Wine & Winemaking Books - Page 17

The Taste of Wine: The Art Science of Wine Appreciation, 2nd Edition

Emile Peynaud

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Total reviews: 4 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

Emile Peynaud's Le Gout du Vin has long been considered the definitive book on winetasting by professional tasters. Now, this new English language second edition makes his timeless classic truly accessible to a new generation of American readers.

The Taste of Wine is Peynaud's complete examination of the science and practice of winetasting, with detailed treatment of the senses and how they function, tasting techniques and problems, wine balance and quality, winetasting vocabulary, training, and the art of drinking. A brilliant synthesis of the Bordeaux and Burgundy/Beaujolais schools of tasting, Peynaud's unique method combines the subjective description of wine with well-established scientific principles--forming an approach which is definitive, comprehensive, and free of esoteric jargon.

With a foreword by Michael Broadbent, this edition features Michael Schuster's excellent translation, which retains all of the wit and sparkle of the original while remaining faithful to Peynaud's precise vocabulary. The text is beautifully complemented by a carefully selected range of illustrations and full-color photographs, which give full expression to the principles and spirit of the book.

As vital to increasing our understanding of winetasting as it is to enhancing our appreciation of wine, The Taste of Wine will be savored by professionals and amateurs for generations to come.

This English translation of Emile Peynaud's Le Gout du Vin brings a new edition of this classic French work to an American audience for the first time. Erudite yet accessible, as beautifully written as it is scientifically documented, The Taste of Wine is, quite simply, the complete guide to the science and practice of winetasting. Covering all of the essential elements of the subject, from the physiology and experience of the senses to tasting techniques, vocabulary, training, and quality assessment, Peynaud's singular approach is a masterful combination of the empirical and statistical styles of winetasting--a blend as distinctive and enduring as wine itself.

Whether you are an oenologist, wine producer, wine merchant, restaurateur, or informed consumer, The Taste of Wine is now yours to enjoy . . .

Port and the Douro (Classic Wine Library)

Richard Mayson

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

Definitive, comprehensive, informative, articulate. 5 out of 5 stars.
28 of 28 people found this review helpful.

Port And The Douro is the fascinating story of Port over the centuries and surveys the remarkable physical conditions of the wine growing region of Portugal, the grape varieties, and the vineyards that make the Douro valley so special. Richard Mayson draws upon his many years of experience in the wine trade in general and his remarkable expertise in Port wines and how they are made. Port And The Douro is definitive, comprehensive, informative, articulate, and greatly rewarding reading for connoisseurs, dealers, and the nonspecialist general reader seeking to select just the right Port for the occasion.

Editorial Review:

Fully revised and updated in its second edition, Port and the Douro recounts the fascinating history of the Port region and explores the vineyards, grape varieties, and the many styles of port available. It describes all aspects of the beverage’s production, and includes a directory of producers, as well as details about the key vintages. Expert Richard Mayson also examines the prospects for port in the 21st century.
 
 
 

Women of the Vine: Inside the World of Women Who Make, Taste, and Enjoy Wine

Deborah Brenner

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 16 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Fascinating Women 5 out of 5 stars.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful.

Brenner invites us into a world of fascinating woman and she does it with grace and wit. Her informal style moves the reader along. I learned a lot and enjoyed the journey. Kudos to the author!

Light reading 2 out of 5 stars.
3 of 7 people found this review helpful.

Unfortunately this is not the most interesting book about wine I read so far. Most probably I had different expectations when I decided to buy it. It is a light reading for anyone interested in the stories of some women who became successful in wine making. (some stories are very interesting from a humane perspective) But I don't see any other achievements. This is what Women of the Vine really is: light-hearted and straight-forward.

The book starts with a motto from Toni Morrison: "If there is a book you really want to read but it hasn't been written yet, then you must write it." I don't know if this is Ms. Brenner's first writing attempt and if this is the kind of book she has always wanted to read, but I think she did a decent job. However, don't expect to find anything extraordinary or deep, that will give you some food for the thought. It won't teach you too much about wine either. Most probably this is what the book was meant to do - appeal to the larger public.

I was a bit put off by the fact that the women it speaks about are only from the US, more exactly from California. The world of wine is so large! And if the pictures were colored instead of B&W, it would have been even better.

Women of the Vine definitely does not make a statement. As someone once said, it is like a summer rain: short, pleasant, one tends to forget it quickly. It is the kind of book I would read and then pass it on to someone else, without wanting necessarily to keep it in my library. It is just a pleasant way to kill some time.

For a more informative narrative on wine and the passion for wine, try Love by the Glass: Tasting Notes from a Marriage by Dorothy Gaiter and John Brecher. And for a larger geographical coverage of the women in the industry try Women of Wine, by Ann B. Matasar.

Editorial Review:

This book takes you on a very different journey to wine country, inviting you to enjoy the remarkable stories of twenty dynamic women in the world of wine. These women share their lives, wine tips, pairings, and most important, enthusiasm for wine while imparting their rich life lessons and wine expertise—a wonderful way to share your love for wine with the enterprising women who help bring it to your table.

Wine: The 8,000 Year-Old Story of the Wine Trade

Thomas Pellechia

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 10 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

The grape pre-dates humans, so it's hard to know who discovered wine. However, archeological and other discoveries have made it easier to find this out since wine was used to meet spiritual needs. At least, this is the story that is usually told. But when civilization began about 8,000 years ago it didn't take long for wine to move from an instrument of spirituality to a dominant economic power; all it took was the development of trade. Thereafter, the life and death of certain cultures often depended upon the fortunes of wine trading. Wine may have even sparked the earliest wars. Presenting its history from a commercial perspective, Wine reveals how the historically powerful wine trade has been a catalyst in many important developments throughout the ages such as sea mercantilism, early glass blowing, cooperage and cork production, trade fairs and festivals, advertising and promotion, the survival of civilization during the so-called Dark Ages, war financing, placating or pacifying troops, tranquilizing marauders, politics, literature and more.

Love by the Glass: Tasting Notes from a Marriage

Dorothy J. Gaiter, John Brecher

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Total reviews: 18 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

“I am deeply inspired by this heartwarming story of how two people found love and—even better—a way to get paid for drinking wine.” —Dave Barry

Internationally renowned journalists Dorothy J. Gaiter and John Brecher present a captivating memoir about falling in love with each other and with wine.

She grew up in the all-black environment of Florida A&M University in Tallahassee. He was raised in Jacksonville, Florida, where his was one of a handful of Jewish families. When they met on June 4, 1973, in the newsroom of The Miami Herald, she says, “I felt in my bones like I had known him forever.” And he says, “I felt the instant I saw her that we had always been together, and knew we always would be.”

That passion for each other and for wine has made their column a must-read for millions of neophyte and veteran wine lovers, who also follow their appearances on Martha Stewart’s TV show. The annual global celebration of wine that they created, “Open That Bottle Night,” encourages readers to finally drink that special wine they have been keeping. As Dottie and John write, “Wine can conjure up memories in a way that few other things can,” whether it’s a rare Burgundy or a bottle of cold duck.

Frank J. Prial of The New York Times said of their first book, The Wall Street Journal Guide to Wine, “Their enthusiasm for the grape . . . is exceeded only by their enthusiasm for each other. It spills over on every other page.” Indeed, John and Dottie say they don’t write a wine column; they write a column about more important things.

This book follows them from love at first sight, through a life of journalism, to a triumph on the basketball court at Madison Square Garden. You’ll discover the joys of wine along with them, but you’ll also discover that wine is really about good times, bad times, moments shared with loved ones, and new friends. It’s about memories. It’s about life.

The Best Wine Bars & Shops of Paris: Fifty Charming and Notable Cavistes

Pierrick Jegu

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Editorial Review:

In this guide, you will find everything from establishments that have been serving Paris for a century or two to neighborhood cellars, conventional purveyors, hipster hangouts, and even ventures–as the French publisher says–with no “complexes” whatsoever. Some places have the traditional barrels on the sidewalk, old-fashioned wooden cubbyholes for storing the bottles, creaking floorboards, and shopkeepers in starched white aprons; others have ultramodern decor, sleek and streamlined design, waitstaff in jeans and sneakers. Beyond appearances, each cellar has its own approach, its own philosophy, and producers it swears by. One merchant may carry prestigious luxury vineyards; a second, bargain terroir wines; the third, 100 percent organic vintages; a fourth may offer wines for collectors. This is a cross-section of fifty reputable and distinctive shops and an excellent map for those wishing to navigate the wine merchants of Paris.
 
The notable wines offered by each shop are highlighted, and there are lots of places that serve light meals–or even something more substantial–making The Best Wine Bars & Shops of Paris a great restaurant guide, too.

The Wines of the Northern Rh™ne

John Livingstone-Learmonth, Kermit Lynch

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 7 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

For anyone who wants to understand the full story that lies within a glass of wine, this book opens up the inner secrets of the geology, the vineyards, the wines, and the growers of the northern Rhône Valley in France. Home to the spicy Syrah, or Shiraz, and the floral Viognier grapes, the northern Rhône Valley is one of France's oldest wine-growing regions; its appellations include Hermitage, Côte-Rôtie, Condrieu, Crozes-Hermitage, St-Joseph, and Château-Grillet. With evocative descriptions and marvelous insights, this accessible, elegant book, the culmination of more than thirty years following the Rhône, is a comprehensive and authoritative survey of the various estates, winemakers, and their wines.
Taking a deeper look at the northern Rhône than Livingstone-Learmonth's highly regarded previous volumes on the Rhône Valley, this revised and up-to-date edition covers more producers and includes more in-depth information on the various terroirs, the histories of the wines, and the methods for making the wines. Livingstone-Learmonth concentrates on letting the producers explain their outlook and methods and includes much local color.

The Wines of the Northern Rhône includes
* Assessments of thousands of wines, with guide dates onwhen to drink and how long to age them
* Winemakers' views on what foods best accompany their wines
* New vineyard maps for each appellation
* Detailed descriptions by growers discussing the effect of different soils on their wines
* Precise information on how each domaine makes its wines
* New research on the historical links between Hermitage and Bordeaux

Red Wine for Dummies

Ed McCarthy, Mary Ewing-Mulligan

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 7 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Easy to understand, complete in its coverage 5 out of 5 stars.
7 of 8 people found this review helpful.

As I wrote in a previous review of The Sommelier's Guide to Wine, I am just beginning my introduction to the fascinating world of wine. While the former book has been invaluable, so has this - Red Wine for Dummies.

As always, the language is very accessible and the subject material easy to understand, even when some of the more difficult or intimidating aspects of wine are discussed (such as when and why to decant, picking a wine, a guide to wine terms, etc.)

The descriptions of the grapes themselves are marvelous. For example, here is the description for a Zinfandel (yes, Zinfandel is a red grape - White Zinfandel [all apologies to those who like it] is a wine made by ruining the grape): "The Zinfandel grape gives good color to the red wines made from it, along with bramble-berry fruit flavors and aromas and a spicy character. The intensity of the wine varies according to where grapes grew and how old the vines are; some very old (80 to 100 years) vineyards make wines that are full bodied and dense with flavor. More typically, Zinfandel makes wines that are medium bodied, with succulent fruit and medium tannin." Sure there are descriptions in fancy wine magazines that are more complete, but chances are you wouldn't have the slightest idea what they're talking about.

This book also covers regions where wines are made, climates, soil, and everything that goes into producing a good red wine. It's a superb book for a beginner.

Editorial Review:

If you're interested in expanding your wine horizons to include the reds, such as Merlot, Pinot Noir, or Cabernet, Red Wine For Dummies will help you through the maze of red wines. Wine connoisseurs Ed McCarthy and Mary Ewing-Mulligan have tasted their way through the wine-growing regions of Northern California and France (as well as Oregon, Washington, New York, Australia, South America, and South Africa). The result of their ventures is a handy guide featuring more than 1,000 red wine recommendations, tips to help you pair red wine with food, a complete glossary of wine jargon, and a helpful wine vintage chart. You won't want to explore the world of red wine without this handy reference at your fingertips.

A Companion to California Wine: An Encyclopedia of Wine and Winemaking from the Mission Period to the Present

Charles L. Sullivan

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Total reviews: 3 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

California is the nation's great vineyard, supplying grapes for most of the wine produced in the United States. The state is home to more than 700 wineries, and California's premier wines are recognized throughout the world. But until now there has been no comprehensive guide to California wine and winemaking. Charles L. Sullivan's A Companion to California Wine admirably fills that gap--here is the reference work for consumers, wine writers, producers, and scholars.
Sullivan's encyclopedic handbook traces the Golden State's wine industry from its mission period and Gold Rush origins down to last year's planting and vintage statistics. All aspects of wine are included, and wine production from vine propagation to bottling is described in straightforward language. There are entries for some 750 wineries, both historical and contemporary; for more than 100 wine grape varieties, from Aleatico to Zinfandel; and for wine types from claret to vermouth--all given in a historical context.
In the book's foreword the doyen of wine writers, Hugh Johnson, tells of his own forty-year appreciation of California wine and its history. "Charles Sullivan's Companion," he adds, "will provide the grist for debate, speculation, and reminiscence from now on. With admirable dispassion he sets before us just what has happened in the plot so far."

Burgundy and Its Wines

Nicholas Faith

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 4 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Burgundy & its Wines 4 out of 5 stars.
4 of 4 people found this review helpful.

The book has wonderful photography, with a nice history of the region. A few major vineyards are listed, but don't expect it to be a list of key Burgundian hot spots! More the asthetic and artistic history of the area and how wine got started and grew.

Editorial Review:

Burgundy is a unique mix of historic towns and vineyards, great wines, and thousands of stubbornly individualistic wine makers, brokers, and merchants. The spirit of the region comes alive here, through text by award-winning wine writer Nicholas Faith and Andy Katz’s incomparable photographs. Through this perfect marriage of words and images, oenophiles can travel to the Côte d’Or, which produces outstanding Chardonnay and Pinot Noir; the Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, home of the world’s most expensive red wine; the three outlying regions of Chablis; as well as the Mâconnais, Beaujolais, and many other lovely sites. A selective guide to the best merchants and producers, as well as a directory of appellations and Grands Crus, help wine-lovers in their purchases and on visits to the area.