Product reviews

In "The Makers of American Wine: A Record of Two Hundred Years," author Thomas Pinney brings into focus the evolution of the American wine industry. And it has been an evolution, as post-Revolutionary War viticulture and winemaking was nothing short of an adventure and a lengthy series of frustrating events. American winemakers had to battle not only phylloxera and a … [Read more...] about Book review: The Makers of American Wine

When John Shafer uprooted his family in 1973 in Chicago and relocated to the Napa Valley, nobody - including Shafer - figured he would develop one of California's greatest wineries. That is the story behind "A Vineyard in Napa," a memoir written by Shafer's son, Doug, and co-author Andy Demsky. By the time the Shafers arrived in Napa Valley, the bad old days of … [Read more...] about Book review: A Vineyard in Napa

A fair bit of wine writing can be rather uninspiring, whether it's a review of wine one might never taste or a story about visiting a winery. So it is a true pleasure to read beautifully written wine literature from someone who has visited the great wine regions of the world and provide a journey through words that transport us there, if only for a few moments. Such is … [Read more...] about Book review: A Carafe of Red