"What makes the book so encompassing, informative, and relevant is that Haeger has avoided focusing on viticulture or enology or economy in isolation, and has instead looked at all of them in their historic and contemporary scientific and socio-cultural context. . . . Not everyone loves Riesling, but those of us who do will find our passion articulately explained and expressed in Haeger’s book."—Anne Krebiehl, MW, The World of Fine Wine "If you haven't been sold on dry riesling, this is required reading; if you're already a fan, it's an essential reference to add to your shelf."—Wine & Spirits Riesling is the world’s seventh most-planted white wine grape variety and among the fastest growing over the past twenty years. It is a personal favorite of many sommeliers, chefs, and other food and wine professionals for its appealing aromatics, finesse, and minerality; for its uncanny ability to reflect terroir; and for its impressive versatility with cuisines of all types. It is stylistically paradoxical, however. Now usually made dry in most of Europe and Australia, and assumed dry by most German consumers, Riesling is made mostly sweet or lightly sweet in North America and is believed sweet in the American marketplace irrespective of origin. Riesling is thus consequently—but mistakenly—shunned by the mainstream of American wine drinkers, whose tastes and habits have been overwhelmingly dry for two generations. Riesling Rediscovered looks at the present state of dry Riesling across the Northern Hemisphere: where it is grown and made, what models and objectives vintners have in mind, and what parameters of grape growing and winemaking are essential when the goal is a delicious dry wine. John Winthrop Haeger explores the history of Riesling to illuminate how this variety emerged from a crowded field of grape varieties grown widely across northern Europe. Riesling Rediscovered is a comprehensive, current, and accessible overview of what many consider to be the world’s finest and most versatile white wine.

Riesling has enjoyed a recent leap in reputation, and this illuminating guide celebrates its fascinating history. It covers all nine countries and fifteen regions that produce this delicious wine, with detailed accounts of the world's top producers-including vital information on specific vineyard sites, production methods, and range of wines. There are reviews of the best vintages, as well as recommendations for the best wines to drink now. More than fifty color photographs illustrate a diversity of landscapes, and ten maps locate the top vineyard sites. Winner of the Gourmand Best Wine Book, Europe 2004

A celebrated wine journalist presents a comprehensive, entertaining primer on one of the most beloved wines of our time: Riesling. Diverse, drinkable, aromatic, and refreshing, Riesling is a chameleon among white wines. From its food-friendly flavor and favorable price point to its ability to be either bone-dry or honey-sweet, there are very good reasons to argue that Riesling is not just a popular wine of the moment, but the finest white of our time. In Best White Wine on Earth, wine journalist and Riesling enthusiast Stuart Pigott extols the virtues of his favorite varietal and explores the history behind this magnificent grape. Traveling to the great Riesling-producing regions of the world—from North America to Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and South America—Pigott provides tasting notes, top-rated recommendations, and fascinating insights into how the wine is made, all while making an impassioned case that it is, truly, the best white on earth. Written simply enough for a novice, but with enough expertise and insight to satisfy the most sophisticated collector, this is a must-have guide for any white wine enthusiast.

Fresh, accessible, and gorgeous, this bestselling guide has been updated withthe latest information on wines in a visually stunning format. 30,000print.

An updated edition of the guide tothe best wines in the world by two of the world's most knowledgeable and entertaining wine experts. This handsome, updated edition of Clarke & Spurrier's Fine Wine Guide is the ultimate ready-reference to the world's best wine-for buying, for estimating the value of your collection, for restaurant selection, for investing. Organized by wine region with an alphabetical list of the top wine names and leading producers in every major wine-producing country, the guide is fully cross-referenced for ease of use. In this completely redesigned elegant and enduring format, these two expert authors survey the world of wine and bring you its best-not necessarily the famous Bordeaux growths, but the best wine from around the globe.

Wine has been described as a window into places, cultures and times. Geographers have studied wine since the time of the early Greeks and Romans, when viticulturalists realized that the same grape grown in different geographic regions produced wine with differing olfactory and taste characteristics. This book, based on research presented to the Wine Specialty Group of the Association of American Geographers, shows just how far the relationship has come since the time of Bacchus and Dionysus. Geographers have technical input into the wine industry, with exciting new research tackling subjects such as the impact of climate change on grape production, to the use of remote sensing and Geographical Information Systems for improving the quality of crops. This book explores the interdisciplinary connections and science behind world viticulture. Chapters cover a wide range of topics from the way in which landforms and soil affect wine production, to the climatic aberration of the Niagara wine industry, to the social and structural challenges in reshaping the South African wine industry after the fall of apartheid. The fundamentals are detailed too, with a comparative analysis of Bordeaux and Burgundy, and chapters on the geography of wine and the meaning of the term ‘terroir’.

The James Beard Award-winning classic “for beginners or professionals who want all the facts and stories in a concise, easy-to-follow format” (Laura Maniec, owner, Corkbuzz Wine Studio). Now completely revised and updated, this new edition of the essential consumer guide to wine features all the most current information for today’s wine landscape. The authors, longtime wine educators at The Culinary Institute of America, have added all the latest and most relevant information to their award-winning book, including new picks for the best regional producers, off-the-beaten-path finds, and bargain bottles. With a practical, anti-snob attitude, the emphasis is always on enjoying wine to the fullest in real-world scenarios and getting the best value for your dollar, whether splurging on a special-occasion bottle or deciding on your own “house” wine. All the basics are covered, including the major wine grapes, flavor profiles, and decoding labels, plus up-to-date information on established and up-and-coming regions, advice on pairing wine with everything from Korean short ribs to all-American burgers, opinions on wine gadgets (yea or nay?), and more. Cheers! “Reading WineWise is like having a great conversation about my favorite topic—wine! Enjoy exploring the diverse wine regions and then finish with how to pair wines with food. The ideas and thoughts behind the wine and food pairing chapters just make plain sense, and, of course, you may need another glass of wine.”—Bruce Cakebread, president, Cakebread Cellars “Nothing pretentious here. WineWise is fun, friendly, and packed with information on wines of the world, particularly ones that won’t break the bank.”—Tara Q. Thomas, executive editor, Wine & Spirits

With superb photography, illustrations, and maps, this easy-to-use travel guide leads you to the best of France, one of the world's leading destinations for culture, fine food, and wine. This guide will show you the wide range of sights that France has to offer, from the beautiful cities of Paris, Lille, and Nice filled with art galleries and historic sights; the châteaux of the Loire Valley and the remarkable Mont-St.-Michel; to the beauty of the Pyrenees and Alps, Brittany beaches, the glamorous French Riviera, and Corsica's wild landscape. Learn about regional French cuisines and wines, architecture, art, and literature. This "mini-encyclopedia of France" also has practical tips on how to get around, entertainment, shopping, and the best restaurants, cafés, and places to stay. With hundreds of full-color photographs, hand-drawn illustrations, and custom maps that illuminate every page, DK Eyewitness Travel Guide: France truly shows you this city as no one else can.

DK Eyewitness Travel Guide: France will lead you straight to the best attractions the country has to offer. Packed with photographs, illustrations, and detailed street-by-street maps of the major cities and towns, this fully updated guidebook will help you to discover France region-by-region, from Champagne in the north to the sun-blessed corner of Provence and the Cote d'Azur. DK's insider travel tips and essential local information will help you discover more about your destinations, from the world-class architecture of the Louvre to the island-life of Corsica to the rich culture, history, art, wine, and food of this charming country. Comprehensive listings include the best hotels, chateaus, resorts, restaurants, cafes, and nightlife in each region for all budgets. What's new in DK Eyewitness Travel Guides: -New itineraries based on length of stay, regional destinations, and themes. -Brand-new hotel and restaurants listings including DK's Choice recommendations. -Restaurant locations plotted on redrawn area maps and listed with sights. -Redesigned and refreshed interiors make the guides even easier to read. With hundreds of full-color photographs, hand-drawn illustrations, and custom maps that illuminate every page, DK Eyewitness Travel Guide: France truly shows you this country as no one else can. Now available in PDF format.

Everything you could possibly want to know about wine, in one fully up-to-date A-Z volume! The Oxford Companion to Wine is a uniquely comprehensive and in-depth A-Z reference book on every aspect of wine: more than 4,000 entries covering topics from history through geography, geology, soil science, viticulture, winemaking, packaging, academia, technology, and regulations to people and places, tasting, writing, and the language of wine. The system of cross-references takes the reader from one entry to another, showing how all these topics are interconnected in the fascinating story of wine in its most traditional and modern forms. This new fifth edition, which benefits from the knowledge and experience of over one hundred new contributors, all experts in their field or geographical region, is expanded by 272 new entries, and every existing entry has been reviewed, updated, and polished. The text is more international than ever, written for wine lovers of every persuasion, including those who love wine but want to know more in order to increase their enjoyment of this endlessly fascinating liquid, and those who are intent on studying wine, professionally or privately. This is a huge treasure trove of knowledge, for the first time breaking the barrier of one million words, but the alphabetical format and the links between the entries make it easily navigable, and the language, while not shying away from complex science, is intended to open the door to every curious reader looking for answers on every question they have ever wanted to ask about wine.