Value Struggles

Looking at Capitalism through the Wine Glass

By: Stefano Ponte

Write A Review

Paperback | 16 October 2025

At a Glance

Paperback
288 Pages

Dimensions(cm)
15.7 x 23.5 x 1.9

Paperback

RRP $44.99

$44.75

or 4 interest-free payments of $11.19 with

or

Ships in 25 to 30 business days

In this open access book, Stefano Ponte offers a theoretically ambitious, empirically rich interrogation of the value struggles at play in global value chains; using the wine industry as an exemplar, he provides a new and fundamental critique of contemporary capitalism and the inequalities it engenders.
There is no better product than wine to unmask some of the contradictions of contemporary capitalism. Wine is one of the most fragmented and diversified industries, and one that is not yet completely dominated by large corporate interests. It is also where all sorts of antagonisms against the power of capital are taking place.
Value Struggles shows how these tensions and contradictions play out over the valuation of place, nature and people. Through a detailed analysis of South African and Italian wine, it shows that predatory accumulation is about extracting value not only from labour, but also from place, nature and people's identities as owners of tangible and intangible assets. This book explains how power is exercised in contemporary capitalism, by whom, and with what consequences for producers, workers, and nature - both in the Global South and the Global North.
The eBook editions of this book are available open access under a CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 licence on bloomsburycollections.com. Open access was funded by Independent Research Fund Denmark and the Carlsberg Foundation, Denmark.

Shipping

	Standard Shipping	Express Shipping
Metro postcodes:	$9.99	$14.95
Regional postcodes:	$9.99	$14.95
Rural postcodes:	$9.99	$14.95

Orders over $79.00 qualify for free shipping.

How to return your order

At Booktopia, we offer hassle-free returns in accordance with our returns policy. If you wish to return an item, please get in touch with Booktopia Customer Care.

Additional postage charges may be applicable.