Synopses & Reviews
American wine--once an object of ridicule--now holds its own against the world's best. But which wines are America's finest? Who makes them? In , Paul Lukacs selects forty wines that have helped elevate American wine to unprecedented heights. Each chapter contains the specific wine's history, the vintner's vision for it, a map of its , and a list of successful vintages. Not too long ago, American wine was an object of ridicule. When compared to the great growths of Europe, it played in the minor leagues--if it even played the same game. All that has changed. At the start of the twenty-first century, the finest American wines hold their own with the best made anywhere. But which wines are these? And who are the people responsible for them? Because American vineyards are largely devoid of tradition, American vintners have had to make choices unknown to their Old World counterparts. These involve which grapes to grow, where best to plant the vines, and, most important, how to create rather than merely emulate truly distinctive wines. tells the story of how those choices, made successfully, have elevated American wine to unprecedented heights of quality and renown.
Review
"Mr. Lukacs's list could easily have resulted in a familiar, ho-hum rendition of greatest hits, but he refuses to settle for that. Instead, he offers a group of wines that is fiercely individual, in which distinctiveness is as important as critical approval." Eric Asimov
Review
"Lukacs, who is rapidly becoming our leading expert on domestic wine, explains with engaging prose how these wines, and the people behind them, have been essential to the coming of age of American wine." New York Times
Synopsis
Collects the stories of some of America's foremost wines and winemakers, explaining how American vintners have achieved unique results because of their separation from Old World traditions, in an account that sheds light on how key choices led to some of the world's most distinguished vintages. Reprint.
Synopsis
Not too long ago, American wine was an object of ridicule. When compared to the great growths of Europe, it played in the minor leagues if it even played the same game. All that has changed. At the start of the twenty-first century, the finest American wines hold their own with the best made anywhere. But which wines are these? And who are the people responsible for them? Because American vineyards are largely devoid of tradition, American vintners have had to make choices unknown to their Old World counterparts. These involve which grapes to grow, where best to plant the vines, and, most important, how to create rather than merely emulate truly distinctive wines.The Great Wines of America tells the story of how those choices, made successfully, have elevated American wine to unprecedented heights of quality and renown. "
Synopsis
The stories behind America's finest wines, and the people and places that have made them so admired today.
About the Author
Paul Lukacs is the author of American Vintage and The Great Wines of America. A James Beard, Cliquot, and IACP award winner, he has been writing about wine and its cultural contexts for nearly twenty years. He is a professor of English at Loyola University of Maryland, where he directs the University's Center for the Humanities. He lives in Baltimore.