An unprecedented entrée into the lives and sumptuous interiors of the estates behind the world’s best-known French wine labels. From the estates of the champagne families of Bollinger, Roederer, and Taittinger to family properties in Bordeaux, Burgundy, Beaujolais, Côtes du Rhône, Alsace, Jura, Provence, Corsica, Languedoc-Roussillon, the Southwest, and the Loire: here are the private homes at the heart of the extraordinary French wine industry. Wine is synonymous with France and an extensive range of wines is produced, from champagne in the north to the highly prized reds of Bordeaux. Solvi dos Santos’s photographs, along with the personal insights of the owners, tell the stories of estates in all the major wine-producing regions. Florence Brutton brings the unique character of each estate featured here to life, explaining the idea of terroir (the idiosyncratic growing conditions that define and distinguish each area of cultivation) and the importance of local customs. With details on the wines produced and information for the would-be visitor, this book will appeal to wine lovers, Francophiles, travelers, and anyone who wants an insider’s view of the fascinating world of viniculture.

Discover a dozen exceptional Bordeaux wine estates, complete with tasting notes from a renowned wine critic. From Lafite Rothschild to Angélus to Cheval Blanc, Bordeaux produces the world’s finest wines. In this gift volume with silver gilded pages, the histories of the wineries is completed with detailed tasting notes. JFK’s beloved Petrus—the world’s most expensive wine—emanates a balance of "dark fruits, black olives, dark chocolate, and earth." Château Margaux—Thomas Jefferson’s favorite—still seduces with its "valentine of dark chocolate and roses melded with the aromatics of licorice, blackberry, and cocoa." Esteemed architects reflect the elegant wines in the graceful lines of a dozen estates and cellars: Lord Norman Foster’s renovation preserves the neo-Palladian spirit of Château Margaux, Jacques Garcia softens Château Cos d’Estournel’s steel-and-glass winery with India-inspired decorative elements, and Jean Nouvel tucks a high-tech new winery inside La Dominique’s listed UNESCO World Heritage site.

An epic, scandal-plagued story of the immigrant family that built--and then spectacularly lost--a global wine empire. Award-winning journalist Flynn Siler brings to life both the place and the people in this riveting family drama.

A leading importer of limited-production wines of character and quality takes us on an intimate tour through family-owned vineyards in France and Italy and reflects upon the last three decades of controversy, hype, and change in the world of wine In the late 1970s, Neal I. Rosenthal set out to learn everything he could about wine. Today, he is one of the most successful importers of traditionally made wines produced by small family-owned estates in France and Italy. Rosenthal has immersed himself in the culture of Old World wine production, working closely with his growers for two and sometimes three generations. He is one of the leading exponents of the concept of "terroir"—the notion that a particular vineyard site imparts distinct qualities of bouquet, flavor, and color to a wine. In Reflections of a Wine Merchant, Rosenthal brings us into the cellars, vineyards, and homes of these vignerons, and his delightful stories about his encounters, relationships, and explorations—and what he has learned along the way—give us an unequaled perspective on winemaking tradition and what threatens it today. Rosenthal was featured in the documentary film Mondovino and is one of the more outspoken figures against globalization, homogenization, and the "critic-ization" of the wine business. He was also a major subject in Lawrence Osborne's The Accidental Connoisseur. His is an important voice in defense of the individual and the artisanal, and their contribution to our quality of life.

An intoxicating memoir of an American who discovers a passion for French wine and gambles everything to chase a dream of owning a vineyard in Burgundy Ray Walker had a secure career in finance until a wine-tasting vacation ignited a passion he couldn’t stifle. He quit his job and moved to France to start a winery—with little money, limited command of the French language, and no winemaking experience. He immersed himself in the extraordinary history of Burgundy’s vineyards and began honing his skills. Ray shares his journey to secure the region’s most coveted grapes. The Road to Burgundy is a glorious celebration of finding one’s true path in life and taking a chance—whatever the odds.