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WINES and volcanoes might seem an exotic pairing. But, as volcanologist Charles Frankel reveals here, the two are deeply entwined. Modern vintages enjoy playing on their volcanic roots, and an association has in fact existed for centuries.

After the eruption of Italy鈥檚 Mount Vesuvius in AD 79, Pompeii and Herculaneum were buried so thoroughly that their existence was forgotten, until their entirely accidental rediscovery during the 18th century.

But the towns had already left a permanent legacy through the grape vines that, having survived the pyroclastic destruction, continued to be cultivated on the slopes of the volcano. Two of these vines, Piedirosso and Sciascinoso, have been identified, from casts of vines and pips protected in amphorae, as the varieties Pompeiians grew. These are now used to make Villa dei Misteri, a wine that retails at around 鈧�100 a bottle and helps fund archaeological work at Pompeii.

The wine has, according to Frankel, a 鈥渄eep ruby colour, a fruity and spicy bouquet, a thick but balanced structure鈥�. Such a wine could 鈥済racefully accompany a rich seafood course鈥�. This combination of gastronome and sommelier patois is nothing new. Yet Frankel shifts to quite another level by combining these flourishes with rich, unusual descriptions of terroir, that near-mystic combination of landscape, soils, climate and human care that gives a wine from a particular region its unique qualities.

The mineral-rich soils and unusual climatic conditions that volcanoes produce make them uniquely suited to creating fine wines and Frankel, a volcanologist and a fully paid-up oenophile, is uniquely suited to write about them. He has paid his dues, too, having written two previous books on wine and been a visiting university lecturer in France and the US. This has given him a fine eye for the influences on wine of culture and history.

鈥淚n a disused pumice quarry, it is possible to unpick the eruption that wrecked Minoan civilisation in 1620 BC鈥�

This is probably the first book on wine to begin with an introduction to basic volcanology, and Frankel鈥檚 choice of chapter topics 鈥� Santorini in Greece; Naples (Vesusius is nearby), Sicily (Etna) and its neighbouring Aeolian Islands (Stromboli) in Italy; France鈥檚 Auvergne region and California 鈥� is an eccentric oenophilic blend only likely to occur to a volcanologist.

Frankel avoids the pitfalls many books like this make. The text never falls into colour-supplement pretentiousness. Neither does it tip into territory that is tectonically tedious.

He is extremely well-informed about his curious mix of topics and is keen to share his knowledge. A section on Santorini wines that describes their 鈥渞ich bouquet of orange peel, dried apricot, figs and nuts鈥� is balanced by a loving account of how, on an island that is technically a desert, a method has been developed to curl vines like a coil pot so that their buds grow towards the centre, protected from the sun and the pumice-laden wind.

Next, he invites you to the island鈥檚 Carrefour car park, which gives the best access to a disused pumice quarry. Here, by examining its layers of ash, pumice and lava, it is possible to anatomise the eruption sequence that wrecked Santorini鈥檚 Minoan civilisation in 1620 BC.

Volcanoes and Wine is a joyous celebration of the circumstances that produce some of the world鈥檚 most venerated wines. It is also full of irresistible historical snippets. Did you know that a wine blended from Santorini鈥檚 Assyrtiko, Athiri and Aidani grapes not only became the sacramental wine for the Russian Orthodox Church, but that its trade was unabated when the island was invaded by the Muslim Ottoman Empire in 1579? Now there is something worth toasting.