Wine Books - Page 15

Bordeaux/Burgundy: A Vintage Rivalry

Jean-Robert Pitte

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 2 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

Seeking to penetrate the mysteries of two great wine regions--"two opposite civilizations, two distinct ways of feeling"--Jean-Robert Pitte embarks upon an evocative and fascinating exploration of the land, people, and wines of Bordeaux and Burgundy. His account is a rich tapestry of terroir, history, culture, and economics from Roman to modern times. The unique qualities of the wines of each region, Pitte believes, cannot be entirely explained by the differences in their physical environments: they have social origins as well. Beginning with an entertaining look at the remarkable variety of insults exchanged by partisans of the two regions, Pitte delves into the key role played by medieval monks, dukes, and peasant vignerons in building their respective reputations and in creating the rivalry between bourgeois Bordeaux and earthy Burgundy that we know today. His sparkling, fair-minded narrative, engaging the senses and the mind alike, conveys a deep appreciation of two incomparable winegrowing cultures, united despite their differences by a common ambition to produce the best wines in the world.

Oz Clarke's Grapes and Wines: The definitive guide to the world's great grapes and the wines they make

Oz Clarke, Margaret Rand

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 3 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

More problems than advantages 3 out of 5 stars.
3 of 8 people found this review helpful.

Oz Clarke's Grapes & Wine takes a different tact than other large definitive coffee table-style wine books like Hugh Johnson and Janice Robinson's World Atlas of Wine, Sotheby's Wine Encyclopedia, and Peter Forrestal's The Global Encyclopedia of Wine. Those books (and, indeed, Mr. Clarke's own New Encyclopedia of Wine) are organized based on countries and regions, while this book is organized by major grape varieties, which are arranged in alphabetical order.

As such (and despite what the title says), that makes this more of a guide to grapes than to wine. And that offers some advantages for a lover of, say, Chardonnay, who with this book can read and learn about they way the grape is used in California, France, and New Zealand, without having book markers protruding from three different chapters. The style of organization also allows for the history of a certain grape to be traced even when it crosses national borders, as is the case for every significant variety grown in the U.S. and many classic varieties like Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Nior, and Shiraz that have made names for themselves far from where they were originally cultivated.

But I believe the grape-oriented organization ultimately presents more problems than advantages.

From a purely logistical standpoint, it can be confusing because many grapes are known by different names in different places: what the Americans, Australians, and South Africans call Shiraz, the French call Syrah; what the French call Pinot Nior the Italians call Pinto Nero; and what people in one part of Tuscany call Sangiovese is referred to as Brunello, Prugnolo, and Morelino in other parts of the same region. Mr. Clarke solves this by listing the grape by its best-known name and making references to the others in the text (Shiraz and Syrah are listed in hyphenated form), but it might still be confusing to someone who became familiar with a grape by one of its lesser-known appellations.

Also, for a novice, it's not clear what grapes are tied to what kinds of wine in regions that don't reflect the variety on the label. So while the book does explain that red Burgundies are made from Pinot Nior and white Burgundies from Chardonnay, that Barolo and Barbaresco are both crafted from Nebbiolo, and that Chianti comes mostly from Sangiovese, the reader must first know these things before delving into the appropriate chapter.

But the most serious problem, I think, is that organizing chapters by variety presents a false choice: a light and crisp Chardonnay grown in New Zealand, for example, has more in common with the Sauvignon Blanc grown down the street than it does with a powerful and buttery Chardonnay from California. And what about regions known for blending varieties? In Bordeaux most wines are mostly Cabernet Sauvignon (Lafite Rothschild, Haut-Brion), but some very significant wines (Le Pin, Petrus) are made predominantly from Merlot.

That said, the book is packed with compelling writing and important and interesting information, and the photography is very strong (even if photos are for the most part a little small for my taste). This book, the last of three editions, was published only three years ago. Afterwards, editors divided the contents into two books: the aforementioned New Encyclopedia of Wine and Mr. Clarke's famous Encyclopedia of Grapes -- both of which I ought to be more familiar with. But after familiarizing myself with the high-level of Mr. Clarke's knowledge and his strong writing and at the same time being somewhat stymied by the way the book is organized, I can't imagine that the decision to divide these riches into two books wasn't a wise one.

Editorial Review:

First published in hardcover as Oz Clarke’s Encyclopedia of Grapes, Oz Clarke’s Grapes and Wines is newly revised and updated to provide the most current information on an even wider array of grapes. Oz covers chardonnay, cabernet sauvignon, and fifteen other "classic" grapes in depth, and includes features on tradition and innovation, methods used in the vineyard and the winery, and different wine styles around the world. He also provides vivid descriptions of more than three hundred grape varieties organized in his renowned A-to-Z format, as well as a glossary of technical terms and a wine decoder that lists which grapes go into which wines.

This authoritative volume by one of the world’s great wine writers is all you need to distinguish among grape varieties— the wines they create and the flavors they contribute—and to make an informed choice on selecting the most satisfying wines.

Vino Italiano Buying Guide - Revised and Updated: The Ultimate Quick Reference to the Great Wines of Italy

Joseph Bastianich, David Lynch

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Wine Mondays: Simple Wine Pairings with Seasonal Menus

Frank McClelland, Christie Matheson

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 1 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

An elegant, practical, 'user friendly' addition to any family or community library cookbook collection 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 1 people found this review helpful.

A good wine can make a meal. Conversely, an inappropriate wine can detract from one. That's why "Winde Mondays: Simple Wine Pairings With Seasonal Menus" is so important for any menu planning from ordinary family meals to special celebratory dinners. With the assistance of food writer Christie Matheson, the award-winning proprietor of L'Espalier and Sel de La Terre restaurants, Frank McClelland showcases sixteen of his favorite menus (one for each of the four seasons of the year) with recommended wine pairings for each dish. "Wine Mondays) is enhanced with wine pairing notes, helpful tips and information about wine varieties and regions, and advice for shopping at local markets using fresh, in-season ingredients for best result. "Wine Mondays" is an elegant, practical, 'user friendly' addition to any family or community library cookbook collection.

Editorial Review:

This is the perfect book for anyone who loves wine and loves great food, but might not always know what goes best with what. Frank McClelland and Christie Matheson offer up 130 elegant recipes from Frank's award-winning Boston restaurant L'Espalier, adapted here for the home cook. The recipes are taken from the restaurant's very popular weekly Wine Mondays event, at which a 4-course dinner is presented with wine for each course, in a communal, convivial setting. The seasonal menus feature such delights such as Forest Mushroom Risotto with Broccoli Rabe, Pot-Roasted Pork with Chorizo and Clams, and Honey Thyme Apricots, with wine suggestions and wine notes accompanying every recipe. The authors demystify wine pairing in a comprehensive introduction while emphasizing their number one rule--eat and drink what you like, and have fun doing it!

The French Menu Cookbook: The Food and Wine of France--Season by Delicious Season--In Beautifully Composed Menus for American Dining and Entertaining by an American Living in

Richard Olney, Paul Bertolli

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 2 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Possibly the most sophisticated cookbook in English 5 out of 5 stars.
26 of 27 people found this review helpful.

Looking back to 1970, the year this book was first published, puts its sophistications in context and underscores the enormity of its contributions. America was deep in culinary ignorance, eating out of cans and supplementing that metal-tinged blandness with gut-busting mountains of artificial 'foods'. America was lost somehwere between the post-war meat-and-potatoes era and the chemical concoctions of the 80s and beyond. Small glimmers of possibility illuminated the occassional suburban cocktail party, when hostesses under the influence of Julia Child trotted out a few hotel-food hors d'oeuvres, and a few ethnic enclaves still held up a candle of flavor, but America was largely a culinary wasteland. Servings were large, everything was bland, and mealtime had become TV time. Without flavor or family, American meals were effectively dead.

It was into this lunar food landscape that Richard Olney introduced several revolutionary ideas at once in The French Menu Cookbook. I should say that he RE-introduced these ideas, because they had existed, with varying degrees of sophistication, for as long as people had eaten, but an industrial food system had interrupted that great cultural memory. This book's structure is its message: the food is introduced not by category, but by course within menus, and the menus themselves are organized by season. For those of us who have heard the gospel of seasonality and regional availability and freshness from Alice Waters and Paul Bertolli, at al, it can be easy to forget that this idea is still, 36 years after The French Menu Cookbook, radical, and so against the grain of the industrial food complex as to be almost an act of treason. But Richard Olney's way with food started that revolution at possibly the most inoportune moment in Americna history.

A sample menu says it all:

An Informal Spring Dinner

Hors d'oeuvre of Crudites
Shrimp Quiche
Coq au Vin
Steamed Potatoes
Wild Green Salad
Cheeses
Flamri with Raspberry Sauce

all of the above matched with appropriate wines.

Notice the careful development through the courses, the constant shifts of flavor to keep the palate alive, the seasonal ingredients... All of this was deeply shocking at the time.

But there's one more big surprise: this book is every bit as good today as it was in 1970. It doesn't feel even remotely dated, like Julia Child's books do. Maybe, in hueing so faithfully to the principles of freshness, seasonality, and regional availability, Olney tapped into something timeless. And so this book was a classic the day it was published, and remains one of the most sophisticated, satisfying, and inspiring cookbooks ever published.

Very highly recommended.

Editorial Review:

Richard Olney was one of a kind - a scholarly cook who had a tremendous influence on American cooking via his cottage on a hillside in Provence. Born in the Midwest in 1927 and drawn to France as a young man, Olney was attracted to the style, flavours, and tastes of French cooking. Brimming with compelling explanations of how the French really cook and with over 150 authentic recipes, this book is a masterful resource.

Champagne for One

Rex Stout

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 17 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Good mystery & an entertaining read 4 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

Champagne for One begins with Archie Goodwin getting roped in to attending a somewhat unusual dinner. A small group of "unfortunate" young women (unmarried but had children) are paired with men of society in an attempt to broaden their horizons. It's sort of an odd premise but it does provide a great setup for Archie to practice his flirting skills. As you might guess, this being a Nero Wolfe novel, one of the young ladies swallows poisoned champagne and dies at the party. Most of the people there believe it's suicide, but Archie was watching her and knows she didn't poison the glass. From there, we are treated to a mystery with all the usual twists and turns until you're practically certain that no murderer will ever be revealed. And then, of course, Wolfe reveals the killer.

Champagne for One is a good read. It isn't quite up there with the very best Wolfe novels but it is far from the worst. The characters are probably better than average, the humor typical of the series is present and accounted for, and the mystery is more than interesting enough to hold the reader's attention. I probably wouldn't give this to a first time Wolfe reader if I wanted to be sure they'd get hooked on the series, but I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to a fan looking for their next fix of the corpulent detective.

Editorial Review:

Unwilling to accept a suicide ruling after witnessing the death of the admittedly morbid Faith Usher, Archie Goodwin is assisted in the investigation by Nero Wolfe, who has been warned to stay away from the case. Reissue. NYT.

Harvests of Joy: How the Good Life Became Great Business

Robert Mondavi

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 20 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

the book's OK 3 out of 5 stars.
6 of 10 people found this review helpful.

I share some of the criticisms of other contributors on Amazon who have given the book the lowest possible rating. It is wordy, repetitive, and poorly edited. The author himself revealed that he is not a great lover of books and his literary style indicates it. Granted, it is worthwhile to have this book, in spite of its technical faults, for the sake of having access and insight to the history of the man who virtually pioneered the art of making fine wine in Napa. While I found several passages irritating to read, I could not put the book down. The chapter describing the inception of Opus One with the Baron is great stuff.

Early on the author stated his intention to make state-of-the-art Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Johannisberg Riesling. As the text progresses the author trumpets the region's many successes in the first three noble varietals, and adds the favourable results obtained with Sauvignon Blanc and Merlot. He talks about his many trips to Bordeaux, Burgundy, Tuscany, Spain, and the Mosel, to learn how the established top estates operate. Inexplicably, he makes no effort to explain what happened in his quest to make fine Riesling. I find that very surprising in light of his comment late in the book that he drinks a lot more Sauvignon/Fume Blanc than Chardonnay.

The commentary provided by his sons and his second wife is very well presented, more tightly focused and cohesive than the rest of the book.

On a personal note I was glad he mentioned the Bible's approval of wine consumption; however, he should also have emphasized consumption in moderation (see Ecclesiastes 5).

The description of the Robert Mondavi Winery in Oakville CA was needless to say entertaining. The author claims half a million visitors a year, and I can assert the reasonableness of this claim based on having seen it very busy during a very rainy Sunday while many of the other wineries in the area had no visitors at all. It's most definitely worth a visit, if you have a designated driver.

This book is recommended with reservations for the unique experience it offers.

Editorial Review:

The story of one of the world’s greatest wineries is told here by the man who, at the age of fifty-two, revolutionized the wine business and put Napa Valley on the map. An inspiring business book by a master innovator whose goal was to “be the best” and who had the tenacity to achieve it. Photographs.

Blood and Wine: Unauthorized Story of the Gallo Wine Empire

Ellen Hawkes

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 4 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

Blood and Wine: the story of the Gallo Wine Empire 5 out of 5 stars.
6 of 6 people found this review helpful.

This is an excellent book. The author does an outstanding job of telling both sides whenever a conflict arises. Obviously a great researcher, Hawkes pulls out information that was deliberately hidden.
Hawkes does an amazing job of showing the personality of the subjects with an even hand.
This is a fair, balanced account. If one had to find a criticism it would be that Hawkes was too reluctant to be accusatory when the facts are clear.
If you have even a slight interest in the subject, this book is worthy of searching for.

A little dry in the middle 4 out of 5 stars.
5 of 6 people found this review helpful.

If you're in the business you should read this book.

An Utter Hatchet Job 1 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

The book is ponderous garbage. The last third of the book is devoted to a one-sided account of the inter-family trademark infringement lawsuit that Gallo Winery won after a trial and won again on appeal. As one who is intimately familiar with the case, I can tell you that her account is pure fiction - - wishful thinking on the defendant's part.

Editorial Review:

An account of financial and personal scandal at the Gallo winery describes how Ernest Gallo's legal action against his brother, Joe--who wished to use the Gallo name for his cheese company--revealed long-hidden Gallo secrets. 40,000 first printing. Tour.

From Persia to Napa: Wine at the Persian Table

Najmieh Batmanglij; Dick Davis; Burke Owens

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 4 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

Wine is seen as the natural partner of many great cuisines, but few people associate it with Persian food, one of the world's most sophisticated culinary traditions. The ties, in fact, are age-old. This book weaves together history, poetry, a look at modern viniculture, and a wealth of recipes and wine pairings to celebrate the rightful relationship of wine and food on the Persian table.'Whoever seeks the origins of wine must be crazy', a Persian poet once declared, implying that simple enjoyment of this greatest gift of the grape ought to be enough. Since he wrote those words, however, winemaking has been traced all the way back to the northern uplands of the Fertile Crescent some seven millennia ago, the start of a journey that would take it across the Near East and then into Europe in the dawning years of civilisation. Iran was one of the nurseries of the wine grape, and, as empires rose and fell there, princes, priests, poets and people in ordinary walks of life all embraced wine in various ways. After Islam came to Iran, wine drinking sometimes slipped from public view, but it never disappeared.In this lavishly illustrated book, Najmieh Batmanglij explores that long and eventful history, then shifts her story to California's famed Napa Valley, half a world away. There, in a kind of up-to-the-minute homage to the past, an Iranian-American named Darioush Khaledi uses the latest vinicultural techniques to make superb wines at a winery reminiscent of Persepolis, the ceremonial capital of the ancient Persian empire. The final section of the book offers 80 recipes, a guide to Persian hospitality, both old and new, and seasonal menus for various occasions. Grapes play a role in most of the recipes, whether in the form of the fruit, the leaf, the juice, the syrup, unripe grapes or their juice (verjuice), vinegar or wine. Although these recipes are presented for the modern table, they are traditional - based on sources as various as a tenth-century Persian cookbook or the culinary archives of a sixteenth-century Persian court.The book has two special sections. One, written by Dick Davis, a leading authority on Persian literature, discusses the unique links between poetry and wine-drinking in Persian culture. The other, by wine-and-food expert Burke Owens, offers guidelines for pairing wine with the distinctive ingredients used in Persian cooking. He has also provided wine suggestions for each recipe.

Cellaring Wine: A Complete Guide to Selecting, Building, and Managing Your Wine Collection

Jeff Cox

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 5 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

Beer is just a beverage, but wine is an experience. There?s an aura of romance, a hint of the sublime, to bringing a bottle up from your own cellar, carefully drawing out the cork, pouring the wine into a goblet, and taking the first delectable sip.

Now Jeff Cox, author of From Vines to Wines (89,000 copies in print) and a connoisseur well respected in wine circles, shows you how easy it is to have a wine cellar of your own.

But Cellaring Wine is not a home-building project book. In some cases, the would-be wine collector doesn?t have to do much building at all. Rather, Cellaring Wine teaches anyone who loves wine how to create a working system of selecting wines that will age well, know how to lay them down properly, and recognize when they have matured to their full glory and are ready to be savored.

Cox pinpoints the optimum conditions of temperature, light, and humidity for a wine cellar. He walks you through possible locations for your wine cellar ? whether in the basement, an old root cellar, the back of your garage, or even a closet or room in your house ? and what each location requires. He explains when you?ll need a climate-control device (and how much they cost). And he discusses the pros and cons of buying a freestanding unit that is much like a refrigerator.

Then Cox tackles the question that most troubles wine lovers: Which wines will improve with age, and which won?t? This chapter alone is worth the price of the book, since nothing is more disappointing to a wine lover than waiting years to open a bottle of wine only to discover that it was at its peak when it was laid down.

Cox shows you how to keep accurate records so you know at a glance ? without having to hunt through the wine racks ? what you have, where it?s located, and how much to buy so the cellar doesn?t become depleted. And he gives you a crash course in appreciating the fragrance and flavor of a fine wine.Perhaps best of all, Cox gets readers excited about the possibilities of having their own wine cellar. After all, a cellar is not just a storage room, it?s a university where good young wines become great.