Oz Clarke Bordeaux Third Edition

Refreshingly witty and readable guide to the world's most famous wine region. Every producer in the world with ambitions to make great red wine still looks to Bordeaux for inspiration and the region is brought to life by Oz with his evocative descriptions and personal anecdotes, accompanied by stunning photographs and maps. Oz turns his spotlight on each of the famous Bordeaux wine areas (including St-Emilion, Pomerol, Margaux and Pauillac). He also recommends hundreds of affordable modern Bordeaux wines for drinking today. Returning to his wine roots, Oz shows how, whatever crises may be affecting the French wine industry in general and the lower end of the market in particular, Bordeaux, is on the whole, in optimistic mode. However much we now appreciate wine from all over the world, there is still nothing quite as magical as the best bottles from the best producers in this historic wine region. 'There is no better introduction to the world's most dazzling wine region.' Decanter 'A well-planned, well-executed, approachable book packed with information and illustrations.' The Sunday Times

Bordeaux has always been the center of attention in the wine world, with some of the greatest wines, the most historic châteaux, and the highest level of glamour and prestige. And, despite increasing competition from new classic wine areas around the world, it still accounts for more than 90 percent of global wine futures and auction markets.In his trademark A-to-Z format, Oz profiles more than three hundred of Bordeaux's most important châteaux as well as their second wines and discount brands, and recommends and describes hundreds of other châteaux. With color photos, wine labels, charts, and maps throughout, this volume covers each of Bordeaux's subregions in sumptuous detail--fully exploring the area's history, geography, soils, and grape varieties.Oz is at his witty, incisive best on this region, which he has both championed and challenged for years. With his vivid descriptions of the area as well as his knowledge of classic and best-value wines, this is an essential book for all lovers of Bordeaux wine.

Wine enthusiasts and novices, raise your glasses! The #1 wine book has been extensively updated! If you’re a connoisseur, Wine For Dummies, Fourth Edition will get you up to speed on what’s in and show you how to take your hobby to the next level. If you’re new to the world of wine, it will clue you in on what you’ve been missing and show you how to get started. It begins with the basic types of wine, how wines are made, and more. Then it gets down to specifics: How to handle snooty wine clerks, navigate restaurant wine lists, decipher cryptic wine labels, and dislodge stubborn corks How to sniff and taste wine How to store and pour wine and pair it with food Four white wine styles: fresh, unoaked; earthy; aromatic; rich, oaky Four red wine styles: soft, fruity, and relatively light-bodied; mild-mannered, medium-bodied; spicy; powerful, full-bodied, and tannic What’s happening in the “Old World” of wine, including France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Hungary, and Greece What’s how (and what’s not) in the New World of Wine, including Australia, New Zealand, Chile, Argentina, and South Africa U.S. wines from California, Oregon, Washington, and New York Bubbling beauties and medieval sweets: champagne, sparkling wines, sherry, port, and other exotic dessert wines Authors Ed McCarthy, CWE, who is a regular contributor to Wine Enthusiast and The Wine Journal and Mary Ewing-Mulligan, MW, who owns the International Wine Center in New York, have co-authored six wine books in the For Dummies series. In an easy-to-understand, unpretentious style that’s as refreshing as a glass of Chardonnay on a summer day, they provide practical information to help you enjoy wine, including: Real Deal symbols that alert you to good wines that are low in price compared to other wines of similar type, style, or quality A Vintage Wine Chart with specifics on numerous wines Info on ordering wine from out of state, collecting wine, and more Wine For Dummies, Fourth Edition is not just a great resource and reference, it’s a good read. It’s full-bodied, yet light...rich, yet crisp...robust, yet refreshing....

Through its unique cartography--more than 75 spectacular, hand-painted panoramic maps--and Clarke's lively and opinionated prose, this revolutionary atlas illustrates and explains the vital connections between the land, the winemaker, and the wine. Full color. Maps & photos.

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.

Winemaking is as old as civilization itself and wine has always been more than just a drink. For thousands of years, from its origins in ancient Mesopotamia to its current status as a vast global industry, the history of wine has been directly related to major social, cultural, religious and economic changes. This fascinating and entertaining book takes a look at 100 bottles that mark a significant change in the evolution of wine and winemaking and captures the innovations and discoveries that have had the biggest impact on the history of ‘bottled poetry’. From goatskin to the German Ratskeller casks and invention of the glass wine bottle, from the short onion-shaped bottles of the 1720s to the tall cylindrical bottles of the 1780s, why Bordeaux, Burgundy and Hoch have their own distinctive bottle shape to the distinctive Paul Masson carafe of the 1970s. Other stories cover the first cork-topped bottles to screw caps, bag-in-box, cans and cartons, early wine labels once glue was strong enough, the first wine labels to be produced by a vineyard (and not a merchant as previously) and commissioned artwork by the 20th century’s most iconic artists for labels on high-end bottles; historically important and unique bottles: the oldest unopened, the most expensive sold at auction, the rarest; wines from the oldest vineyard in production, from the driest place on earth, from the highest and lowest vineyards and the most northern and southern. Oz Clarke also writes about the people who have influenced wine through the centuries, from the medieval Cistercian monks of Burgundy who first thought of place as an important aspect of wine’s identity, through scientists like Pasteur and Peynaud who improved key technical aspects of winemaking, to 20th-century giants like Robert Mondavi and Robert Parker Jr. Oz also talks about famous vintages, from the 1727 Rüdesheimer Apostelwein to the first Montana Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc in 1979 and today’s cult wines from Bordeaux and California. Word Count - 55,000

By taking on more than 120 judiciously chosen questions about wine and answering them clearly and rigorously, Marc Chapleau has dared to go into areas where others have feared to tread. A memory aid and a research tool thanks to its comprehensive index, this book is by a Canadian writer about wine available in this country. Let's Talk Wine! is an ideal companion for wine lovers, whether they are beginners or connoisseurs.