This author draws inspiration from his youth in the American South, deeply influenced by the unbreakable spirits of the adults he encountered. His extensive travels across the globe enrich his writing with a broader perspective, yet he remains firmly rooted in the soil of his homeland. Through his narratives, he celebrates the resilience and indomitable spirit of those who shaped his understanding of heroism.
Filled with riveting stories and profound insights, an entertaining guide to the world of wine travels the world, recreating each of the wonderful eras of wine consumption, with their varied values and palates, and detailing the anbundance of wine that has been consumed and enjoyed. Reprint.
"A fascinating book that belongs on every wine lover’s bookshelf."—The Wine Economist "It’s a book to read for its unstoppable torrent of fascinating and often surprising details."—Andrew Jefford, Decanter For centuries, wine has been associated with France more than with any other country. France remains one of the world’s leading wine producers by volume and enjoys unrivaled cultural recognition for its wine. If any wine regions are global household names, they are French regions such as Champagne, Bordeaux, and Burgundy. Within the wine world, products from French regions are still benchmarks for many wines. French Wine is the first synthetic history of wine in France: from Etruscan, Greek, and Roman imports and the adoption of wine by beer-drinking Gauls to its present status within the global marketplace. Rod Phillips places the history of grape growing and winemaking in each of the country’s major regions within broad historical and cultural contexts. Examining a range of influences on the wine industry, wine trade, and wine itself, the book explores religion, economics, politics, revolution, and war, as well as climate and vine diseases. French Wine is the essential reference on French wine for collectors, consumers, sommeliers, and industry professionals.