Arts Society Ashdown Forest: A Brief Story of Wine by Lecturer David Wright

At our last meeting of the 2023/24 season David Wright will tell us how wine has been an important part of society for over 7,000 years and this story tells of its origin and appearance in all communities across the Mediterranean and through Europe. There is rich evidence of the role wine has played in these societies and how it became an important component of faith, well-being and festivity. From the kwevris of Georgia in 5,000 B.C., to the symposia in ancient Greece, the thermopolia of Pompeii, the hospices of Europe, and the dining tables of fine society, wine has been ever present. Drawings, paintings, engravings, buildings, pottery and wine labels themselves all contribute to and illustrate the story.
David has been a wine retailer, importer and distributor for over thirty years. He regularly presents tastings and talks on wine to trade and private audiences. He has developed this talk on the story of wine which is a great subject, full of rich evidence, in the form of visual arts, drinking vessels and literature that are all part of the story.