New Books in Science, Technology, and Society Meg Bernhard, "Wine" (Bloomsbury, 2023)
Nov 28, 2025
Meg Bernhard, a journalist and essayist with hands-on experience in family vineyards in Spain, discusses her book, which explores wine's complex cultural and power dynamics. She reveals the evolution of wine from a humble beverage to a luxury good, highlighting issues of class and access. The conversation touches on gender dynamics in winemaking, the ecological impacts of climate change on vineyards, and innovation in response to environmental challenges. Bernhard also shares her personal journey with wine, emphasizing the cultural significance of shared experiences.
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Two Ways To Know Wine
- Bernhard frames wine by two epistemologies: ecological time (seasons, terroir) and structural time (cellar decisions, market rituals).
- These registers coexist and shape how wine is made, described, and consumed.
Wine As A Climate Memory
- Wine can act as a memory-keeper for climate events: drought concentrates sugars and raises alcohol levels.
- Winemakers notice heat in taste and must adapt styles as temperatures rise.
Heat Then Frost Devastates French Vines
- In France warmer winters cause earlier bud break followed by unexpected spring frost that can destroy 80–90% of a crop.
- Winemakers face a seesaw of heat and frost that threatens annual yield because grapes have one growing season each year.
