A Carafe of Red

Every wine has a story. In this collection of elegantly written essays from the past thirty years, updated with a new introduction and endnotes, renowned author Gerald Asher informs wine enthusiasts with insightful, engrossing accounts of wines from Europe and America that offer just as much for those who simply enjoy vivid evocations of people and places. Asher puts wine in its context by taking the reader on a series of discursive journeys that start with the carafe at his elbow. In his introduction, Asher says, and#147;Wine . . . draws on everything and leads everywhere.and#8221; Whether the subject is a supposedly simple red wine shared in a Parisian cafand#233; or a Napa Valley Cabernet tasted with its vintner, every essay in A Carafe of Red is as pleasurable as the wines themselves.

and#8220;A terrific introduction to one of the greatest wine writers of our times. . . . Complexity [thatand#8217;s] easy to savor.and#8221;

“Unique and engaging.” Wine and Spirits Magazine

"Simply put, no one writes like Asher anymore, and 'A Carafe of Red' serves as a capable introduction to his style and his work. As a study in effective, entertaining, and efficient wine prose, few authors even come close to Asher's celebrated ability to lucidly summarize the heart and soul of his subjects in only a few well-written and well-paced sentences. In that way, 'A Carafe of Red' is a short masterclass in wine prose."

and#8220;Unique and engaging.and#8221;

"This is a number of charming collected essays on various aspects of wine by one of the wine world's most stylish writers, historians and wine lovers."

"Asher's discussion of the most memorable wine in his life makes the reader want to learn more while they are entertained in the process."

Praise for Gerald Asherand#8217;s A Vineyard in My Glass:

and#147;Gerald Asherand#8217;s name snaps wine types to attention for good reason . . . shimmering, detailed prose [that] can often relay a wineand#8217;s cultural tale in a single sentence.and#8221;and#151;Jon Bonnand#233;, San Francisco Chronicle

and#147;There is a timelessness to his writing . . . a literary pleasure.and#8221;and#151;Lettie Teague, The Wall Street Journal

Gerald Asher is author of The Pleasures of Wine, Vineyard Tales, Wine Journal, and On Wine. As an international wine merchant, he was decorated by the French Government in 1974 for his contribution to French viticulture, in 2001 was named Outstanding Wine Professional of the Year by the James Beard Foundation, and in 2009 was inducted into the Culinary Institute of Americaand#8217;s Vintnerand#8217;s Hall of Fame.

List of Maps

Introduction

A Carafe of Red

Storm in a Champagne Flute

Cand#244;te Rand#244;tie and Condrieu: Drinking with Pliny and Columella

Cand#244;tes de Castillon: A Bordeaux Wine Reborn

Le Beaujolais Nouveau Est Arrivand#233;!

Armagnac: The Spirit of Dand#8217;Artagnan

Les Chevaliers du Tastevin

Jerez de la Frontera: Sherry and Tapas

Malmsey: A Greek Classic

Barbaresco: A Glimpse of Paradise

Priorato: A Heady Success Story

School Days on the Rhine

Franconia: Going for Baroque

California Cabernet Sauvignon

A Morning Tasting with Joe Heitz

Beaulieu Vineyardand#8217;s Georges de Latour Private Reserve

Santa Cruz Mountains: Ingenuity and Tenacity

Zinfandel: Californiaand#8217;s Own

Wine and Food: The Myth of a Perfect Match

Chardonnay: Buds, Twigs, and Clones

Haut-Brion: A Most Particular Taste

Judgment of Paris: Californiaand#8217;s Triumph

A Silent Revolution: Organic and Biodynamic Wines

A Memorable Wine

Missouri: Return of the Native

Spreading the Word: Books on Wine

Simple Pleasures: Warm Bread and Hot Chocolate

Index