Wines from Côte-Rôtie, Hermitage and Châteauneuf-du-Pape have made the Rhône Valley world famous. This may be a classic wine region, but as Matt Walls reveals in Wines of the Rhône that doesn't mean it is set in its ways. Change here is not only driven by innovations in winemaking and fashions in wine, it is also an essential response to a rapidly shifting climate, which has seen temperatures rise significantly over the last 40 years and extreme weather events become more commonplace. Walls provides a rounded picture of this large and complex region, which varies greatly along the 200-kilometre stretch of river, from Vienne in the north to Provence in the south. Beginning with a vivid journey through the terrain, he explores one of the region's constants, its varied geology, before moving on to the pressing issue of climate. A short tour through the Rhône's winemaking history, from early Greek settlers to the modern industry, is followed by vignettes of all the AOC-permitted grapes and an explanation of the five levels of the region's appellation system. While the region contains some of the world's most recognizable appellations, there are also many that are less well-known. Walls encourages readers to venture beyond the famous crus, making it easy for those eager to explore by detailing the terroir of every appellation and describing and assessing typical wines. Profiles of 200 key producers complete the picture. Boxes throughout the text provide interesting asides on current issues as well as key appellation facts, while an appendix on ageing wines offers a guide to the last 40 vintages. This comprehensive examination of a renowned region is an ideal introduction for those new to the Rhône, while providing fresh insights for long-time admirers of the wines.

Are there wines to rival the greatest first-growths of Bordeaux and the grand crus of Burgundy? Robert Parker’s answer is a resounding Yes—they are to be found among the finest wines of the Rhone Valley. With this new edition of Wines of the Rhone Valley, Robert Parker, the world’s most influential wine critic, provides the key to enjoying the winemaking world’s best-kept secret. The area contains the oldest vineyards in France—indeed the heyday of some of the Rhone Valley wines was 2,000 years ago, around the time of the Roman conquest of France. In recent centuries, these wines have been misunderstood and ignored—and consequently undervalued. All of which means that some of the great wines of the world are available for a fraction of the cost of those from better-known regions. Wines of the Rhone Valley is the ultimate resource for every wine lover, highlighting both the greatest wines of the Rhone Valley and the region’s finest wine values. With his trademark thoroughness, Parker has fully revised and expanded this edition to reflect changes in the region, new personalities, and the latest vintages. In this edition, Parker returns to the region closest to his heart, exploring the sun-drenched Rhone Valley in unprecedented candor and detail.

"Thoughtfully conceived and very well written, this is essential somm reading."—The Somm Journal "This is the most important wine book of the year, perhaps in many years."—The Seattle Times "Crisply written, impeccably researched, balanced if fundamentally enthusiastic, scholarly but accessible, and full of unexpected details and characters."—The World of Fine Wine No wine category has seen more dramatic growth in recent years than American Rhône–variety wines. Winemakers are devoting more energy, more acreage, and more bottlings to Rhône varieties than ever before. The flagship Rhône red, Syrah, is routinely touted as one of California’s most promising varieties, capable of tremendous adaptability as a vine, wonderfully variable in style, and highly expressive of place. There has never been a better time for American Rhône wine producers. American Rhône is the untold history of the American Rhône wine movement. The popularity of these wines has been hard fought; this is a story of fringe players, unknown varieties, and longshot efforts finding their way to the mainstream. It’s the story of winemakers gathering sufficient strength in numbers to forge a triumph of the obscure and the brash. But, more than this, it is the story of the maturation of the American palate and a new republic of wine lovers whose restless tastes and curiosity led them to Rhône wines just as those wines were reaching a critical mass in the marketplace. Patrick J. Comiskey’s history of the American Rhône wine movement is both a compelling underdog success story and an essential reference for the wine professional.

"Since its first publication in 2010, Inside Burgundy has been the benchmark reference on winemaking in the region. Jasper Morris MW is a highly respected writer and critic on the wines of Burgundy. He has been a Master of Wine since 1985, with an illustrious career behind him as a wine merchant and author. He was Berry Bros. & Rudd's Burgundy Director from 2003 to 2017. This second edition spans 800 pages, with expanded coverage of over 1,200 vineyards, 300 wine villages and 700 domaines. It offers detailed insider knowledge on the places and people that make Burgundy such a special winemaking region. Jasper gives particular attention to Burgundy's more affordable regions: Chablis, the Hautes-Côtes de Beaune and Nuits, the Côte Chalonnaise and the Mâconnais. The book includes 45 full-colour maps -- all of which have been revised and updated since the first edition -- shining a light on Burgundy's complex network of vineyards and villages. It also includes six new maps, which illustrate plot-by-plot holdings in individual Grand and Premier Cru vineyards."--Publisher's description.

A connoisseur's compendium of a great American's passion for fine wine

This companion to The Chateauneuf-du-Pape Wine Book includes information on more than six hundred red and white wines. The handy fifty-page booklet provides practical information when searching for a specific Chateauneuf wine in a wine store or on the Internet or checking on a wine you already own. It is a unique reference guide containing descriptions of each wine; its blend, upbringing, style, characteristics, price indication, and more. The booklet includes additional information on grape varieties and flavours. In addition to these overviews, the guide is a compact source of information on subjects like winemaking, production, and vintage reviews with reserved space for personal notes.