The Finest Wines of California: A Regional Guide to the Best Producers and Their Wines
Unconstrained by tradition or viticultural regulation, California winemakers enjoy a freedom that has resulted in a remarkable range of world-class wines. Beautifully illustrated with original photographs and detailed color maps, this guide introduces California wine by exploring the best that the state has to offer —from lush Sonoma Chardonnay to spicy Santa Barbara Syrah to heady Amador Zinfandel. At the heart of the book, award-winning wine writer Stephen Brook offers 90 intimate profiles of top producers—from Napa and Sonoma to the North and Central coasts, the Sierra foothills, and beyond. Brook also includes general information on California wine history, wine culture, grape varieties, and more. Throughout, he searches for the characteristics that make California wine distinctive despite its tremendous diversity—and finds the answer in the state’s unusual climate, especially the shifting interplay between fog and sun, as well as a lively and constant questioning of received ideas about viticulture, vine age, terroir, and winemaking techniques, all of which have helped winemakers to create complexity,individuality, and nuance in their wines.
"1101224911"
The Finest Wines of California: A Regional Guide to the Best Producers and Their Wines
Unconstrained by tradition or viticultural regulation, California winemakers enjoy a freedom that has resulted in a remarkable range of world-class wines. Beautifully illustrated with original photographs and detailed color maps, this guide introduces California wine by exploring the best that the state has to offer —from lush Sonoma Chardonnay to spicy Santa Barbara Syrah to heady Amador Zinfandel. At the heart of the book, award-winning wine writer Stephen Brook offers 90 intimate profiles of top producers—from Napa and Sonoma to the North and Central coasts, the Sierra foothills, and beyond. Brook also includes general information on California wine history, wine culture, grape varieties, and more. Throughout, he searches for the characteristics that make California wine distinctive despite its tremendous diversity—and finds the answer in the state’s unusual climate, especially the shifting interplay between fog and sun, as well as a lively and constant questioning of received ideas about viticulture, vine age, terroir, and winemaking techniques, all of which have helped winemakers to create complexity,individuality, and nuance in their wines.
39.95 In Stock
The Finest Wines of California: A Regional Guide to the Best Producers and Their Wines

The Finest Wines of California: A Regional Guide to the Best Producers and Their Wines

The Finest Wines of California: A Regional Guide to the Best Producers and Their Wines

The Finest Wines of California: A Regional Guide to the Best Producers and Their Wines

Paperback(First Edition)

$39.95 
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Overview

Unconstrained by tradition or viticultural regulation, California winemakers enjoy a freedom that has resulted in a remarkable range of world-class wines. Beautifully illustrated with original photographs and detailed color maps, this guide introduces California wine by exploring the best that the state has to offer —from lush Sonoma Chardonnay to spicy Santa Barbara Syrah to heady Amador Zinfandel. At the heart of the book, award-winning wine writer Stephen Brook offers 90 intimate profiles of top producers—from Napa and Sonoma to the North and Central coasts, the Sierra foothills, and beyond. Brook also includes general information on California wine history, wine culture, grape varieties, and more. Throughout, he searches for the characteristics that make California wine distinctive despite its tremendous diversity—and finds the answer in the state’s unusual climate, especially the shifting interplay between fog and sun, as well as a lively and constant questioning of received ideas about viticulture, vine age, terroir, and winemaking techniques, all of which have helped winemakers to create complexity,individuality, and nuance in their wines.

Product Details

ISBN-13: 9780520266582
Publisher: University of California Press
Publication date: 03/07/2011
Series: The World's Finest Wines , #4
Edition description: First Edition
Pages: 320
Sales rank: 924,255
Product dimensions: 6.70(w) x 8.80(h) x 0.90(d)

About the Author

Stephen Brook writes on California wine regularly for Decanter and World of Fine Wine, among other publications. He is the author of fifteen books on wine, including Bordeaux: Medoc and Graves, The Complete Bordeaux, Pocket Guide to California Wine, and The Wines of California, and is in demand as an international wine judge.

Table of Contents

Foreword by Hugh Johnson
Preface

Introduction

1 Climate: Of Sun and Fog
2 History and the Market: From Mission to Grand Ambition
3 Wine Culture: A Democracy of Wine
4 Rules and Regulations: Defining California
5 Viticulture: Growing the Vines
6 Grape Varieties: Cabernet to Zinfandel
7 Wine and Winemaking: Style Wars

The Finest Producers and Their Wines
8 Mendocino
9 Napa Valley
10 Sonoma
11 Sierra Foothills
12 Santa Cruz Mountains
13 Monterey
14 San Luis Obispo
15 Santa Barbara
16 Significant Others

Appreciating the Wines
17 Vintages: Year by Year 2009–1990
18 Top-Ten Tables: The Finest 100

Glossary
Bibliography
Index
Author’s Acknowledgments
Photographic Credits

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

"An important contribution to the wine literature on California."—California Grapevine

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