Delectable, fresh tastes at amazingly great prices: the wines of North and South America, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa are challenging the dominance of established European classics and setting new standards for lovers of the grape everywhere. One of the world's most highly respected wine experts answers all your questions in the first comprehensive treatment of the subject, analyzing exactly why New World Wines are so special and so popular. Meet the influential winemakers whose products have won over the world market, and become an insider clued into the best vineyards in every area. A buyer's guide will aid you in collecting the finest the New World has to offer, from California's Bonny Doon winery to Chile's ErrÁzuriz to Australia's Henschke. With numerous boxed features and color photos that capture the grape-filled farmlands, the winemaking process, and glasses filled with reds, whites, and sparkling wines so tempting you'll want to rush right to the store!
This latest offering on wines from North and South America, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa is most valuable as a "select overview" rather than a "complete guide." The author's research abilities and credentials--she is a wine writer with experience in the trade--are evident in the book's lively tone, entertaining trivia, excellent historical perspective, tight organization, and coverage of winemaking techniques. Kudos, too, for an update on the South African wine industry. Yet there are some curious editorial decisions: Why, for example, is virtually equal space given to the wines of Brazil and to those of Washington State? And although personal admiration was the worthy criterion used in choosing winemakers to interview, that decision reaffirms the impression that this work is "select" rather than "complete." Recommended for general collections.
-Wendy Miller, Lexington P.L, KY
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