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

Updated and revised, with new producers included for 2020, the Guides to Wines and Top Vineyards are the definitive guides to classic wine-producing regions. This guide discusses the wines of the Northern Rhône, including Cote Rôtie, Hermitage, Crozes-Hermitage, St. Joseph, and Cornas.The guide is divided into two parts. The first part of the guide discusses the regions, and explains the character and range of the wines. The second part profiles the producers. There are detailed profiles of the leading producers, showing how each winemaker interprets the local character, and mini-profiles of other important estates. A hundred producers are profiled.Description of each area includes its geography, the grape varieties that are grown, how these relate to the styles of wines that are produced, wines from entry level to icons, currents trends and how styles are evolving. Reference wines are recommended for each region. The guide is illustrated with photographs of each area, topological maps to show the terrain, road maps to identify the locations of estates, and information on recent vintages.Profiles range from producers who may dominate an appellation to small estates that define the cutting edge. The profiles identify the best of tradition and innovation in the region. Each estate profile describes the producer's aims for his wines, and the personality and philosophy behind them. Reference wines are suggested for each producer, together with essential information for planning a visit, including address and map location, phone and email contact details, and whether appointments are needed.This Guide is the indispensable means for understanding the Northern Rhône, tasting its wines, and finding the top producers. It is updated regularly to have the latest information.

Wines from Côte-Rôtie, Hermitage and Châteauneuf-du-Pape have made the Rhône Valley world famous. This may be a classic wine region, but as Matt Walls reveals in Wines of the Rhône that doesn't mean it is set in its ways. Change here is not only driven by innovations in winemaking and fashions in wine, it is also an essential response to a rapidly shifting climate, which has seen temperatures rise significantly over the last 40 years and extreme weather events become more commonplace. Walls provides a rounded picture of this large and complex region, which varies greatly along the 200-kilometre stretch of river, from Vienne in the north to Provence in the south. Beginning with a vivid journey through the terrain, he explores one of the region's constants, its varied geology, before moving on to the pressing issue of climate. A short tour through the Rhône's winemaking history, from early Greek settlers to the modern industry, is followed by vignettes of all the AOC-permitted grapes and an explanation of the five levels of the region's appellation system. While the region contains some of the world's most recognizable appellations, there are also many that are less well-known. Walls encourages readers to venture beyond the famous crus, making it easy for those eager to explore by detailing the terroir of every appellation and describing and assessing typical wines. Profiles of 200 key producers complete the picture. Boxes throughout the text provide interesting asides on current issues as well as key appellation facts, while an appendix on ageing wines offers a guide to the last 40 vintages. This comprehensive examination of a renowned region is an ideal introduction for those new to the Rhône, while providing fresh insights for long-time admirers of the wines.

Includes assessments of thousands of wines, with guide dates on when to drink and how long to age them; winemakers's views on what foods best accompany their wines; new vineyard maps for each appellation; etc.

In this completely updated edition of the original landmark volume, James Halliday situates Australian grape varieties and varietal wines in an international context. Profiling 130 wine grapes, covering classic, second tier and alternative varieties, Varietal Wines provides the most up-to-date and comprehensive survey of the varieties currently grown and made in Australia. Halliday explores the history of classic and second tier varieties and their significance in both international and Australian wine landscapes, including detailed information on the characteristics of each variety and wine, the diversity of regional styles, the best producers, and production statistics from Australia and around the world. Details of the 95 lesser varieties are also given, reflecting the dynamic spread of new varieties in the Australian wine industry. Fully illustrated throughout with colour photography, this is a fascinating book for the wine connoisseur and an essential reference for every player in the wine world. Respected wine critic and vigneron James Halliday AM is an unmatched authority on the wine industry, with a career spanning forty-five years. His winemaking has led him to engagements in the Hunter Valley, Bordeaux, Burgundy and the Yarra Valley, and he had a long career as a wine judge in Australia and overseas. In 1995 he received the wine industry’s ultimate accolade, the Maurice O’Shea Award. James has written or contributed to more than 70 books on wine since he began writing in 1979 and was made a Member of the Order of Australia in 2010.

More than 600 new producers are included in the updated 2023 editions of the Guides to Wines and Top Vineyards. The series covers classic wine-producing regions wordwide and profiles the top producers. This guide discusses the wines of the Northern Rhône, including Cote Rôtie, Hermitage, Crozes-Hermitage, St. Joseph, and Cornas. The guide is divided into two parts. The first part of the guide discusses the regions, and explains the character and range of the wines. The second part profiles the producers, showing how each winemaker interprets the local character. Profiles include 130 producers. Description of each area includes its geography, the grape varieties that are grown, how these relate to the styles of wines that are produced, wines from entry level to icons, current trends and how styles are evolving. References wines are recommended for each region. The guide is illustrated with photographs of each area, topological maps to show the terrain, road maps to identify the locations of estates, and information on recent vintages. Profiles range from producers who may dominate an appellation to small estates that define the cutting edge. The profiles identify the best of tradition and innovation in the region. Each estate profile describes the producer's aims for his wines, and the personality and philosophy behind them. Reference wines are suggested for leading producers. Producer details include essential information for planning a visit. The series are the definitive guides to classic wine-producing regions. This Guide is the indispensable means for understanding the Northern Rhône, tasting its wines, and finding the top producers.

JAMES BEARD AWARD WINNER The expanded wine guide from the creators of Wine Folly, packed with new information for devotees and newbies alike. Wine Folly became a sensation for its inventive, easy-to-digest approach to learning about wine. Now in a new, expanded hardcover edition, Wine Folly: Magnum Edition is the perfect guide for anyone looking to take his or her wine knowledge to the next level. Wine Folly: Magnum Edition includes: More than 100 grapes and wines color-coded by style so you can easily find new wines you'll love; A wine region explorer with detailed maps of the top wine regions, as well as up-and-coming areas such as Greece and Hungary; Wine labeling and classification 101 for wine countries such as France, Italy, Spain, Germany, and Austria; An expanded food and wine pairing section; A primer on acidity and tannin--so you can taste wine like a pro; more essential tips to help you cut through the complexity of the wine world and become an expert. Wine Folly: Magnum Edition is the must-have book for the millions of fans of Wine Folly and for any budding oenophile who wants to boost his or her wine knowledge in a practical and fun way. It's the ultimate gift for any wine lover.

Are there wines to rival the greatest first-growths of Bordeaux and the grand crus of Burgundy? Robert Parker''s answer is a resounding Yes -- they are to be found among the finest wines of the Rhône Valley. With this new edition of Wines of the Rhône Valley, Robert Parker, the world''s most influential wine critic, provides the key to enjoying the winemaking world''s best-kept secret. And publication of Wines of the Rhône Valley coincides with reports that the 1995 vintage from this region may be one of the best ever. With the precursor of this book, The Wines of the Rhône Valley and Provence, first published in 1987, Parker began a campaign to share with the wine consumer the wealth of wines found in this underappreciated region. The area contains the oldest vineyards in France -- indeed the heyday of some of the Rhône Valley wines was 2,000 years ago, around the time of the Roman conquest of France. In recent centuries, these wines have been misunderstood and ignored -- and consequently undervalued. All of which means that some of the great wines of the world are available for a fraction of the cost of those from better-known regions. Wines of the Rhône Valley is the ultimate resource for every wine lover, highlighting both the greatest wines of the Rhône Valley and the region''s finest wine values. These wines range, in Parker''s words, "from the humble generic Côtes du Rhône to the most sublime and celestial wines of Côte Rôtie, Hermitage, Condrieu, and Châteauneuf du Pape." With his trademark thoroughness, Parker has fully revised and expanded this edition to reflect changes in the region, new personalities, and the latest vintages. Parker''s previous books -- the critically acclaimed Bordeaux and Burgundy and four widely praised editions of the Wine Buyer''s Guide -- firmly established him, in Time magazine''s words, as "the man with the paragon palate." His appeal lies not only in his unabashed consumer advocacy, insightful reporting, and clear, lyrical writing but in the deep enthusiasm that infuses his work. Parker is an impassioned champion of wine and has made it his cause to give everyone -- from the novice whose curiosity about wine is just burgeoning to the expert who cellars by the case -- the information they need to be informed buyers and educated consumers. In this edition, Parker returns to the region closest to his heart, exploring the sun-drenched Rhône Valley in unprecedented candor and detail. Wines of the Rhône Valley is divided into two main sections; the lush valleys of northern Rhône and the sunbaked hillsides of the southern Rhône. Within the sections, Parker profiles each appellation. A handy summary box provides information at a glance, including types of wines produced, grape varieties planted, and number of acres under vine. The price range of the wines is listed along with an assessment of their quality and aging potential. The description of the appellation that follows -- its history and personalities, successes and failures -- is accompanied by a rating of recent and older vintages. Then, Parker provides his classification of the growers of each appellation, comments on and explains how the wines are vinified and bottled, and gives guidelines for how long to cellar and when to serve the wines. Brief aromatic and textural profiles in this section give a hint of the detailed tasting notes that accompany the profiles of the top producers later in the chapters. Throughout, Parker tastes and evaluates the wines using his revolutionary 50-100 point scale. The book''s introduction thoroughly explains Parker''s methodology and gives guidelines on how to use his ratings and reviews most effectively. His wine terms are also defined in a detailed glossary. And there''s a section that provides Parker''s guidelines for what a visitor traveling in the Rhône Valley can expect to pay for a meal as well as recommendations for restaurants and lodging. Wines of the Rhône Valley is certainly the most comprehensive and detailed book ever written on this region. These wines, long overshadowed by their more well-known neighbors, are now thoroughly analyzed and reviewed, providing the ultimate resource for today''s savvy wine consumer.

Kermit Lynch's recounting of his experiences on the wine route and in the wine cellars of France takes the reader through the Loire, Bordeaux, the Languedoc, Provence, Northern and Southern Rhone, and the Cote d'Or.

"Thoughtfully conceived and very well written, this is essential somm reading."—The Somm Journal "This is the most important wine book of the year, perhaps in many years."—The Seattle Times "Crisply written, impeccably researched, balanced if fundamentally enthusiastic, scholarly but accessible, and full of unexpected details and characters."—The World of Fine Wine No wine category has seen more dramatic growth in recent years than American Rhône–variety wines. Winemakers are devoting more energy, more acreage, and more bottlings to Rhône varieties than ever before. The flagship Rhône red, Syrah, is routinely touted as one of California’s most promising varieties, capable of tremendous adaptability as a vine, wonderfully variable in style, and highly expressive of place. There has never been a better time for American Rhône wine producers. American Rhône is the untold history of the American Rhône wine movement. The popularity of these wines has been hard fought; this is a story of fringe players, unknown varieties, and longshot efforts finding their way to the mainstream. It’s the story of winemakers gathering sufficient strength in numbers to forge a triumph of the obscure and the brash. But, more than this, it is the story of the maturation of the American palate and a new republic of wine lovers whose restless tastes and curiosity led them to Rhône wines just as those wines were reaching a critical mass in the marketplace. Patrick J. Comiskey’s history of the American Rhône wine movement is both a compelling underdog success story and an essential reference for the wine professional.