In ancient times, wine, vineyards, and grapevines were thought to have supernatural qualities, enabling people to experience the divine. Naturally, wine, vines, and vineyards featured prominently in myths. This trailblazing book details the wine-related myths and legends in ancient Mesopotamia, Greece, Israel, Egypt, and early Christian Europe, showing how they have influenced our own wine culture, and filling an important gap in our knowledge about wine.
"Matthews brings a scientist's skepticism and scrutiny to widely held ideas and beliefs about viticulture--often promulgated by people who have not tried to grow grapes for a living--and subjects them to critical examination: Is terroir primarily a marketing ploy that obscures our understanding of which environments really produce the best wine? Can grapevines that yield a high berry crop generate wines of high quality? What does it mean to have vines that are balanced or grapes that are fully mature? Do biodynamic practices violate biological principles? These and other questions will be addressed in a book that could alternatively be titled (in homage to a PUP bestseller) On Wine Bullshit"--Provided by publisher.
Is wine an artisanal creation or industrial product? The first edition of Wine Myths and Reality was widely praised for its innovative view of how wine is made and what distinguishes wines from different places. The world of wine is constantly changing, and this second edition is expanded and completely rewritten to take account of new developments. Panoramic in its scope, magisterial in its treatment, and meticulous in its research, Wine Myths and Reality explores the world of wine. From monks treading grapes in the middle ages to the latest research into grapevine DNA, this compelling book presents the authoritative account of how wine is really made. Practices in viticulture and vinification are explained, the tricks of the wine trade are revealed, the methods of the New and the Old Worlds are scrutinized, and their wines are evaluated. Extensively illustrated with photographs, maps, and charts, the approachable and entertaining style immediately engages the reader in the wine universe.An overview of all major wine-producing countries extends from the powerful wines of the New World to the classic wines of Europe. Does terroir really matter? Is the international style taking over? Will global warming destroy the existing wine-producing regions? And extrapolating from current trends, what will wine be like in the future?
'I deserve this.' 'This is my reward.' 'I'm allowed to treat myself.' Ever uttered these statements to yourself as you opened a bottle of wine at 5pm? If so, you're not alone.
"The history of wine is the history of civilization. It is the religious drink par excellence. In Greek mythology, references to wine abound. In the Bible, after the Flood, Noah plants a vineyard. In the Middle Ages, it was in the monasteries and churches that the syrupy drink of antiquity, unpalatable if not diluted, was transformed into the wine we know today. Wine expert Benoist Simmat and artist Daniel Casanave trace the story of wine from its origins in the Mediterranean to the globalized industry of the 21st century, spanning the innovations that have punctuated wine's long history, from oak-barrel aging to the invention of the bottle."--
The World of Sicilian Wine provides wine lovers with a comprehensive understanding of Sicilian wine, from its ancient roots to its modern evolution. Offering a guide and map to exploring Sicily, Bill Nesto, an expert in Italian wine, and Frances Di Savino, a student of Italian culture, deliver a substantive appreciation of a vibrant wine region that is one of Europe’s most historic areas and a place where many cultures intersect. From the earliest Greek and Phoenician settlers who colonized the island in the eighth century B.C., the culture of wine has flourished in Sicily. A parade of foreign rulers was similarly drawn to Sicily’s fertile land, sun-filled climate, and strategic position in the Mediterranean. The modern Sicilian quality wine industry was reborn in the 1980s and 1990s with the arrival of wines made with established international varieties and state-of-the-art enology. Sicily is only now rediscovering the quality of its indigenous grape varieties, such as Nero d’Avola, Nerello Mascalese, Frappato, Grillo, and distinctive terroirs such as the slopes of Mount Etna.
Wine is a wonderful, lavish, and mysterious gift from God. Gisela Kreglinger, the daughter of a vintner and trained as a theologian, invites us to discover wine as part of a more full-bodied Christian spirituality. Along with bread, wine is the gift we receive at the table of communion. Through these gifts we experience God's glorious and loving presence among us, feeding and nurturing us in body, soul, and spirit.
At the outset of an adventure filled with disaster and delight, Jack Aubrey and Stephen Maturin pursue a prize through the stormy seas and icebergs south of Cape Horn, where the hunters suddenly become the hunted.
This work explains how nationhood emerges by viewing countries as cultural artifacts, a product of "invented traditions." In the case of France, scholars disagree, not only over the nature of French national identity but also over the extent to which diverse and sometimes hostile provincial communities became integrated into the nation. The author offers a new perspective by looking at one of the central elements in French national culture -- luxury wine -- and the rural communities that profited from its production
