Paul Lukacs

Heavy Hardcover (2 to 4 lbs)

Illinois

The Top Forty Vintners, Vineyards, and Vintages

The stories behind America's finest wines, and the people and places that have made them so admired today.



Not too long ago, American wine was an object of ridicule. When compared to the great growths of Europe, it played in the minor leaguesif 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. 40 maps, 40 photographs.

The Great Wines of America

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George M. Taber

Hardcover (1 to 2 lbs)

Tradition, Romance, Science, and the Battle for the Wine Bottle

In Judgment of Paris, George M. Taber masterfully chronicled the historic 1976 wine tasting when unknown California wines defeated top French ones, marking a major turning point in wine history. Now he explores the most controversial topic in the world of wine: What product should be used to seal a bottle? Should it be cork, plastic, glass, a screwcap, or some other type of closure still to be invented? For nearly four centuries virtually every bottle of wine had a cork in it. But starting in the 1970s, a revolution began to topple the cork monopoly. In recent years, the rebellion has been gathering strength. Belatedly, the cork industry began fighting back, while trying to retain its predominant position. Each year 20 billion closures go onto wine bottles, and, increasingly, they are not corks. The cause of the onslaught against cork is an obscure chemical compound known as TCA. In amounts as low as several parts per trillion, the compound can make a $400 bottle of wine smell like wet newspaper and taste equally bad. Such wine is said to be "corked." While cork's enemies urge people to throw off the old and embrace new closures, millions of wine drinkers around the world are still in love with the romance of the cork and the ceremony of opening a bottle. With a thorough command of history, science, winemaking, and marketing, Taber examines all sides of the debate. Along the way, he collects a host of great characters and pivotal moments in the production, storage, and consumption of wine, and paints a truly satisfying portrait of a wholly intriguing controversy. As Australian winemaker Brian Croser describes it: "It's scary how passionate people can be on this topic. Prejudice and extreme positions have taken over, and science has often gone out the window."

To Cork or Not to Cork

9379f856-e246-4917-aa06-2ec12ffd5929-1

Gerald Asher

Interesting book on wine by the editor of Gourmet magazine 

Heavy Paperback (2 to 4 lbs)

Reflections on Wine

Vineyard Tales

1692b9db-916b-4bae-8a3c-17a85244d274-0

Christy Campbell

How Wine Was Saved for the World

Describes how French botanist Jules-Émile Planchon, aided by American entomologist Charles Valentine Riley, came up with a solution to a devastating plague of aphids that nearly destroyed the French wine industry.

The Botanist and the Vintner

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Jay McInerney

Jay at his finest, writing about what he loves : wine. 

Adventures in Wine

In the two decades sinceBright Lights, Big Cityreinvigorated contemporary fiction, Jay McInerney can claim a great many accomplishments, including the mantle thatSalonhas given him: “the best wine writer in America.” Of his previous collection,Bacchus and Me,Robert M. Parker, Jr., concluded:  “Brilliant, witty, comical, and often shamelessly candid and provocative.” AndThe New York Timesadded: “McInerney’s wine judgments are sound, his anecdotes witty, and his literary references impeccable. Not many wine books are good reads; this one is.” InA Hedonist in the Cellar,he gathers more than five years’ worth of essays and continues his exploration of what’s new, what’s enduring, and what’s surprising, giving his palate a complete workout and the reader an indispensable, idiosyncratic guide to a world of almost infinite variety. Rieslings from the Finger Lakes, Armagnac from Gascony, powerhouse amarones from Valpolicella, the most fearsome critics in England, chocolate-friendly bottles from all over the globe, new developments in Chile and Argentina—these are only some of the delights now ready to be savored in a collection driven not only by wine itself but also the people who make it and those whose enjoyment is matched by their curiosity.  Full of terroir and flavor, svelte personalities, and keen insight into the trade, these are irresistible essays for anyone enthralled by the manifold pleasures of wine.

A Hedonist in the Cellar

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Todd Kliman

A Forgotten Grape and the Untold Story of American Wine

A rich romp through untold American history featuring fabulous characters,The Wild Vineis the tale of a little-known American grape that rocked the fine-wine world of the nineteenth century and is poised to do so again today.


Author Todd Kliman sets out on an epic quest to unravel the mystery behind Norton, a grape used to make a Missouri wine that claimed a prestigious gold medal at an international exhibition in Vienna in 1873. At a time when the vineyards of France were being ravaged by phylloxera, this grape seemed to promise a bright future for a truly American brand of wine-making, earthy and wild. And then Norton all but vanished. What happened?
     The narrative begins more than a hundred years before California wines were thought to have put America on the map as a wine-making nation and weaves together the lives of a fascinating cast of renegades. We encounter the suicidal Dr. Daniel Norton, tinkering in his experimental garden in 1820s Richmond, Virginia. Half on purpose and half by chance, he creates a hybrid grape that can withstand the harsh New World climate and produce good, drinkable wine, thus succeeding where so many others had failed so fantastically before, from the Jamestown colonists to Thomas Jefferson himself. Thanks to an influential Long Island, New York, seed catalog, the grape moves west, where it is picked up in Missouri by German immigrants who craft the historic 1873 bottling. Prohibition sees these vineyards burned to the ground by government order, but bootleggers keep the grape alive in hidden backwoods plots. Generations later, retired Air Force pilot Dennis Horton, who grew up playing in the abandoned wine caves of the very winery that produced the 1873 Norton, brings cuttings of the grape back home to Virginia. Here, dot-com-millionaire-turned-vintner Jenni McCloud, on an improbable journey of her own, becomes Norton’s ultimate champion, deciding, against all odds, to stake her entire reputation on the outsider grape.
     Brilliant and provocative,The Wild Vineshares with readers a great American secret, resuscitating the Norton grape and its elusive, inky drink and forever changing the way we look at wine, America, and long-cherished notions of identity and reinvention.


From the Hardcover edition.

The Wild Vine

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Philip M. Wagner

Book is in great condition physical condition. However there s highlighting throughout. 

Light Paperback (1 lb or less)

Back by popular demand, this guide to grape cultivation covers everything from establishing a vineyard to vine ailments. Suitable for both amateur and commercial growers, it considers viticulture conditions throughout North America.

A Wine-Growers Guide

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Katherine Cole

Great book on oregons biodynamic wine scene. 

Oregon's Astonishing Biodynamic Winegrowers

Could cow horns, vortexes, and the words of a prophet named Rudolf Steiner hold the key to producing the most alluring wines in the world--and to saving the planet? InVoodoo Vintnerswine writer Katherine Cole reveals the mysteries of biodynamic winegrowing and explores its practice on Oregon vineyards. Cole's story of biodynamic winegrowing starts on the back of a motorcycle in Persia and ends on a farm where the work is done by draft horses, chickens, and goats. It is a tradition that can be traced from Paleolithic times to the finestdomainesin Burgundy today. At the epicenter of the American biodynamic revolution are the Oregon vintners who believe that this spiritual style of farming results in the truest translations ofterroirand the purest pinot noirs possible. Cole introduces these "voodoo vintners" of Oregon, revealing why the need to farm biodynamically courses through their blood and examining their motivations and rationalizations." Voodoo Vintnersanswers the call of oenophiles everywhere for more information about this "beyond organic" style of farming. Cole's engaging narrative is a must-read for anyone interested in wine, sustainable agriculture, or the food movement.

Voodoo Vintners

ff6a1d09-c1b9-4d6c-8143-ba479d6755e9-0

Ken Kincaid

Peter Knaup

In like new condition other than dj is curled on top and bottom, but is not torn. 

Oversized Hardcover (4 to 6 lbs)

The Great Wines of Bordeaux

Covering the wines of 36 estates, this is an illustrated guide to the domaines of the Medoc, incorporating the most prestigious names of the Bordeaux region, such as Margaux, Pauillac, St Julien and St Estephe. The book presents photographic portraits of the major Medoc estates and labels, and the photographs of the chateaux aim to highlight the character of the architecture and the atmosphere of each estate.

Chateaux of the Medoc

ad549252-42e1-4c6c-885d-e69cf6936107-0

Dale DeGroff

David Wondrich

From Absinthe Cocktail to Whiskey Smash, a Salute in Stories and Drinks to Professor Jerry Thomas, Pioneer of the American Bar - Featuringthe Original Formulae for 100 Classic American Drinks, and a Selection of New Drinks Contributed in His Honor by the Leading Mixologists of Our Time

An informative, anecdotal history of classic American cocktails pays tribute to Jerry Thomas, the father of the American bar, in a study that includes a host of mixology lore, legends, trivia, and more than one hundred recipes for punches, cocktails, sours, fizzes, toddies, slings, and other drinks.

Imbibe!

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Jessica Warner

Gin and Debauchery in an Age of Reason

Craze

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Wayne Curtis

A couple of pages are crimped on top due to paper clip place marks. 

A History of the New World in Ten Cocktails

Through the prism of ten distinctive rum cocktails, dating from the mid-17th century to the present day, this text tells the history of North America and the Caribbean.

And a Bottle of Rum

8dadfaa7-b03f-443e-ba2f-a6bc0c8a962e-1

Joseph Piercy

In new condition other than price sticker residue on dj and a small tear on dj as well. 

Light Hardcover (1 lb or less)

Debauchery, Slavery, Insanity and Melons  The fascinating stories behind 40 delectable, disgusting and dangerous drinks that made history 

Presents a history of famous alcoholic beverages from around the world, including Amarula and Jägermeister and includes recipes using ingredients such as Midori from Japan.

Slippery Tipples - A Guide to Weird and Wonderful Spirits and Liqueurs  

4289936a-f2b0-47e0-87d5-dee569959305-0

Robert V. Camuto

Adventures in the New French Wine Country

Corkscrewed

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Max Watman

An Amateur Outlaw's Adventures in Moonshine

"Chasing the White Dog" offers an intoxicating look at the inner workings of the moonshine business.

Chasing the White Dog

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Adrian Covert

As new except for some small corner dings. 

The battles, booze, and barrooms of the Revolutionary War  

The first visual and narrative account of the American Revolution told through tales about the Colonial-era inns, taverns, and alcoholic beverages that shaped it, Taverns of the American Revolution is equal parts history, trivia, coffee-table book, and travel guide. A Complete Guide to the Spirits of 1776 In 1737, Benjamin Franklin published “The Drinker’s Dictionary,” a compendium of more than two hundred expressions for drinking and drunkenness, such as “oil’d,” “fuzl’d,” and “half way to Concord.” Nearly forty years later, the same barrooms that fostered these terms over bowls of rum punch helped sow the seeds of revolution. Taverns of the American Revolution presents the boozing and schmoozing that went on in some of America’s most historic watering holes, revealing the crucial role these public houses played as meeting places for George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, and their fellow Founding Fathers in the struggle for independence. More than a retelling of the Revolutionary War, this unique volume takes readers on a tour of more than twenty surviving colonial taverns; features period artwork, maps, and cocktail recipes; and is filled with trivia and anecdotes about the drinking habits of colonial Americans. From history buffs and those interested in colonial architecture and art to tavern goers, beer aficionados, trivia lovers, and those keen on hitting a few historic pubs on their road trip through the original thirteen colonies, this one-of-a-kind compendium is the ultimate guide to the taverns that helped spark a revolution. Includes: -Commentary on more than twenty surviving colonial taverns Period artwork, maps, and documents -A detailed time line of the events leading up to, during, and immediately after the American Revolution -Six colonial cocktail recipes -A comprehensive index of more than one hundred fifty surviving colonial taverns -An abundance of little-known facts and anecdotes that will have you owning your next pub quiz trivia night

Taverns of the American Revolution

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Denis Duhme

Katrin Friederichs

Cover in pages are all in excellent condition. With some very slight dings on the bottom edge. Cover boards are of thick stock. 

Architectural Design for Vinotheques, Wine Bars and Shops

This publication takes a look at the rooms where wine is tasted and enjoyed. It highlights a variety of projects, ranging from winemakers' tasting rooms and salesrooms to more unusual shop concepts and successful examples taken from the gastronomy sector. To provide a glimpse into the development of a design, the authors engage intensively with the architects and contractors to explore the following questions: How did those involved contribute and combine their ideas? What story is told by the project as it begins to take shape? What kind of customers does it appeal to and how should they react to it? Additional essays illustrate how designs are influenced by functional factors, as well as the role played by materials, colour, light, and indeed the spatial concept as a whole in the process of wine tasting.

Wine and Space

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Jancis Robinson

Missing DJ. Book shows wear on bottom of book pages. Pages are tight and damage free. Binding is great except for corner dings. 

Huge Hardcover (6 to 8 lbs)

Edited by award-winning wine writer Jancis Robinson, and with over 3,000 alphabetically-listed entries and a distinguished team of more than seventy international contributors, The Oxford Companion to Wine offers unrivalled coverage of wine in all its aspects: historical, geographical, social,scientific, and cultural. As well as authoritative entries on wine-making, wine appreciation, and the wine trade the book also offers both amateur and professional wine enthusiasts an enormous body of fascinating background information - from Dionysian revels in ancient Greece to Prohibition in1920s America; from decanters, corkscrews, and glasses to soil types, pruning, and labelling.If you have a question about wine, The Oxford Companion to Wine will almost certainly have an answer. Illustrated with hundreds of photographs and drawings, here is the ultimate wine reference book for anyone who wishes to enhance their enjoyment and knowledge of what Ernest Hemingway called `one ofthe most civilized things in the world'.

The Oxford Companion to Wine

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Franck Ferrand

Hugh Johnson

Jean-Paul Kauffmann

Dewey Markham

Christian Sarramon

Great reference book on the chateaux in Bordeaux 

Oversized Paperback (4 to 6 lbs)

A History of the Grands Crus Classés since 1855

"This book takes you on a historical tour of the wine chateaux that established Bordeaux as the worlds benchmark for red wine"--Publisher's description.

Bordeaux Chateaux

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Marilynn Gelfman Karp

Jeremy Franklin Brooke

Focus and great condition. Cover has some scuffs from shelf wear.

A Corkscrew Collection

A splendid (and giftable) visual guide to the beautifully convoluted world of corkscrews Ever since the standardized wine bottle came into use in the eighteenth century, thirsty people have sought a convenient means of removing its cork stopper. At first they employed whatever was at hand—including the helical gun screws used to clean out firearms—but the patent corkscrew emerged by 1795 and soon multiplied into more permutations than the proverbial better mousetrap. In Uncorked, Marilynn Gelfman Karp uses her own collection of corkscrews—carefully chosen both for their inventiveness and for their decorative qualities—to trace the history and evolution of this curious tool. She establishes a taxonomy of the corkscrew, based on the fundamental characteristics of handle, shaft, and screw, and then presents more than 650 individual specimens by category. They range from the simplest “basic T” models to the most whimsical flights of fancy (a folding pair of legs, a seahorse) and the most elaborate mechanical contrivances. Each example is illustrated with superb color photography and fully described. Uncorked is at once a serious contribution to the history of material culture, and a delight to page through. It will be an essential reference for helixophiles (as collectors of these gadgets are called) and an agreeable gift for any corkscrew-wielding wine lover.

Uncorked

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Mark Bitterman

As close to noon, as you can get, without paying the premium for new

500 Bitters; 50 Amari; 123 Recipes for Cocktails, Food and Homemade Bitters

Bitterman's Field Guide to Bitters and Amari

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Eric Miller

Book is an excellent condition, but does show scuffing on the cover. 

An Insider's Guide to the Art and Craft of Wine Making, Taught by the Masters

The Vintner's Apprentice

b27d39df-ad21-4805-937a-80d74f6f2421-0

Michel Dovaz

Michael Broadbent

Cover and all pages are intact and attached. Paperback binding is weak, but no pages are loose.

Best Vintages of the 20th Century

Fine Wines

384008b1-51e8-42d8-9071-98a2aac23795-0

Excellent condition with original dust jacket that shows some amount of shelf wear. 

Completely revised, expanded, and updated. Fourth edition.

The San Francisco Chronicle has called The World Atlas of Wine a glorious book, and now, in its fourth edition, this treasured classic expands its coverage and enhances its beauty, with stunning updated full-color artwork throughout. 1,400 illustrations, 84 photos, 185 maps, 24 charts.

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