Synopses & Reviews
For centuries, France has long been the worldand#8217;s greatest wine-producing country. Its wines are the global gold standard, prized by collectors, and its winemaking regions each offer unique tasting experiences, from the spice of Bordeaux to the berry notes of the Loire Valley. Although grape variety, climate, and the skill of the winemaker are essential in making good wine, the foundation of a wineand#8217;s character is the soil in which its grapes are grown. Who could better guide us through the relationship between the French land and the wine than a geologist, someone who deeply understands the science behind the soil? Enter scientist Charles Frankel.
In Land and Wine, Frankel takes readers on a tour of the French winemaking regions to illustrate how the soil, underlying bedrock, relief, and microclimate shape the personality of a wine. The bookand#8217;s twelve chapters each focus in depth on a different region, including the Loire Valley, Alsace, Burgundy, Champagne, Provence, the Rhand#244;ne valley, and Bordeaux, to explore the full meaning of terroir. and#160;In this approachable guide, Frankel describes how Cabernet Franc takes on a completely different character depending on whether it is grown on gravel or limestone; how Sauvignon yields three different products in the hills of Sancerre when rooted in limestone, marl, or flint; how Pinot Noir will give radically different wines on a single hill in Burgundy as the vines progress upslope; and how the soil of each chand#226;teau in Bordeaux has a say in the blend ratios of Merlot and Cabernet-Sauvignon. Land and Wine provides a detailed understanding of the variety of French wine as well as a look at the geological history of France, complete with volcanic eruptions, a parade of dinosaurs, and a menagerie of evolution that has left its fossils flavoring the vineyards.
Both the uninitiated wine drinker and the confirmed oenophile will find much to savor in this fun guide that Frankel has spiked with anecdotes about winemakers and historic wine enthusiastsand#151;revealing which kings, poets, and philosophers liked which wines bestand#151;while offering travel tips and itineraries for visiting the wineries today.
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“A consequential book, rich in ideas and powerful in feeling.”
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"I read it almost in one gulp: he writes beautifully, uninhibitedly... almost, one might say, drunkenly... a man after my own heart."
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“Wise and funny, committed and sincere, but never dogmatic. . . .A passionate defense of the importance of wine.”
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“Theise first demystifies how to experience wine, then remystifies it by reinstating pleasure as what its all about.” STARRED REVIEW
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“It's not even wine that Theise is really tackling. It's aesthetics. As such he skillfully reminds us of wine's timeless place in culture.”
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“Should be required reading for wine aficionados and also for newcomers who might not yet have put voice to their appetites for new and interesting wines. “
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“A wine book that's so stunning, your glass will never look the same.”
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“Might contain the year's most literate wine writing. Theise, well-known for his lyrical wordsmithing, avoids the usual memoir take and instead pens a rhapsody to the wines he loves, and to the very beauty of wine itself.”
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“Terry Theise, perhaps more than any other person, knows how to convey in words just how magical wine can be, and the world needs more of that.”
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“Thiese is a man Id like to drink with. Any wine. “
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“The book is a compelling read.. . . It draws you in as a thinker, makes you wonder and even compels you to argue back at times.”
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andldquo;Charles Frankelandrsquo;s
Land and Wine recounts the story of wine in France from a unique geological perspective, highlighting the influence of the land and soil on the quality and style of the wines. In doing so, Frankel demystifies the idea of andlsquo;terroirandrsquo; and offers approachable anecdotes that will entertain and appeal to wine enthusiasts. andldquo;
Review
and#8220;A celebration of both science and art, the book demystifies the perplexities of wineand#8212;and the pretensions of so much wine-writingand#8212;in a manner as refreshing to the reader as tasting a crisp bottle of Sancerre, while learning its origins lie deep in Jurassic, Cretaneous, and Tertiary bedrock.and#8221;
Review
and#8220;Can one really relate geology to taste? Most certainly.and#160;Land and Wine: The French Terroirand#160;is an intriguing book. For those who love dinosaurs and drinking wine, or who seek to gain deeper, more profoundly thoughtful and complex pleasures from within a bottle, this book is a must read.and#8221;
Review
and#8220;Not just another wine book, this volume by French geologist Frankel is about the geology that differentiates one French wine from another. . . . This work will cultivate oenophilesand#8217; interest in geology and vice versa. Both a fascinating introduction to the geology of France that will satisfy wine lovers with plentiful descriptions of beverages and wineries and a perfect textbook for anyone pursuing a sommelierand#8217;s pin.and#8221;
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and#8220;Frankel takes readers on what might be called a tour de terroir, a swift, chatty, and generally readable survey of French wherenesses, the famous and not-so-famous places where French fine wine is sourced.and#8221;
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and#8220;A geologist by profession, Frankel has a fluent amateurand#8217;s enthusiasm for a tour around a vineyard; managing to find plenty of viticulteurs for inclusion in the book as keen as he is, displaying their soils and subsoils in proud tasting-room glass cases. Frankel tours Franceand#8217;s wine-making regions not following Hugh Johnson and Jancis Robinsonand#8217;s canonical and gazillion-selling Wine Atlas, but instead using as a guide the eras of geological time. Sounds a bit academic and dull? Itand#8217;s definitely not.and#8221;
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and#8220;I have never encountered a book quite like this one. In careful detail, it tells the geological history of France, at each point linking the character of the countryand#8217;s wines to the underlying geology of the land on which the grapes are grown. The story proceeds chronologically, starting 500 million years ago, when great oceans were swallowed up during tectonic shifts, and ends just 10,000 years ago, at the moment when the Strait of Gibraltar broke open and the Mediterranean ceased to be an inland sea. Throughout, one is struck by the violence and diverand#173;sity of geological change and by the overarching lesson that few things are as essential to a place as its terroir.and#8221;
Review
and#8220;Geologist Charles Frankeland#8217;s Land and Wine: The French Terroir is not soand#160; much a scientific exposand#233; as it is a beautifully described love triangle involving wine, rocks, and French history. With stories of Charles the Fat (839 to 888 CE), Philip the Bold (1342 to 1404), and Joan of Arc (1412 to 1431), each a contributor to the development of different wine regions, one cannot help but be entranced by this delightful interplay of history, wine, and the geologic evolution of the European continent.and#8221;
Synopsis
Acclaimed importer and wine guru Terry Theise, long known for his top-notch portfolio and his illustrious writing, now offers this opinionated, idiosyncratic, and beautifully written testament to wine. What constitutes beauty in wine, and how do we appreciate it? What role does wine play in a soulful, sensual life? Can wines of place survive in a world of globalized styles and 100-point scoring systems? In his highly approachable style, Theise describes how wine can be a portal to aesthetic, emotional, even mystical experienceand he frankly asserts that these experiences are most likely to be inspired by wines from artisan producers. Along the way, Theise tells us a little about how he got where he is today, explores the meaning of wine in the lives of vintners he has known, and praises particular grape varieties. Reading between the Wines is a passionate tribute to wineand to what it can say to us once we learn to listen.
Synopsis
"There is only one reason that the American wine enthusiast is now completely enamored with German and Austrian wines: Terry Theise! This glorious book not only brilliantly showcases one man's love affair with all the beauties that can flow from the bottle, it definitively makes the case for the wines that are the most superbly suited to be served with food."Chef Charlie Trotter
"Terry Theise's humane, subtle and engaging book illustrates the superiority of wisdom to mere knowledge. Read and be richer."Andrew Jefford, columnist for Decanter and The World of Fine Wine
"Impassioned, insistent, and inimitable, Terry Theise is America's foremost wine philosopher. Lots of writers can explain the "what" of wine. Terry, uniquely, inspires us with the 'why'. I devoured Reading Between the Wines; it's the single best book I've ever read on why wine matters."Karen MacNeil, author of The Wine Bible
"If you think you know something about wine, try Terry Theise's Reading Between the Wines because until you do, you haven't really started."Tom Stevenson, author of Sotheby's Wine Encyclopedia
Synopsis
A companionable guide to the geology and soil (terroir) of the best vineyards in France.and#160; There exist only a handful of technical books about theand#160;terroirand#160;of France, and experts tell us there is always room for one moreand#151;especially if it is written in accessible prose.and#160; Charles Frankel is a geologist, adventurer, and science writer who has published books about geology, history of the earth (dinosaurs!), and outer space.and#160; Here, he deciphers the influence of the land on the aroma and quality of wines.and#160; Although the grape variety, climate, and skill of the winemaker are essential components, Frankel ably demonstrates how the geology also has a notable influence on the vineyard, the flavors and qualities of wine. The book takes us on a journey to experience the land of France, to admire the landscape, tracing the ancient history of its soil and subsoil, meeting the proprietors of vineyards, and enjoying some of the best wines along the way.and#160; The journey begins 445 million years ago and traces the development of the area that is now continental France up to the present day.and#160; We come to understand why the Beaujolais region produces its distinctive flavors and aromas (thanks to preponderances of manganese, sodium, and certain and#147;rotten rocksand#8221;).and#160; We tour Alsace and Touraine, Provence and Languedoc, Champagne, Bordeaux, the Rhone Valley, and other areas.and#160; Frankel proves an able and interesting tour guide.and#160; He also provides maps, detailed compositional tables of specific vintages, technical drawings of regional geologies, a glossary of terms, and an index of useful websites.
About the Author
Terry Theise, winner of the James Beard Foundation Award for Outstanding Wine and Spirits Professional, is an importer of boutique wines from Germany, Austria, and Champagne. His articles have appeared in The World of Fine Wine magazine. He was Wine and Spirits magazines Man of the Year in 2001 and Food and Wine magazines Importer of the Year in 2006.
Table of Contents
Prefaceand#160;1. Savenniandegrave;res and Other Wines of Anjou2. Beaujolais3. Alsace4. Pouilly-Fuissandeacute; and Other Wines of Mandacirc;connais5. Corton and Other Wines of Burgundy6. Sancerre and the Upper Loire Valley7. The Central Loire Valley: Bourgueil, Chinon, and Saumur8. Vineyards of Provence9. Languedocandrsquo;s Vines and Dinosaurs10. Champagne11. Bordeaux12. The Rhandocirc;ne Valleyand#160;
GlossaryBibliographyIndex of Geographical and Wine NamesGeneral Index