Synopses & Reviews
The wines of Tuscany were famous long before Leonardo da Vinci described them as and#147;bottled sunshine,and#8221; and they are at the forefront of the remarkable renaissance of Italian wine over the past 30 years. In this groundbreaking new book, Nicolas Belfrage shares his insiderand#8217;s knowledge acquired as a specialist wine trader and writer. Mindful of the regionand#8217;s fascinating past, Belfrage brings its story up to date, discussing such subjects as geology and geography, grape varieties, and the latest research into Sangiovese, the variety used in the top wines of Chianti Classico, Brunello di Montalcino, and Vino Nobile di Montepulciano. He also clarifies the regulatory framework and follows the recent controversial developments in viticulture and winemaking, including the rise of the Super-Tuscans and the ongoing and#147;Brunellogateand#8221; scandal that broke in 2008. At the heart of the book are in-depth, illustrated profiles of more than 90 of the most interesting producers, large and small, with insightful notes on the essential character of their finest wines. The author also offers a comprehensive review of vintages and selects his top 100 wines in ten different categories, while wines of special quality or value are indicated throughout.
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and#8220;Impressively well-researched. . . . For anyone who loves Italian wines and wants to know more about Sicily, the book is invaluable.and#8221;
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and#8220;Everyone can appreciate that Italian wines are delicious. But their depth and fascinating history are often overlooked. Italy enthusiasts, Bill Nesto and his wife, Frances di Savino deliver a sincere homage to the vibrant wine region in their book, The World of Sicilian Wine.and#8221;
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"A major contribution to knowledge about Italian viticultural history."
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"invaluable to those seeking clarity on a region whose successes have gone largely uncharted."
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and#8220;With this book, the authors have given Sicily and its wines an exceptional tributeand#8230;they have succeeded in making the story of Sicilian wine both understandable and entertaining, without compromising the academic integrity of the work.and#8221;
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and#8220;An adventure with so much information about the history, culture and winemaking that it is difficult to put it down till the end. . . . Novices as well as wine experts and serious students of Sicilian wine culture and history will cherish the book for a long time."
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and#8220;A full exploration of Sicilian wine, complete with. . . the regionand#8217;s enological and viticultural evolution, best wineries and most significant wines. . . . A mix of culture, anthropology and more enrich the book.and#160; There is no book like this one available on the market.and#8221;
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and#8220;We also owe a great deal of gratitude to Bill Nesto MW and Frances di Savino for their superb book, The World of Sicilian Wine. . . . and#160; [T]he book is a tour de force on Sicilian wine.and#8221;
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and#8220;Wine drinkers who like their wine and vine facts with generous helpings of history, culture and geography will enjoy and#8220;The World of Sicilian Wine.and#8221;and#160; Nesto and di Savino have written a handy and informative guide for the wine tourist and armchair traveler alike.and#8221;
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"The World of Sicilian Wine . . . does more than toss around the word terroir, it burrows deep within it and gives it real meaning.and#8221;
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and#8220;The authors really do take the title seriously, revealing a stunning 360-degree examination of Sicilyand#8217;s world of wine.and#8221;
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and#8220;This is a fantastic read . . . not just for wine people, but people who are studying Greek and Roman literature and mythology and Italian and Renaissance history.and#160; There are so many applications for this book beyond just learning about wine.and#8221;
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and#8220;Authoritative and humorous.and#8221;
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and#8220;Top 10 Wine Books of 2013: Nesto and Di Savino have given us a model for how to write about an Old World wine region. . . . If you are interested in Sicilian wines or simply the history of Sicily, this is your book."
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and#8220;I really enjoyed this book. . . . [It] succeeds in taking us on a voyage through this complicated but magical wine region.and#8221;
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"An essential starting point for anyone interested in the island's wines or Italian wine in general."
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"A fascinating, well-written study of an area by an accomplished duo who bring Sicily and its wines to life."
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"With scholarly accuracy and depth . . . this oenophile's resource spans all aspects of Sicilian wine, from flavor to geography, varieties, viticulture, terroir, and more."
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"Wine lovers will appreciate this well-researched book on Sicily's wine industry."
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"An excellent survey of an important wine region of Italy that is all too often overlooked by wine writers. . . . Accessible to anyone with an interest in Sicilian wine and a passing familiarity with wine terminology."
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"I can recall no work that captures so completely in English the story of Sicilian wine. Keep The World of Sicilian Wine handy on your reference shelf, devour it like an Inspector Montalbano page-turner, or use it as a guidebook to the vineyards."
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and#8220;Straightforward yet refreshingly opinionated.and#8221;
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and#8220;Any serious Italophile needs this book.and#8221; A Best Book of 2009
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and#8220;An excellent introduction to Tuscanyand#8217;s viticultural renaissance. and#8220;
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and#8220;This well-researched detailed work on the zone is a must-read, especially for Brunellophiles.and#8221;
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and#8220;A valuable source.and#8221;
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and#8220;An absolutely essential wine guide for the connoisseur wishing to learn about the wine or the wine traveler seeking advice on where to go and which wineries to visit.and#8221;
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"A fabulous read....it's a fascinating, well-written take on Brunello di Montalcino, and one of the books of the year."
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and#8220;Easily the most definitive book on one of Italyand#8217;s greatest wines.and#8221;
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"A nifty guide to an up-and-coming wine area."
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"The sheer weight of historical, geographical, and viticultural information is enough to make this the definitive English-language book on the island's wines."
Synopsis
This book tells the story of the ancient land named Chianti and the modern wine appellation known as Chianti Classico. In 1716, Tuscany's penultimate Medici ruler, Cosimo III, anointed the region of Chianti, along with three smaller areas in the Florentine State, as the world's first legal appellations of origin for wine. In the succeeding centuries, this milestone was all but forgotten. By the late nineteenth century, the name Chianti, rather than signifying this historic region and its celebrated wine, identified a simple Italian red table wine in a straw-covered flask.
In the twenty-first century, Chianti Classico emerged as one of Italy's most dynamic and fashionable wine zones. Chianti Classico relates the fascinating evolution of Chianti as a wine region and reveals its geographic and cultural complexity. Bill Nesto, MW, and Frances Di Savino explore the townships of Chianti Classico and introduce readers to the modern-day winegrowers who are helping to transform the region. The secrets of Sangiovese, the principal vine variety of Chianti, are also revealed as the book unlocks the myths and mysteries of one of Italy's most storied wine regions. The publication of Chianti Classico coincides with the three hundredth anniversary of the Medici decree delimiting the region of Chianti on September 24, 1716.
Synopsis
"An important new book on Chianti Classico: Winners of the Andr Simon 2013 award for their book The World of Sicilian Wine, Nesto and Di Savino have produced the investigative, scholarly and detailed book that Chianti Classico has long deserved. Nesto and Di Savino are brilliant historic investigators. . . . A must-read for anyone seriously interested in wine."--Walter Speller, JancisRobinson.com
This book tells the story of the ancient land named Chianti and the modern wine appellation known as Chianti Classico. In 1716, Tuscany's penultimate Medici ruler, Cosimo III, anointed the region of Chianti, along with three smaller areas in the Florentine State, as the world's first legal appellations of origin for wine. In the succeeding centuries, this milestone was all but forgotten. By the late nineteenth century, the name Chianti, rather than signifying this historic region and its celebrated wine, identified a simple Italian red table wine in a straw-covered flask.
In the twenty-first century, Chianti Classico emerged as one of Italy's most dynamic and fashionable wine zones. Chianti Classico relates the fascinating evolution of Chianti as a wine region and reveals its geographic and cultural complexity. Bill Nesto, MW, and Frances Di Savino explore the townships of Chianti Classico and introduce readers to the modern-day winegrowers who are helping to transform the region. The secrets of Sangiovese, the principal vine variety of Chianti, are also revealed as the book unlocks the myths and mysteries of one of Italy's most storied wine regions. The publication of Chianti Classico coincides with the three hundredth anniversary of the Medici decree delimiting the region of Chianti on September 24, 1716.
Synopsis
The World of Sicilian Wine provides wine lovers with a comprehensive understanding of Sicilian wine, from its ancient roots to its modern evolution. Offering a guide and map to exploring Sicily, Bill Nesto, an expert in Italian wine, and Frances Di Savino, a student of Italian culture, deliver a substantive appreciation of a vibrant wine region that is one of Europeand#8217;s most historic areas and a place where many cultures intersect.
From the earliest Greek and Phoenician settlers who colonized the island in the eighth century B.C., the culture of wine has flourished in Sicily. A parade of foreign rulers was similarly drawn to Sicilyand#8217;s fertile land, sun-filled climate, and strategic position in the Mediterranean. The modern Sicilian quality wine industry was reborn in the 1980s and 1990s with the arrival of wines made with established international varieties and state-of-the-art enology. Sicily is only now rediscovering the quality of its indigenous grape varieties, such as Nero dand#8217;Avola, Nerello Mascalese, Frappato, Grillo, and distinctive terroirs such as the slopes of Mount Etna.
Synopsis
and#147;This painstakingly researched and well-written book is highly recommended reading not only for those seeking entry into the mysteries of the Sicilian wine scene but also for those seeking an introduction to the twists and turns of Sicilian history generally. That Bill Nesto is a Master of Wine is apparent from the knowledgeable way he treats matters viticultural and vinous. That he and his co-author/wife have southern Italian, indeed Sicilian, blood flowing through their veins is apparent in the passion and intensity with which they handle their material."--Nicolas Belfrage, MW, author of
The Finest Wines of Tuscany and Central Italyand#147;Few wine books are as deeply researched and detailed as this exhaustive reference on Sicilian wine from antiquity to the present day. Even the most knowledgeable oenophiles and Italophiles will learn from The World of Sicilian Wine."--Robert Camuto, author of Palmento: A Sicilian Wine Odyssey
Synopsis
For fans of Italian wine, few names command the level of respect accorded to Brunello di Montalcino. Expert wine writer Kerin Oand#8217;Keefe has a deep personal knowledge of Tuscany and its extraordinary wine, and her account is both thoroughly researched and readable. Organized as a guided tour through Montalcinoand#8217;s geography, this essential reference also makes sense of Brunelloand#8217;s complicated history, from its rapid rise to the negative and positive effects of the 2008 grape-blending scandal dubbed and#147;Brunellogate.and#8221; Oand#8217;Keefe also provides in-depth profiles of nearly sixty leading producers of Brunello.
Synopsis
"Kerin O'Keefe is undoubtedly the English-speaking world's most passionate advocate of the wines of Montalcino. Every page of her book reflects her expertise and long experience, and what's more, she's a good writer. How often have we been presented with detailed knowledge wrapped in turgid language? Not here! This is a page-turner if ever a wine book was one." and#151;Nicolas Belfrage M.W.,
The Finest Wines of Tuscany and Central Italy: A Regional and Village Guide to the Best Wines and Their Producers"Kerin O'Keefe's book is the best thing I have read on Brunello di Montalcinoand#151;period. The research is the most thorough, and the coverage of the key aspects of the Montalcino situationand#151;origins and history, legislation, zonal variations, producersand#151;is the most complete and rigorous I have encountered anywhere." and#151;Tom Maresca, contributor to Decanter, Wine and Spirits and Quarterly Review of Wines
About the Author
Bill Nesto is a Master of Wine and a founder of the Wine Studies Program at Boston University. An expert on the wines of the world, he has written for Gastronomica, Santand#233; and Massachusetts Beverage Business. Frances Di Savino is an attorney who has a background in medieval and Renaissance studies and is Billand#8217;s partner in life and on the wine road.
Table of Contents
List of Illustrations
Preface
Introduction. Brunello: A Modern-Day Phenomenon of Made in Italy
Part One. The Place, the Grape, the History, and the Wine
1. Montalcino
2. Temperamental Sangiovese: Location, Location, Location
3. Birth of a New Wine
4. Brunello Comes of Age
5. Boom Years and the Loss of Tipicitand#224;
6. The Brunellogate Scandal
7. Brunello Today and Tomorrow: The Return to Tipicitand#224;, or Business as Usual?
Part Two. Leading Producers by Subzone
8. Montalcino
9. Bosco and Torrenieri
10. Tavernelle
11. Camigliano
12. Santand#8217;Angelo
13. Castelnuovo delland#8217;Abate
Part Three. Beyond Brunello: Other Wines and Local Cuisine
14. Montalcinoand#8217;s Other Wines: Rosso di Montalcino, Moscadello, and Santand#8217;Antimo
15. Brunello, Rosso, and Food Pairing
Appendix A. Vintage Guide to Brunello
Appendix B. Brunello at a Glance
Notes
Acknowledgments
Glossary
Bibliography
Index