"This is arguably the best of the titles so far in the 'Finest Wines' series and the best book about German wines in English for a generation." --John Winthrop Haeger, author of North American Pinot Noir "The author's voice is consistently engaged and enthusiastic, and his book should appeal to a general readership of wine lovers as well as to anyone with a professional interest in German wine." --David Schildknecht, German wine authority for The Wine Advocate and the Oxford Companion to Wine
Featuring sixty-seven exceptional color maps as well as eighty-seven vivid images by photographer Hendrik Holler and others, this is the most comprehensive and up-to-date atlas of German wineÑa detailed reference to vineyards and appellations. The authors explain the geography of all the German wine-growing regions and provide independent analysis and ranking of the most significant vineyards in each region. In addressing the growing American appreciation of German wines, the atlas pays in-depth attention to Rieslings from the Mosel and other premier regions while also acquainting readers with wines from less familiar areas such as the Ahr, Baden, the Taubertal, and Franconia. Beautifully produced, with helpful sidebars and succinct essays, this book will become the standard reference on the subject.
At the beginning of this century German Rieslings were the most expensive wines in the world, commanding higher prices than the top growths of Bordeaux. Today, in their incomparably light and elegant style, they offer value for money unmatched by any other wine-producing country. During the past decade, German producers have been paying more attention to quality of their wines, reducing yields but enhancing their reputations. The wine world has noticed, and the consumer is beginning to aswell, meaning that there are more and better German wines in our stores all the times. The German Wine Guideprovides a region-by-region critique of individual vineyards and wines, including tasting notes and a price guide. The scope, while selective, is vast, taking in both the known estates of the Mosel and little-known vineyards crafting fine wines. The authors are considered the two most influential wine writers in Germany. As German wines continue to attract more attention, this will be the resource both for aficionados and amateurs.
Picturesque Rioja, Spain's most prominent wine region, is a new world within a very old world. Winemaking here dates to Roman and medieval times, and today modern wineries designed by Gehry, Calatrava, and other celebrity architects flourish alongside traditional villages. Lavishly illustrated with photographs of the people and landscape and with detailed maps, this guide ranges over a diverse area from Rioja to Navarra, Bierzo, Galicia, and the Basque country as it explores winemaking from the ancient to the traditional and modern. Written by a trio of experts on Spanish wine, it provides insider information on a region home to Spain's finest Tempranillo, its prestigious Albariño, and many other indigenous grape varieties such as Garnacha, Mazuelo, and Viura. The authors look in depth at topics including climate and soil, grape varieties, and viticulture, and profile more than 85 individual wineries. They also include information not available elsewhere: several top ten lists plus "secret addresses" for the best restaurants and shops in which to find aged and historic vintages of Rioja.
A paean to authentic wines and a New York Times Best Wine Book of the Year from the James Beard Award-winning author of Reading Between the Wines. What makes a wine worth drinking? As celebrated wine writer Terry Theise explains in this gem of a book, answering that seemingly simple question requires us to look beyond what’s in our glass to consider much bigger questions about beauty, harmony, soulfulness, and the values we hold dear. Most of all, Theise shows, what makes a wine worth drinking is its authenticity. When we choose small-scale, family-produced wine over the industrially produced stuff, or when we opt for subtle, companionable wines over noisy, vulgar ones, we not only experience their origins with the greatest possible clarity and detail—we also gain a new perspective on ourselves and the world we inhabit. In this way, artisanal wine is not only the key to good drinking; it is also the key to a good life. An unforgettable literary journey into the heart and soul of wine, What Makes a Wine Worth Drinking is a gift to be cherished from a writer “whose id is directly connected to his mouth” (Eric Asimov, The New York Times). Winner of the Louis Roederer International Wine Writers’ Awards Chairman’s Award A “Best Wine Gift” by WineSpeed “Grown-up wine writing, full of emotion . . . and, in these dangerously cynical times, exactly what we wine enthusiasts—we human beings—need.”—The World of Fine Wine “Theise’s fans, as well as those just meeting him for the first time, will revel as he leads us on an existential tour of wine.”—Dave McIntyre, The Washington Post
- Winner of the 2020 Louis Roederer wine book of the year award - Explains the confusing German wine laws and their significance for today's wines - Features detailed profiles of the most interesting producers across all regions, providing a full view of the broad spectrum covered by Germany's winemakers This historic wine nation at the heart of Europe produces a diverse range of wines - Riesling above all, but also compelling Spätburgunder, aka Pinot Noir, and Silvaner, amongst others. Yet in the minds of many it is still associated with mass-produced sweetish plonk. But following a bruising twentieth century, German wine over the past thirty years has experienced a renaissance. In The Wines of Germany, Master of Wine Anne Krebiehl takes us with her on a journey through vineyards clustered along the country's many winding rivers to uncover this new world of German wine. She begins with a thorough explanation of German wine law - a subject so complicated that it can alienate all but the most dedicated wine enthusiast - taking a historical perspective and showing how current moves to review the law could considerably simplify it. It is only right that Riesling, the light and aromatic grape synonymous with this country, gets a chapter all to itself, as does Spätburgunder. Plantings of this grape doubled between 1990 and 2010 to make Germany the third-largest grower worldwide. As an enthusiast for Sekt, Krebiehl is keen to explain how far from the tank-produced wines of past decades this sparkling wine has come, with artisan winemakers across the regions returning to the old methods to create bottle-fermented Sekts of quality. Taking the thirteen regions in turn, Krebiehl explains the unique history, geography and climate of each, presenting a selection of some of her favorite producers. From the famed steep slopes of the Mosel, where Riesling reaches its pinnacle of expression, through the largest region, Rheinhessen, home of the infamous Liebfraumilch, to less well-known regions such as Saale-Unstrut and Sachsen, Krebiehl paints a vivid picture of each region's unique offering, inspiring readers to begin their own explorations.
The wines of the Mosel and the Rhine have achieved a well-deserved popularity over the years; yet to the average consumer their confusing multiplicity of names and the elaborate gradations of their classification and quality present a problem. It is not always easy to tell the commonplace from the good or the good from the remarkable. In Wines of Germany, which was first published in 1956 and became recognized as a classic, Frank Schoonmaker’s friendly, impartial and comprehensive style provides all the information that the wine-lover needs. District by district, village by village, he leads the reader through “this most beautiful of all wine countries...rich in history and anecdote, in legend and salty proverbs, in tradition and, most important to the connoisseur—in good wine.” This is an expert’s book, but written in layman’s language: it is readable, authoritative, concise and complete.
The remarkable untold story of France’s courageous, clever vinters who protected and rescued the country’s most treasured commodity from German plunder during World War II. "To be a Frenchman means to fight for your country and its wine." –Claude Terrail, owner, Restaurant La Tour d’Argent In 1940, France fell to the Nazis and almost immediately the German army began a campaign of pillaging one of the assets the French hold most dear: their wine. Like others in the French Resistance, winemakers mobilized to oppose their occupiers, but the tale of their extraordinary efforts has remained largely unknown–until now. This is the thrilling and harrowing story of the French wine producers who undertook ingenious, daring measures to save their cherished crops and bottles as the Germans closed in on them. Wine and War illuminates a compelling, little-known chapter of history, and stands as a tribute to extraordinary individuals who waged a battle that, in a very real way, saved the spirit of France.
Discover new favorites by tracing wine back to its roots Still drinking Cabernet after that one bottle you liked five years ago? It can be overwhelming if not intimidating to branch out from your go-to grape, but everyone wants their next wine to be new and exciting. How to choose the right one? Award-winning wine critic Alice Feiring presents an all-new way to look at the world of wine. While grape variety is important, a lot can be learned about wine by looking at the source: the ground in which it grows. A surprising amount of information about a wine’s flavor and composition can be gleaned from a region’s soil, and this guide makes it simple to find the wines you’ll love. Featuring a foreword by Master Sommelier Pascaline Lepeltier, who contributed her vast knowledge throughout the book, The Dirty Guide to Wine organizes wines not by grape, not by region, not by New or Old World, but by soil. If you enjoy a Chardonnay from Burgundy, you might find the same winning qualities in a deep, red Rioja. Feiring also provides a clarifying account of the traditions and techniques of wine-tasting, demystifying the practice and introducing a whole new way to enjoy wine to sommeliers and novice drinkers alike.
