About the New Book
Italy in a Glass: A Cultural History of Wine as Education
Written by: Fusako Sakurai
SHUEISHA Shinsho (Visual Edition)
What fills the glass is the history and passion of people who live beautifully with rich hearts.
Italy in a Glass:
A Cultural History of Wine as Education
Written by Fusako Sakurai Shueisha Shinsho Visual Edition
Released on September 17, 2026
Published by Shueisha
*Clicking will take you to the publisher's website.
Italian wine is "history to be drunk" (history in liquid form). Why do cultured people from all over the world seek out Italy?
The answer lies within the glass. The history and culture of Italy seen through a single glass of wine.
The history of viticulture and winemaking that has continued uninterrupted since ancient times.
A gem of a story woven by Italy's extraordinary nature, vines, and humanity.
“We have been doing it this way for as long as five hundred years,” said the nobleman who produces his wine entirely inside his palace, from pressing to bottling (From Chapter 3).
“The Grand Admiral of the Most Serene Republic was, at the same time, also a peasant farmer,” his descendant recounted.
An 1,100-year story surrounding Venetian wine (From Chapter 6).
“Besides, it is wonderful just to gaze at them. Don’t all these hills look like tongues protruding from the earth? Those tongues (lingue) became slurred in dialect to become 'Langhe'.” The beautiful scenery of Langhe and the secret story behind the birth of Barolo (From Chapter 7).
Italian wine is "history to be drunk."
“Why are Italian wines so diverse and difficult to understand?” The answer lies in Italy's uniquely rich nature and the endeavors of people who survived its complex history.
This book is the culmination of a journey by the author, who has been traveling to Italy for 30 years, walking from north to south across the country for about 15 years (from 2010 to 2025) to unravel the mysteries of Italian food and wine, interviewing over 60 winegrowers and masters of enogastronomy (food and wine).
Italian history is like a nesting box ("scatola cinese"), where there is always a new discovery no matter how many times you open it.Despite repeated foreign dominations, the people of Italy quietly contemplated the nature of their native soil, preserving and connecting the tradition of grapes and their rich, unique food culture over the centuries.
【Key Highlights of This Book】
“Heroic Viticulture” Undaunted by a Harsh Nature
It portrays the way of life of resilient makers who use their wisdom on cliffside terraces and in hard-to-reach locations, constantly dialoguing with nature to create miraculously beautiful wines.
The Biodiversity of Italian Grapes Connected to the Present Day by Monks
While France has around 300 varieties, Italy is said to host over 1,800 types of wine grapes. This section explores the secrets of the "richness of species" lovingly nurtured by monks of the past.
The Individuality of Wine Nurtured by Intense Local Patriotism (Campanilismo)
It explores the developmental process of Italian wine and its diversity, polished through friendly competition among individuals with a strong artisan spirit who vow “never to lose to their neighbors.”
A Journey of Wine Traversing Time and Space to Awaken the Memories of the Earth
Modern winemakers carefully gather fragments of the past left in the earth by ancient Romans, Greeks, and Etruscans to put them to use today. This section delves into their passion for history.
【Recommended for These Readers】
★For those who wish to savor wine through "human drama" rather than merely memorizing "knowledge"★
From the very beginning, this book does not intend to comprehensively cover or memorize wine classifications or varieties. Instead, by focusing on the makers' resilient and positive ways of life and their family histories, it portrays "what it means to live beautifully" through winemaking.
This book is a journey to encounter the landscapes visible beyond the glass and Italy's "masters of life."
Clear and easy-to-understand maps will guide you through unfamiliar lands, showing you exactly where you are traveling.
★For those who want to understand Italy, the cornerstone of European education★
Italy's beautiful landscapes, ruins, castles, archaeological relics, and numerous works of art have stimulated the intellectual curiosity of cultured people for thousands of years. The experience of "holding a piece of marquetry and opening concentric nested boxes" leads to the answer to the question: why do cultured people around the world set their sights on Italy?
This book is highly recommended for you, who wish to experience "wine as culture and education," born from the profound interaction between nature, vines, and humanity, rather than merely consuming "a simple liquid."
【Table of Contents】
Introduction
Introductory Chapter: Terraced Vineyards and the Wine of Hay
Chapter 1: Out to Sea for the Harvest!
Historical Column I: The "Italy" of the Enotrians
Chapter 2: Alberello Wine with a Distinct Personality
Chapter 3: The Noble Wine with the Aroma of Plums
Historical Column II: In Search of the Vines Married to Trees of the Etruscans
Chapter 4: The Wine of Travertine
Chapter 5: The Salt Wine Gifted by the Venetian Lagoon
Historical Column III: The Genealogy of "Agricultural Wisdom"
Chapter 6: The Orange Blossoms of Venice’s Last Grand Admiral
Chapter 7: The Wine of Ancient Sea and Earthly Memories
Part I: Serralunga d'Alba, "A Place Blessed by God"
Part II: Barolo and the Dawn of Italy
Afterword
Acknowledgments
Bibliography
【Author Biography】
Fusako Sakurai
Journalist and sommelier. Her connection with Italy spans approximately 30 years. Over the course of 12 years working at the Bologna Children's Book Fair, she assiduously frequented the historic wine shop Enoteca Italiana s.r.l., and after completing an apprenticeship there, obtained her sommelier certification locally. She travels to Italy alone, consistently handles all phases of the work herself, from photography and conducting interviews in Italian to writing the final texts. Since 2019, she has organized and managed the "Italian Wine Culture Course (ACCVI)," serving as a bridge connecting producers with Japanese wine enthusiasts. In November 2023, she received the prestigious "Umberto Agnelli Memorial Journalist Award" from the Italy-Japan Foundation at the Embassy of Italy in Tokyo for her significant contribution to mutual cultural understanding between the two nations. In 2024, she delivered a lecture at the University for Foreigners of Siena, and in 2025, she took the stage as a speaker at the Italian Pavilion of the Osaka Expo. This volume marks her first monographic work.
*Clicking will take you to the publisher's website.