"With Catherine Fallis’s approach of ‘less is more,’ all you need to begin your wine journey are ten grapes." —Kevin Zraly It’s easy (or easier) to become a wine expert when you narrow the field down to ten grapes. For the wine drinker who loves Pinot Noir but doesn’t know what to try next, wants a French Chardonnay but isn’t sure what to look for on the bottle, or needs a little support before they open the wine menu at lunch with a client, Master Sommelier Catherine Fallis’s authoritative but inviting introduction to wine is an indispensable guide. Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Viognier, Pinot Noir, Sangiovese, Syrah, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Zinfandel make the cut. The book covers the basics of tasting (and why wines taste the way they do), buying, and pairing wine. Fallis gives readers tricks to remember the difference between the côtes of Burgundy, offers dozens of specific recommendations in every price range, provides tips for talking to sommeliers, and shares memorable tasting exercises. This book will help readers build their wine confidence whether they’re looking for an inexpensive bottle for dinner at home or trying to impress the in- laws.

Winner of the James Beard Award for Best Beverage Book, Named "Best Drinks Book" by Wine & Spirits magazine, Faiveley International Wine Book of the Year, OIV Best Viticulture Book "A fantastic Christmas present for any wine geek, and one that will provide an endless source of fiendish questions for quiz-setters" —The Guardian An indispensable book for every wine lover, from some of the world's leading wine experts. Where do wine grapes come from and how are grape varieties related to one another? What is the historical background of each one? Where are they grown? What sort of wines do they make? Using cutting-edge DNA analysis and detailing almost 1,400 distinct grape varieties, as well as myriad correct (and incorrect) synonyms, this book examines grapes and wine as never before. Here is a complete, alphabetically presented profile of all grape varieties of relevance to the wine lover, charting the relationships between them and including unique and astounding family trees, their characteristics in the vineyard, and—most important—what the wines made from them taste like. Presented in a stunning design with eight-page gatefolds that reveal the family trees, and a rich variety of full-color illustrations from Viala and Vermorel's century-old classic ampelography, the text will deepen readers' understanding of grapes and wine with every page. Combining Jancis Robinson's worldview and nose for good writing and good wines with Julia Harding's research, expertise, and attention to detail plus Dr. Vouillamoz's unique level of scholarship, Wine Grapes offers essential and original information in greater depth and breadth than has ever been available before. This is a book for wine students, wine experts, and wine lovers everywhere.

There are nearly 1,400 known varieties of wine grapes in the world—from altesse to zierfandler—but 80 percent of the wine we drink is made from only 20 grapes. In Godforsaken Grapes, Jason Wilson looks at how that came to be and embarks on a journey to discover what we miss. Stemming from his own growing obsession, Wilson moves far beyond the “noble grapes,” hunting down obscure and underappreciated wines from Switzerland, Austria, Portugal, France, Italy, the United States, and beyond. In the process, he looks at why these wines fell out of favor (or never gained it in the first place), what it means to be obscure, and how geopolitics, economics, and fashion have changed what we drink. A combination of travel memoir and epicurean adventure, Godforsaken Grapes is an entertaining love letter to wine.

This concise and accessible history of a true American, and Californian, wine grape varietal illuminates its mysterious origins and relates its compelling journey from humble obscurity to cult following.

You don't need to own a vineyard to benefit from knowing what it takes to turn grapes into fine wines. Tour the areas throughout the world where the 36 greatest grape varieties are produced, and bring your own expertise to the wine experience, so you can analyze and identify such classics as Cabernet-Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Chasselas, Chenin, Cinsaut, Clairette, Colombard, Gamay, Gewurtztraminer, Muscat, Pinot Noir, Riesling, Sylvaner, Syrah, and Vermentino. As you learn the history of each variety, you come to see what makes each one a favorite of connoisseurs today. The whole story of how a lowly grape becomes a great wine starts with basic facts regarding growth cycles and diseases of healthy and unhealthy vines, leaves, and clusters. It continues through profiles of major vineyards, likely yields, alcoholic strengths, vintage years, color and taste--everything you need to be familiar with the process for producing a truly premium product.

With over 800 entries on how and where wine grapes grow, how they taste, how they relate, and the sort of wines they produce.