Food

NEW BOOKS ON GRAPE GLORY

Grapes. Our most beautiful fruit? Not just because of what they are, but even more so because of what they can become. When all things come together in the right proportions, and in the right way, we get magnificent wines. But we get a lot more from grapes as well.

Here is a round up of beautiful beautiful books about the beautiful grape.

Photo: Courtesy of Amazon.

“Wine Grapes: A Complete Guide to 1368 Vine Varieties, Including Their Origins and Flavours,” by Jancis Robinson, Julia Harding, and Jose Vouillamoz, is a treasure trove for wine lovers. It is one of the most beautiful encyclopedia’s I’ve seen. Of course, it’s overflowing with information about the biology, horticulture, and history of each grape variety, but it’s exquisitely packaged -- beautifully designed, bound, and illustrated.

Photo: Courtesy of Amazon.

This book goes deeper than others into what makes each type of grape, using cutting edge DNA analysis. It charts each grape’s family tree and displays them in an eight-page gatefold. It shows how each grows. And it defines each one’s characteristic taste.

Wine Grapes is considered by oenophiles to be the most important wine book in years.

We loved the full-color illustrations from Viala and Vermorel's century-old classic ampelography.

“This book is a thing of beauty - classic, well written and splendidly illustrated - and will be a point of reference for decades to come. (Bordeaux Undiscovered)

Ecco (November 6, 2012)

Photo: Courtesy of Amazon.

“Bordeaux Legends: The 1855 First Growth Wines of Haut-Brion, Lafite Rothschild, Latour, Margaux and Mouton Rothschild,” by Jane Anson, is a 500-year history of Grand Cru, the top honor in France bestowed to about notable first growths.

Photo: Courtesy of Amazon.

You’ll find gorgeous photos. You’ll enjoy great stories from wine merchants, dealers, and wine lovers. Bordeaux Legends is epic. Anson presents the stories and anecdotes and weaves the together to form the big picture of these five legendary wines. The book’s foreword was written by by Academy Award–winning director and winery owner Francis Ford Coppola.

(Stewart, Tabori & Chang, 2013)

Photo: Courtesy of Amazon.

“The New California Wine: A Guide to the Producers and Wines Behind a Revolution in Taste,” by Jon Bonne, presents the untold story of the California wine industry. It is a comprehensive guide to California's "new generation." The new guard has, and still is rewriting the rules of winemaking.

“The New California Wine delivers some of the most insightful wine writing you’ll read anywhere. This is the real skinny on cutting-edge California wine from somebody who’s on the ground, knows his stuff, and could care less about offending the Establishment.”

—MATT KRAMER, author and columnist for Wine Spectator

(Ten Speed Press, 2013)

Photo: Edward Humes.

“A Man and his Mountain: The Everyman who Created Kendall-Jackson and Became America's Greatest Wine Entrepreneur,” by Edward Humes, is about the famed Jess Jackson, a self-made billionaire.

I remember when Kendall-Jackson Chardonnay came to town here in the US. It was the first really good accessible wine available. The book tells the story of its stunning growth since then. Now Kendall-Jackson is the most popular Chardonnay in the world.

Photo: Courtesy of The Wine Raconteur.

Many people call Jess Stonestreet Jackson the Steve Jobs of wine. He has many of the same characteristics. Instead of a garage, he started with just a few mountainous acres of grapes. Today, Kendall–Jackson works 14,000 acres of coastal and mountain vineyards.

We also see Jess Jackson, the horse race lover. He worked to expose industry-wide corruption. As a racehorse owner, he and his horse, Rachel Alexandra, have racked up a string of successes. She was the first filly to win the Preakness in nearly a century.

(PublicAffairs, 2013)

Photo: Courtesy of Amazon.

“The World Atlas of Wine,” by Hugh Johnson, Jancis Robinson is the book to own if you need authoritative reference. In addition to meticulous detail about the wines, the book also looks at the effects of climate change.

You’ll find info on the underreported and under-appreciated coastal Croatia, South Africa's Swartland and Ningxia in China.

"The most authoritative wine reference book available ... with words and graphics that set a new publishing standard on the subject."

(Oregon Magazine, Fred Malkin)

Photo: Courtesy of Amazon.

“A First Course in Wine: From Grape to Glass,” by Dan Amatuzzi is comprehensive primer. You’ll learn:

the science behind winemaking
how to interpret wine labels
how to identify flavors in your wine
how to pair wines with foods
what to look for on restaurant wine lists
terms and how to pronounce them
detailed information about vineyards and more

And you’ll be delighted by the stunning photography throughout. Mario Batali, Amatuzzi’s former boss, wrote the foreword. Amatuzzi was voted to Forbes "30 under 30" Food and Wine Professionals 2013 USA.

(Race Point Publishing, 2013)

Photo: Courtesy of Amazon.

“Grape Expectations: A Family's Vineyard Adventure in France,” by Caro Feely ‘Delicious,” is like a wine-soaked version of “A Year in Provence -- in Saussignac, in southern France.

"A must read for anyone who's dreamed of owning their own vineyard, at times gritty, at times joyful, Grape Expectations is an inspiring story of how one couple changed their lives." —Jamie Ivey, author, Ten Trees and a Truffle Dog.

Photo: Courtesy of Amazon.

“The Road to Burgundy: The Unlikely Story of an American Making Wine and a New Life in France,” by Ray Walker, is a memoir of an American wine enthusiast who follows his bliss and sets out to become a vineyard owner.

With zero-experience under his belt, Walker plunged in deep. He became a pioneer in his use of ancient techniques in modern times. In 2009, Ray became the first non-French winemaker to purchase grapes and produce a wine from Le Chambertin, long considered to be one of the most revered and singular vineyards in the world.

"Walker's tale evokes the exquisite thrill of finding and following your passion, no matter how crazy it might seem." ---Publishers Weekly

(Gotham, 2013)

Photo: Courtesy of Amazon.

“A Vineyard Odyssey: The Organic Fight to Save Wine from the Ravages of Nature,” by John Kiger is another beautiful wine saga. This one is about a vineyard owner’s struggle to stick to his organic roots while fighting against nature’s many assaults.

(Rowman and Littlefield, 2013)

Read about beautiful Grapes all this week, as it relates to Arts/Design,Nature/Science, Food/Drink,Place/Time, Mind/Body, and Soul/Impact.

Get busy and enter the BN Competitions, Our theme this week is Beautiful Grapes. Send in your images and ideas. Deadline is 10.20.13.