Wine And Place

The concept of terroir is one of the most celebrated and controversial subjects in wine today. Most will agree that well-made wine has the capacity to express “somewhereness,” a set of consistent aromatics, flavors, or textures that amount to a signature expression of place. But for every advocate there is a skeptic, and for every writer singing praises related to terroir there is a study or a detractor seeking to debunk terroir as myth. Wine and Place examines terroir using a multitude of voices and points of view—from winemakers to wine critics, from science to literature—seeking not to prove its veracity but to explore its pros, cons, and other aspects. This comprehensive anthology lets readers come to their own conclusions about terroir.

The concept of terroir is one of the most celebrated and controversial subjects in wine today. Most will agree that well-made wine has the capacity to express “somewhereness,” a set of consistent aromatics, flavors, or textures that amount to a signature expression of place. But for every advocate there is a skeptic, and for every writer singing praises related to terroir there is a study or a detractor seeking to debunk terroir as a myth. Wine and Place examines terroir using a multitude of voices and multiple points of view—from science to literature, from winemakers to wine critics—seeking not to prove its veracity but to explore its pros, its cons, and its other aspects. This comprehensive anthology lets the reader come to one's own conclusion about terroir.

Discover new favorites by tracing wine back to its roots

When Adventures on the Wine Route was first published, Victor Hazan said, "In Kermit Lynch's small, true, delightful book there is more understanding about what wine really is than in everything else I have read." A quarter century later, this remarkable journey of wine, travel, and taste remains an essential volume for wine lovers. In 2007, Eric Asimov, in The New York Times, called it "one of the finest American books on wine," and in 2012, The Wall Street Journal pro-claimed that it "may be the best book on the wine business." In celebration of its twenty-fifth anniversary, Adventures on the Wine Route has been thoroughly redesigned and updated with an epilogue and a list of the great wine connoisseur's twenty-five most memorable bottles. In this singular tour along the French wine route, Lynch ventures forth to find the very essence of the wine world. In doing so, he never shies away from the attitudes, opinions, and beliefs that have made him one of our most respected and outspoken authorities on wine. Yet his guiding philosophy is exquisitely simple. As he writes in the introduction, "Wine is, above all, about pleasure. Those who make it ponderous make it dull . . . If you keep an open mind and take each wine on its own terms, there is a world of magic to discover." Adventures on the Wine Route is the ultimate quest for this magic via France's most distinguished vineyards and wine cellars. Lynch draws vivid portraits of vintners—from inebriated négociants to a man who oversees a vineyard that has been in his family for five hundred years—and memorably evokes the countryside at every turn. "The French," Lynch writes, "with their aristocratic heritage, their experience and tradition, approach wine from another point of view . . . and one cannot appreciate French wine with any depth of understanding without knowing how the French themselves look at their wines, by going to the source, descending into their cold, humid cellars, tasting with them, and listening to the language they employ to describe their wines." Here, Kermit Lynch assures a whole new generation of readers—as well as his loyal fans—that discussions about wine need not focus so stringently on "the pH, the oak, the body, the finish," but rather on the "gaiety" of the way "the tart fruit perfume[s] the palate and the brain."

Very few books have products as diverse as those of the grape vine: even fewer have products with such a cultural significance. Wine and the Vine provides an introduction to the historical geography of viticulture and the wine trade from prehistory to the present. It considers wine as both a unique expression of the interaction of people in a particular environment, rich in symbol and meaning, and a commercial product of great economic importance to particular regions.

A field guide to the new world of wine, featuring an overview of today’s most exciting regions and easy-to-use advice on properly tasting wine, discovering under-the-radar gems, and finding the perfect bottle for any occasion. Highlighting wines from old world regions such as France, Italy, Spain, and Germany to new world wines from the United States, Australia, New Zealand, Chile, and more, The Essential Wine Book tells you what to drink and why. Beginning with foundational information about how wine is made, how to taste it, and how to understand terroir, wine expert and journalist Zachary Sussman then gives an overview of the most important and interesting wine regions today—both established and still emerging. For instance, the great French wines of Burgundy and Champagne are already well known, but for affordable bottles you can easily find at your local wine shop, Sussman profiles up-and-coming producers in other regions, including the Jura, Languedoc-Roussillon, and more. In a similar vein, California's Napa Valley has for decades been the source of America's most prestigious wines, but here you'll learn about other areas of the state that are gaining recognition, from Lodi to the Santa Rita Hills. You'll find user-friendly "just the highlights" notes for each region, as well as recommendations for producers and particular bottles to seek out. Diving deep into what makes each region essential and unique, this comprehensive guides gives new wine drinkers and enthusiasts alike an inside track on modern wine culture.

Wine is more than taste, smell, and appearance—it is a reflection of a place and its people. Why is Bordeaux a great place for red wines? Why do some places produce Rieslings and others produce Chardonnay? A fun and fascinating examination of terroir (the French word for the geography of a vineyard) this book takes connoisseurs—and potential connoisseurs—on a tour of wine regions, and explains the principles geographers use to understand the critical factors that make up the “wine character” of a place. From the Loire Valley to Napa Valley, Madeira to South Africa, Australia to Chile, The Geography of Wine is an entertaining and informative introduction to viticulture for worldly wine lovers everywhere.

The first book to focus on the role of glass as a material of critical importance to the wine industry For centuries glass has been the material of choice for storing, shipping, and sipping wine. How did that come to pass, and why? To what extent have glassmaking and wine making co-evolved over the centuries? The first book to focus on the role of glass as a material of critical importance to the wine industry, The Glass of Wine answers these and other fascinating questions. The authors deftly interweave compelling historical, technical, and esthetic narratives in their exploration of glass as the vessel of choice for holding, storing, and consuming wine. They discuss the traditions informing the shapes and sizes of wine bottles and wine glasses, and they demystify the selection of the "right glass" for red versus white varietals, as well as sparkling and dessert wines. In addition, they review the technology of modern glassmaking and consider the various roles glass plays in wineries—especially in the enologist's laboratory. And they consider the increasing use of aluminum and polymer containers and its potential impact on the central role of glass as the essential material for wine appreciation. The first book focusing on the role of glass and its central importance to the wine industry Written by a glass scientist at UC Davis, home of the premier viticulture and enology program in North America Interlards discussions of the multi-billion-dollar glass and wine industries with valuable technical insights for scientists, engineers, and wine enthusiasts alike Illustrates the wide spectrum of bottles, carafes, decanters, and drinking glasses with an abundance of exquisite full-color photos Both an authoritative guide and a compelling read, The Glass of Wine tells the story of the centuries-old marriage between an endlessly fascinating material and a celebrated beverage. It is sure to have enormous appeal among ceramic and glass professionals, wine makers, and oenophiles of all backgrounds.