannaarpoqian, Zorba, on the miracle of wine.

Enjoy too our quote-packed bestellar celebration of Simon Winder’s superb history of Germany.

Source: Simon Winder, Germania: A personal history of Germans ancient and modern (London, Picador, 2011 (2010)), p. 151

Photo credit: Kelsey Knight at unsplash