"To be a Frenchman means to fight for your country and its wine." -Claude Terrail, owner, Restaurant La Tour d'ArgentIn 1940, France fell to the Nazis and almost immediately the German army began a campaign of pillaging one of the assets the French hold most dear: their wine. Like others in the French Resistance, winemakers mobilized to oppose their occupiers, but the tale of their extraordinary efforts has remained largely unknown-until now. This is the thrilling and harrowing story of the French wine producers who undertook ingenious, daring measures to save their cherished crops and bottles as the Germans closed in on them. Wine and War illuminates a compelling, little-known chapter of history, and stands as a tribute to extraordinary individuals who waged a battle that, in a very real way, saved the spirit of France.

    Book annotation not available for this title.Title: Understanding Wine TechnologyAuthor: Bird, DavidPublisher: Wine Appreciation GuildPublication Date: 2005/07/31Number of Pages: 265Binding Type: PAPERBACKLibrary of Congress: oc2007034901

    From techniques for assessing wine properties and quality, including physiological, psychological, and physicochemical sensory evaluation, to the latest information on types of wine, the author guides the reader to a clear and applicable understanding of the wine tasting process.Including illustrative data and testing technique descriptions, Wine Tasting is for professional tasters, those who train tasters and those involved in designing wine tastings as well as the connoisseur seeking to maximize their perception and appreciation of wine.

    The route is well -marked, easy-to-follow, and the destinations are delicious." --Kermit Lynch, Wine Merchant and author, Adventures on the Wine Route"...Ed McCarthy and Mary Ewing-Mulligan lead us by the hand down the road of adventure to discover the wines of France that they know so well.... In their relaxed, wise, and mischievous way, they show us the joy and pleasure of drinking French wine." --Prince Alain de Polignac, Winemaker, Champagne PommeryYou no longer need to be confused or intimidated by French wine. Authored by certified wine educators and authors Ed McCarthy and Mary Ewing-Mulligan, French Wine For Dummies introduces you to the delicious world of fine French wine. Among other things, you'll discover how to:Translate wine labels Identify great wine bargains Develop your own wine tastes Match French wines with foods Here's everything you need to know to sip and savor the best--and the best-value--Bordeaux, Burgundy, Beaujolais, Alsace, and other delicious wines. This lighthearted and informative guide covers:The story of French wine and how it came to dominate the wine world How the French name and label their wines and why France's most important wine regions--including a region-by-region survey of the best vineyards and their products France's other wine regions, including Champagne, Alsace, the Loire Valley, and others So pour yourself a big glass of Beaujolais Nouveau, sit back, and enjoy the ride as Ed McCarthy and Mary Ewing-Mulligan take you on an intoxicating journey through the wonderful world of French wine.

    Only the vine reveals to us what is the real taste of the earth," writes Colette. In this sumptuously illustrated and wonderfully informative book, Jacques Fanet invites us on an entertaining tour of the world's most celebrated winegrowing regions to discover the characteristics of the bond that ties the vine to its place of birth: the terroir. Terroir is a uniquely French term for the subtle interaction of natural factors and human skills that define the characteristics of each winegrowing region. Interviewing growers and researchers in France, Spain, Italy, California, Chile, Australia, and South Africa, Fanet looks for the soil in the soul of each wine. He takes us back millions of years to show how movements in the ancient bedrock, faults, mountain building, tidal flow, sedimentation, and volcanic activity contribute to the precise and individual character of each terroir, making the great winegrowing regions what they are today. Great Wine Terroirs provides wine enthusiasts with everything they will want to know about different soils and climates, the relationship between international grape varieties and the soil in which they grow, and how these factors affect the taste of the wines. Color geological illustrations and timelines support the text and explain key phenomena. Fanet also provides a glossary, geographical index, and index of soil types and grape varieties. He explains enological practices and their effect on the terroirs and answers questions such as why the Châteauneuf plateau, almost 300 feet about the Rhône Valley, is surrounded by river alluvia and why there are fossilized oysters in the soils of Chablis. Those interested in the wine of California will find a lively discussion of the Napa Valley, with a detailed explanation of how the San Andreas fault, the Sierra Nevada, and the Great Central Valley have all played a part in creating the most spectacular wine-producing region on the continent.

    Shedding light on a world as fascinating for its science and history as it is for its intricate etiquette, this guide unfolds the entire art and craft of wine in a beautifully designed and illustrated volume. With contributions from the world's leading wine makers, sommeliers, and wine professionals, Le Cordon Bleu Wine Essentials provides commonsense advice on the everyday world of wine-from selecting, buying, and storing wine, to guidelines for tasting, appraising, ordering, and serving all varieties. The book also includes a behind-the-scenes look at winemaking, building a well-balanced wine collection, and practical advice on investing in wine.

    All aspects of winetasting are covered, with detailed information on a wine's appearance, nose and taste, and their relationship with one another. An illustrated section reveals the subtle color variations in a variety of red and white wines.For those who seek to deepen their understanding of wine, this volume is indispensable.

    Beautifully presented and unrivalled in its scope, this volume is edited under the acute supervision of the queen of wine Jancis Robinson who presents a distillation of all the essential information for wine-lovers and would-be wine lovers. Drawn from the internationally celebrated Oxford Companion to Wine--that won every major wine book award, including the Julia Child and the James Beard awards--this new edition contains all the award-winning detail in an affordable, easy-to-handle package. Offering over 2,350 fully accessible and completely cross-referenced entries, this volume covers every aspect of wine, from wine regions to tasting terms, from labeling to grape varieties, and from the faults of wine to the healthy benefits of wine. Written by over seventy of the world's best wine experts, this volume also provides a guide to vintages and a complete list of controlled appellations and their permitted grape varieties. Additional features include a statistical overview of wine production and consumption and a new listing of Robinson's personal selection of up-and-coming wine regions and producers. Lavishly designed, Concise Wine Companion also displays exquisite black-and-white and full color illustrations, as well as maps of nearly every wine region in the world. Authoritative yet entertaining, this ultimate--and now handy--reference on wine and wine-making is the perfect volume to enrich a lifetime's enjoyment of this intoxicating topic.

    A comprehensive guide to the world of spirits, liqueurs and cocktails - from the mystery of their origins to today's international brands.