The Geography of Wine: How Landscapes, Cultures, Terroir, and the Weather Make a Good Drop

by Brian J. Sommers

Overview

Wine is more than taste, smell, and appearance—it is a reflection of a place and its people. Why is Bordeaux a great place for red wines? Why do some places produce Rieslings and others produce Chardonnay? A fun and fascinating examination of terroir (the French word for the geography of a vineyard) this book takes connoisseurs—and potential connoisseurs—on a tour of wine regions, and explains the principles geographers use to understand the critical factors that make up the “wine character” of a place. From the Loire Valley to Napa Valley, Madeira to South Africa, Australia to Chile, The Geography of Wine is an entertaining and informative introduction to viticulture for worldly wine lovers everywhere.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781101213544
Publisher:	Penguin Publishing Group
Publication date:	02/26/2008
Sold by:	Penguin Group
Format:	eBook
Pages:	304
Sales rank:	582,701
File size:	799 KB
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Dr. Brian J. Sommers is the Assistant to the Dean of the College of Liberal Arts & Social Sciences and Director of the International Studies program at Central Connecticut State University. He has a Ph.D in Geography from the University of Arizona. His research and teaching interests are in cultural geography and heritage landscapes. Dr. Sommers’ interests in wine are as a result of work done while pursuing his master’s degree at Miami University (Ohio). He is the author of The Geography of Wine.

Table of Contents

Geography and the Study of Wine     1
Wine Landscapes and Regions     11
Saint-Emilion     19
The Climatology of Viticulture     23
Spain     40
Microclimate and Wine     45
The Rhine and Its Tributaries     55
Grapes, Soil, and Terrior     59
Bordeaux     78
Biogeography and the Grape     83
The Loire Valley     95
Viticulture, Agriculture, and Natural Hazards     101
California     122
Wine and Geographic Information Systems     127
Oregon and Washington State     136
Winemaking and Geography     141
Oporto and Cadiz     151
Wine Diffusion, Colonialism, and Political Geography     157
South Africa and Chile     169
Urbanization and the Wine Geography     175
Burgundy     179
Economic Geography and Wine     187
Australia     195
Communism, Geography, and Wine     199
Eastern Europe     207
Geography and Wine's Competitors: Beer, Cider, and Distilled Spirits     211
Scotland     219
Wine, Culture, and the Geography of Temperance     223
America East of the Rockies     230
Regional Identity, Wine, and Multinationals     235
Champagne     249
Localism and Wine Tourism     253
Central Italy     259
Where Wine Takes Me     263
Appendix     273
Further Reading     277
Index     281
Photo Credits     291

Editorial Reviews

Sommers, a professor of geography, explains the role that landscape, history, economics and culture play in wine regions from Burgundy to Australia to California. While the varied microclimates of the Rhineland, for example, and unique soil of Bordeaux make for exquisite Riesling from the former and the characteristic cabernet sauvignon of the latter, environmental conditions like these are but one part of viticulture's complex geography. Historical factors such as colonialism, trade and urbanization also determine what wines are cultivated and where. As well, the economic geography of contemporary vineyards is ever-evolving: retail venues and the marketability of a product vary enormously, the Internet has broadened the market for wine and conglomerates are an increasing presence. In his wide-ranging analysis of the obvious and imperceptible elements that characterize a wine region and its rewards, Sommers tips his glass to the steadfast amour between viticulture and geography. (Mar.)

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Publishers Weekly

Sommers, a professor of geography, explains the role that landscape, history, economics and culture play in wine regions from Burgundy to Australia to California… Historical factors such as colonialism, trade and urbanization also determine what wines are cultivated and where. As well, the economic geography of contemporary vineyards is ever-evolving: retail venues and the marketability of a product vary enormously, the Internet has broadened the market for wine and conglomerates are an increasing presence. In his wide-ranging analysis of the obvious and imperceptible elements that characterize a wine region and its rewards, Sommers tips his glass to the steadfast amour between viticulture and geography.”—Publishers Weekly

“Draws together a number of valuable perspectives on wine, wine culture, and the wine business into one place. For wine consumers whose education on the subject has been hit and miss—and again, that would be most of us—it's a productive read.”—Vinography.com

“An interesting study of humanity’s long and varied relationship with Vitis vinifera. Wine enthusiasts will find this book of value, and by reading it, some may well come to a greater appreciation of the geographical perspective.”—David M. Cochran, Jr., Southeastern Geographer

From the Publisher