In a relatively short span, Willamette Valley wineries have made good on the tempting recipe of rich soils, mild climate and an extended growing season to produce world-class wines while leading the industry in sustainable practices. Like the wines they produce, Willamette Valley vintners are bursting with character. Visit the valley's cellars and tasting rooms with authors Vivian Perry and John Vincent as they share insightful portraits of eighteen local winemakers who have helped shape the most recent chapters of Oregon's wine story. Like countless others throughout Oregon, these winemakers blend passion with knowledge, intuition with experience and business acumen with a relentless pursuit of quality. Overflowing with illustrations and color photographs, this book is a must for the resident, the traveler or the connoisseur.
California's iconic Napa Valley, one of the world's premier viticultural regions, is known for its undulating vineyards, historic wineries nestled in the trees, and quaint towns that dot the countryside. It is also home to many amazing women who have made names for themselves with wineries and boutique businesses throughout the area. Wine Country Women of Napa Valley celebrates 65 of these leading ladies, showcasing their accomplishments, lifestyles, treasured family recipes, and of course, their favorite wines and pairings. This sumptuous gallery glimpses inside the lives of such luminaries as Violet Grgich of Grgich Hills Estate, Leslie Frank of Frank Family Vineyards, Stephanie Honig of Honig Vineyard and Winery, Susan Hoff of Fantesca Estate & Winery, Sandy Davis of Davis Estates, and Genevieve Janssens of Robert Mondavi Winery, among many others. These prominent women share their treasured recipes, recommendations for companion wines and spirits, and their passion for the valley and the history of their lush surroundings.
Despite its short, 50-year history, Oregon's Willamette Valley was named Wine Region of the Year in 2016 by Wine Enthusiast, besting Champagne, France; Crete, Greece; and Sonoma, California. Credit for the award can be traced to the pioneer winemakers, a small group of dreamers who--through grit and determination--succeeded in growing grapes where it was considered impossible. Wine has been made in Oregon since the mid-1800s, but it was not until 1965 that winemaking began in earnest in the region. That year, David and Diana Lett planted 3,000 pinot noir vines on a carefully selected south-facing slope. Others joined the adventure, and through collaboration and a passion for making the best wine possible, the Willamette Valley's wine industry was born. This book presents a history of the challenges, hardships, and ultimate success of Willamette Valley wineries.
A memoir by the highly successful founder of Sokol Blosser Winery, one of the first wineries in the Willamette Valley of Oregon and the first in the area to be run by a woman. Renowned for her progressive and pioneering approach to farming, running a business, and raising a family, the author tells a touching story through the lens of food and wine and offers iconic recipes that evoke special memories from each phase of her life among the vines.
Most rational people don’t pay $40 for $20 items. And yet with wine, it happens all the time. Wine can be an expensive hobby. Founder of the popular site ReverseWineSnob,com, Jon Thorsen is an unapologetic frugal wine consumer. He flips wine snobbery on its head by pushing a $20 or less mantra. Reverse Wine Snob is designed to help wine drinkers stop wasting money and get the most satisfaction out of their drinking dollars. It reveals Thorsen’s Ten Tenets of Reverse Wine Snobbery—ten beliefs that eliminate myths about wine—as well as a unique rating system that includes the cost of the bottle so that there is satisfaction in both taste and price. In Jon’s unique system, the more expensive a wine, the better it must taste. Reverse Wine Snob explains: The number one rule all wine drinkers should follow, no matter what the wine snobs say. How to shop for wine at stores like the nation’s #1 wine retailer Costco and Trader Joe’s. The regions and varieties of wine that give the best value. Why the price of a wine has nothing to do with its taste. Why the distribution system in the US is broken which costs you money and limits your wine choices. Tons of Jon’s very favorite wine picks. Jon dapples in every kind of wine from $10 kitchen sink blends to the $20 “Saturday Night Splurge,” so delicious it’s worth twice the price. Reverse Wine Snob brings plain old common sense to the wine industry and encourages wine lovers to explore the world of inexpensive quality wine. Skyhorse Publishing, along with our Good Books and Arcade imprints, is proud to publish a broad range of cookbooks, including books on juicing, grilling, baking, frying, home brewing and winemaking, slow cookers, and cast iron cooking. We’ve been successful with books on gluten-free cooking, vegetarian and vegan cooking, paleo, raw foods, and more. Our list includes French cooking, Swedish cooking, Austrian and German cooking, Cajun cooking, as well as books on jerky, canning and preserving, peanut butter, meatballs, oil and vinegar, bone broth, and more. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, we are committed to books on subjects that are sometimes overlooked and to authors whose work might not otherwise find a home.
The history of winemaking in Oregon is steeped in legends so well known they've become gospel, but reality is even more fascinating. Discover the truth about who opened the state's first commercial winery and the real origin of Willamette Valley's famed Pinot Noir. Learn about Portland's daring Italian Americans, who kept home wineries during Prohibition, and the flourishing agriculture that contributed to the popularity of fruit wine. From the nineteenth-century winemakers through the modern industry that now includes more than seven hundred wineries, places like HillCrest and The Eyrie have been serving Oregonians for a half century. Uncover the forgotten roots of Oregon wine with author Scott Stursa and raise a glass to its prosperous future.
Superbly balanced pinot noirs; crisp rieslings; rich, heady syrahs: these are only a fraction of the expertly crafted wines being produced in the Pacific Northwest's diverse and distinctive wine countries. Second only to California in production, the Pacific Northwest is the largest wine region in North America, home to more than 1,000 wineries. What was once a young wine-growing area with a reputation for eccentricity is today recognized as a dynamic region producing world-class wines, with a focus on ecologically sound practices. This definitive volume profiles the wines, the people who make them, and the wine countries of Washington, Oregon, British Columbia, and Idaho. The journey begins with the region's climates and geology, which create a fascinating tapestry of wine-growing areas. Next, the book focuses on the unique qualities of each wine region, with profiles of more than 160 representative wineries to visit. Included are legacy wineries that helped to build the region’s reputation, prestige wineries with a national presence, under-the-radar artisan wineries that embody the pioneering spirit of the Northwest, and promising new wineries. Each profile lists the winery's signature, premium, value, and estate wines. Beautifully illustrated with photographs and helpful maps, this in-depth guide is a milestone in the North American literature on wine. It will enable wine lovers everywhere to plan their touring, select their wines, and explore and discover the riches of the Northwest's wine country.
Paul Pintarich's stories let you meet and enjoy a cast of characters who have made Oregon and American wine life more flavorful and a lot more fun. Even better, most of these "heroes of Pinot" are still alive and breaking new ground as you read. They can still be found at Nick's, the International Pinot Noir Celebration, and, best of all, in their vineyards and cellars reaching for a better clone and a better wine for us to drink, while sharing most of what they know and believe with almost all comers. -- From publisher's description.
"Just like the complex Pinot Noir crafted by Sokol Blosser, Susan's life story is layered and rich. Recounting her journey with passion and humor, we share in the professional challenges Susan faced as an Oregon wine industry pioneer, as well as the personal rewards of raising a family and finding self-fulfillment. Even if you're not a wine lover, you will love reading this touching memoir."—Leslie Sbrocco, author of Wine for Women: A Guide to Buying, Pairing, and Sharing Wine "At last, an intelligent, literate, first-hand observation of the beginnings of the Oregon wine industry. Susan Sokol Blosser was there when we were no more than a handful of families with naïve dreams and very dirty boots. Not only does At Home in the Vineyard capture those early experiences with exuberant detail and humor, but it also provides insight into her family's private challenges of managing vineyards and a successful winery."—David Adelsheim, President, Adelsheim Vineyard "This is a coming-of-age story of a wine region and of a woman. It is about finding and following your destiny, but also shaping it yourself. It is about using every success and setback to fuel your own energy, to do the right thing, and to feed your heart. How could this book be both deeply inspiring and funny? Well, that is Susan Sokol Blosser."—Andrea (Immer) Robinson, Master Sommelier and author, Andrea's Complete Wine Course for Everyone
