Wine Myths and Reality

·Comprehensive world survey of wine styles and production ·4-color, extensively illustrated with maps and photos ·Shortlisted for André Simon and Roederer wine book awards Is wine an artisanal creation or industrial product? Wine Myths and Reality goes behind the scenes of winemaking to reveal the truth about what goes into a bottle of wine. Extensively illustrated with photographs, maps, and charts, its approachable and entertaining style immediately engages the reader in the wine universe. Panoramic in its scope, magisterial in its treatment, and meticulous in its research, Wine Myths and Reality explodes 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 come under the microscope, the tricks of the wine trade are revealed, the methods of the new and the old worlds are scrutinized, and their wines are discussed. An overview of all major wine-producing countries extends from the powerful wines of the new world to the classic wines of France or Italy. 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 next decade? Contents: Growing grapes: The Spread of the Grapevine; Cultivating the Vineyard; The Mystique of Terroir; Vintage Variation and Global Warming. Making Wine: Turning Grape Juice into Wine; The Alchemist's Delight; A Thousand Cultivars Bloom. The World Market: Global Wine Trends; The International Wine Trade; Fraud and Scandal. The New World: North America: The Varietal Engine; Australia & New Zealand: Pushing The Envelope; Up And Coming in the Southern Hemisphere? The Old World: Bordeaux and Burgundy: Classic Rivals; Three Parts of Gaul: North, Rhône, and Languedoc; Italy: Cool North and Hot South; The Iberian Peninsula; The Hapsburg Empire: Driving on Sugar; From Aperitif to Dessert; Truth in Labeling.