Why I took this class (a little late!)

There are a multitude of reasons why I chose to take this course, but three strong drivers:

1) I'm a reformed Egyptologist and (ancient) wine is near and dear to my heart. Nerd alert: I wrote my thesis on how looking at transportation/taxation of wine in New Kingdom Egypt allows us to more accurately trace the extent of the Egyptian empire at that time and understand how politics/power/influence flowed. Additionally, I spent significant time studying how the introduction of wine north from the Mediterranean (and the area around it) led to profound cultural/power shifts in Celtic culture. I'm particularly curious to touch on any themes related to how the wine industry impacts current culture and vice versa as well as its political implications.

2) I come from a family of (contemporary) wine lovers. I never learned anything about wine because I would always call my father if faced with a choice or just had him send me what I knew I liked from his collection. Through this class I hope to be able to better hold my own in conversations with him and, more importantly, increase my own enjoyment by understanding the mechanics of the industry.

3) I worked for AB InBev this summer and found the regulatory environment surrounding alcohol production and sale fascinating. I'm interesting to learn about this from a different perspective.

Looking forward to class.