The English translation of Italian nonfiction bestseller La Stirpe del Vino (Sperling & Kupfer) written by experts in vine genetics Attilio Scienza and Serena Imazio has just been made available in e-book form. The English book is entitled Sangiovese, Lambrusco, and Other Vine Stories and is published in both print and digital formats by Positive Press. The hard copy will be available in Italian bookstores and on Amazon from October 17th, 2019. However, copies can already be purchased on the publisher’s website.
Left: Sangiovese, Lambrusco, and Other Vine Stories e-book. Right: Author Attilio Scienza.
Sangiovese, Lambrusco, and Other Vine Stories is the long-awaited English translation of Italian nonfiction bestseller about wine history La Stirpe del Vino (literally “the lineage of wine), written by Attilio Scienza and Serena Imazio, both experts in vine genetics (see biographical note below). Scienza and Imazio have condensed the history and ampelography of iconic grape vines and the latest scientific research on vine genetics in an accessible prose which appeals to a wide range of readers, from wine professionals to students of enology to wine lovers at large who are interested in learning more about the stories behind a glass of wine. The book illuminates the interaction between human communities and vines, in a journey which will reveal the lineage of wine through stories of migration, conquest, and cross-cultural exchange.
The e-book version Sangiovese, Lambrusco, and Other Vine Stories can already be purchased worldwide on Amazon Kindle for $ 9,99 (€ 9,02). The hard copy will be available in bookstores and on Amazon from October 17th, 2019, priced at € 18,90. Hard copies can already be ordered on Positive Press website. Additional information on the book can be requested by emailing info@italianwineunplugged.com.
Book Synopsis:
Behind the cultivation of grape vines and their fruits’ fermented juice lies a history of peoples who worked the land, transformed the landscape, produced and traded wines, thus forging local and global communities. In this book, vine geneticists and experts Attilio Scienza and Serena Imazio reconstruct the lineage of wine: using DNA analysis, archeology, anthropology, myth, and literary sources, they discuss the origin and ancestry of vines such as Sangiovese, Ribolla, Primitivo, and the many Moscato, Malvasia, and Lambrusco grapes. Chapters also cover more widely planted varieties such as Chardonnay, Merlot, Syrah, and Pinot, as well as the impact of the phylloxera epidemic in the nineteenth century. In a scientific yet accessible way, Lambrusco, Sangiovese, and Other Vine Stories illuminates the complex interaction between human communities and vines, in a journey which will reveal riveting stories of migration, conquest, exploration, and cross-cultural exchange.
Authors’ biographical note:
Attilio Scienza is Full Professor at the University of Milan, where he taught genetic improvement of the grapevine. His research interests include the genetic improvement of grape varieties and rootstocks by crossbreeding and clonal selection, the appraisal of old vines, and the study of interactions between the vine and the environment to enhance wine quality. He also worked on the preservation and enhancement of the Georgian germplasm. He is the author of 350 scientific publications and 15 books—both academic and of wider appeal—on topics related to the description of grape varieties as well as their relationship with the environment and historical origin. He also serves as the Chief Scientist of the Vinitaly International Academy, wine education provider specialized in teaching the diversity of Italian wine to international professionals.
After completing her degree in Biology in 2000, Serena Imazio begins her extraordinary journey into the wine world by pursuing doctoral studies on the origin and genetics of the grapevine. After her doctorate, she worked as a researcher at the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia and at the Centro di Trasferimento Tecnologico dell’Emilia Romagna, where she started to get in touch with the world of communication and scientific dissemination of knowledge to wider audiences. She considers herself very lucky since she managed to turn her unabashed curiosity for all things science and her love for the wine world into a fantastic job.
Praise for the book:
“The unique triumph of Scienza and Imazio’s new book on Italy’s viticultural heritage is how, rather addressing it in isolation, it successfully sets Italy’s story in a larger geographical, historical and scientific context. In so doing, the authors reinforce rather than diminish Italy’s importance, expertly demonstrating how the peninsula and its myriad peoples were often key connectors joining the dots of seemingly disparate traditions. Sweeping in its scope, but retaining the intimacy of a personal anecdote, this book is a must for anyone who would seek to truly know Italian wine.” Sarah Heller MW, Proprietor, Radix
“Wine grapes are the most human fruits. Wherever they are planted, if successful, they not only represent in their wines the societies that took care of their cultivation, but also mark the character of the lands in which they grow. Attilio Scienza and Serena Imazio share a series of most exciting real stories about grapes travelling and transforming landscapes. Their angle—solidly based upon science and knowledge with as much global perspective as depth—is unique. They are like this book’s grapes, well traveled and exceptional. I have not seen many books so soundly structured and so easy to read, books that provide knowledge while stimulating the imagination of the reader. I enjoyed the Italian version first and then its English version masterfully translated by Joy Livingston. Thanks, Serena, Attilio for your contribution to the understanding of the world of fine Italian wine and, most of all, for giving to me (and I think that to many readers too) lovely hours of intellectual enjoyment.” Pedro Ballesteros Torres MW, International Wine Judge
“To speak with Professor Scienza, to read his books, and to listen to him is always a great experience as well as a profound learning journey that we can teach us new notions which at times were overlooked. For decades, Attilio Scienza has stimulated and energized the production sector of the agronomic and enological world. I don’t think we would have reached today’s results without his scientific commitment. Even now, every time I meet him, I always feel the excitement and reverence of a student. Thank you Professor Scienza!” Lamberto Frescobaldi, President, Marchesi Frescobaldi
“Attilio Scienza and Serena Imazio’s scholarly quest to understand the genetics of the vine and their passion to narrate their lineage weaving together anthropology, archaeology, sociology, and linguistics make this book a perfect learning tool for people who work in wine, but also for wine lovers at large.” Stevie Kim, Managing Director, Vinitaly International
About:
Sangiovese, Lambrusco, and Other Vine Stories (Positive Press, 2019) is the English translation of Italian nonfiction bestseller about wine history La Stirpe del Vino (Sperling & Kupfer, 2018). In the book, vine genetics experts Attilio Scienza and Serena Imazio illuminate the interaction between human communities and vines, in a journey which will reveal the lineage of wine through stories of migration, conquest, and cross-cultural exchange. Using DNA analysis, archeology, anthropology, myth, and literary sources, authors discuss the origin and ancestry of vines such as Sangiovese, Ribolla, Primitivo, and the many Moscato, Malvasia, and Lambrusco grapes. Chapters also cover more widely planted varieties such as Chardonnay, Merlot, Syrah, and Pinot, as well as the impact of the phylloxera epidemic in the nineteenth century. Maps and genealogical charts of vine families also grace the book. Available on Amazon Kindle for € 9,99. Launch date for the hard copy (€ 18,90) in Italy: October 17th, 2019.
