Wine and Philosophy: A Symposium on Thinking and Drinking Wine & Philosophy offers a collection of essays which explore a range of philosophical topics related to food; it joins Food & Philosophy and Beer & Philosophy in in the “Epicurean Trilogy.” Essays are organized thematically and written by philosophers, wine writers, and winemakers.

• Chapters include, “The Art & Culture of Wine”; “Tasting & Talking about Wine”; “Wine & Its Critics”; “The Beauty of Wine”; “The Metaphysics of Wine”; and “The Politics & Economics of Wine”
• Essays are accessible to a general audience while at the same time covering some serious philosophical ground
• Incorporates traditional areas of philosophical study, including philosophy of language, philosophy of perception, aesthetics, metaphysics, ethics and political philosophy
• A great complimentary text to any guided-tour visit to the Napa Valley or other wineries

Customer Review: Excellent!
This book provides an excellent overview of the enjoyment and the evaluation of wine, as well as discussion of the philosophical issues surrounding these areas. It combines experts from philosophy, wine tasting and the wine industry. Not only are the essays informative and thought-provoking, but moreover they are enjoyable to read! A great volume!

How and Why to Build a Wine Cellar, Fourth Edition New (1998) third edition of the definitive guide to the construction of a home wine cellar. Over 20,000 copies in print. Chapters on temperature, humidity, insulation, construction techniques, bins, refrigeration, newsletter reviews, and much more. An underground classic.
Customer Review: Wine Cellar Construction Guide
This book has been extremely helpful. To be honest, I was a bit disappointed when I received it as it wasn’t covered in color pictures of steps along the way, as other books include. However, in browsing other books they fail to address the details and precautions based on experience that the author’s instructions provide. The author does a great job of defining the steps, yet allowing the reader to develop his own designs to suit his needs. Books with pictures would tend to sway the reader to try to build what they see. Thanks again for developing this guide.
Customer Review: An excellent book for anyone building a wine cellar.
I’ve used this book with great success, building two wine cellars of our own, and advising a number of other people on problems they faced in their own cellars.

It’s been vetted on a number of the wine discussion groups, in particular one the WineLovers Page where 25 to 30 different people have used it, and commented on it favorably.

Folks might be interested in the sort of problems you may have building a wine cellar; from recent email correspondence:

Hi Bob: Hope this finds you well and enjoying the holidays. So, I’ve got my wine cellar built and seems to be well-insulated, after adding a couple coats of paint on the interior walls and some molding, I’ll be ready to bring the wine in.

*****

Hi ______: Let’s plan to get together soon — I’ll send you some dates after the first.

Two thoughts: go very slow with painting the interior of the wine cellar unless aesthetics are very important. In a closed space, you can get some incredible aromas from paint. I’ve lent out my copy of Gold, and can’t remember his specific advice, but my vague memory is that he said don’t paint. You might want to post on that question — I don’t remember anyone discussing it. We didn’t paint either cellar but we didn’t care about aesthetics. I do remember being at a tasting in Glen Rock where the paint smell — especially with the high humidity — persisted for years and clung to the paper in the bottles. Didn’t affect the taste once I was away from the bottle, but it would have been unpleasant at the table. …

*****

Thanks Bob. Unfortunately you got me just after I put a coat of primer in the room, and I was surprised just how much it stunk. (No, it was not discussed in my thread!) Fortunately we have glass sliders on the cellar, not far from this wine room, and it’s a nice warm day (even here) and I’m hoping the smell can clear. At least there’s no wine around for the time being, but now I’ll have to figure on whether to put a coat of something else on there that can hopefully cover up the odor.

*****

Note: Readers of this review can find out what Gold has to say about painting inside the wine cellar by searching in the book on this page. In summary, he suggests that if you use drywall, paint with two coats of water based primer and two coats of water based paint. In the alternative, use a material other than drywall, and don’t paint at all.

*****

Practicality is very, very important in the wine cellar world, and it’s very hard to think of everything. Richard Gold becomes a very good friend indeed. As my friend’s experience suggests, read the book first — and often as construction proceeds. Even experienced builders make mistakes in this specialized field.

Sailing the Wine-Dark Sea: Why the Greeks Matter (Hinges of History) In Sailing the Wine-Dark Sea, his fourth volume to explore “the hinges of history,” Thomas Cahill escorts the reader on another entertaining—and historically unassailable—journey through the landmarks of art and bloodshed that defined Greek culture nearly three millennia ago.

In the city-states of Athens and Sparta and throughout the Greek islands, honors could be won in making love and war, and lives were rife with contradictions. By developing the alphabet, the Greeks empowered the reader, demystified experience, and opened the way for civil discussion and experimentation—yet they kept slaves. The glorious verses of the Iliad recount a conflict in which rage and outrage spur men to action and suggest that their “bellicose society of gleaming metals and rattling weapons” is not so very distant from more recent campaigns of “shock and awe.” And, centuries before Zorba, Greece was a land where music, dance, and freely flowing wine were essential to the high life. Granting equal time to the sacred and the profane, Cahill rivets our attention to the legacies of an ancient and enduring worldview.
Customer Review: Excellent Historian
Thomas Cahill is arguably one of the best historians writing today.
The Hinges of History series is phenomenal.
Customer Review: Aegean Genesis
All of the books in Thomas Cahill’s Hinges of History popular history series are engaging and occasionally irreverent. Sometimes, however, a book’s title premise does end up seeming just a bit smaller than the number of pages allotted to it. In “Sailing the Wine-Dark Sea, Why the Greeks Matter,” the reverse is true. The book’s covers struggle to contain the ideas within. To paraphrase Peter Benchley: You’re going to need a bigger book. Cahill doesn’t though. Somehow he manages to fit much of the genesis of the long journey to who we are today within the book’s 304 pages of text and appendices. The reader will find philosophy, theatre, history, sculpture and rhetoric, and many other Greek roots of Western civilization, all bubbling up in Mr. Cahill’s happy cauldron.

After reading Edith Hamilton’s classic popular history “The Greek Way,” a person could legitimately feel that he or she has learned much through Ms. Hamilton’s literate and well-reasoned presentation of ancient Greek thought and deed. On the other hand, when a reader finishes “Why the Greeks Matter,” he or she may feel the need to rush out and devour Homer, Aeschylus, Pindar, Sappho and Plato. That same reader may also feel a compulsion to book a flight to Greece in order to be able to look up from a guide book and see the Parthenon atop the Acropolis or to sail the wine-dark sea in a ship of any hue.

The Greeks do matter, and Mr. Cahill makes a reader want to realize that truth.

To Cork or Not To Cork: 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.”
Customer Review: At last the truth is out
George Taber has finally unearthed what so many of us in the wine industry have been saying; Closures are dependent on the varietal, region and the target consumer. Mr. Taber has taken a rather dull topic and made a page turner book revealing personal and industry stories of the history of wine closures and their varying success. This author has obviously spent a lot time investigating and interviewing notables in the wine world to bring us all up to speed. I hope this book reaches international readership so the wine world can continue its quest for quality and ultimately, a better consumer experience.
Customer Review: Romancing the Cork
TO CORK OR NOT TO CORK outlines the history of how wine has been protected over the years utilizing wonderful stories of successes and failures in protecting the “nectar of the the gods.” George Taber’s historical perspectives bring light from various perspectives as to what has been used to preserve wine from the oxidizing air. Wine makers want to protect their wines and provide their buyers with the best wine possible. Customers want the romance of “poping that cork.” The cork industry wants to preserve its business. Mr. Taber looks at these various perspectives and provides further alternatives, like ZORKS. This book reads well and is broken out in manageable chapters for reading. I highly recommend this book for any wine lover. It will definitely open a new perspective in wine appreciation. George Taber’s expereinces in writing for a national magazine for many years plus his love for wine make this book enjoyable reading. The passion reads well in this book!

The Science of Wine: From Vine to Glass This essential and groundbreaking reference gives a comprehensive overview of one of the most fascinating, important, and controversial trends in the world of wine: the scientific and technological innovations that are now influencing how grapes are grown and how wine is made. Jamie Goode, a widely respected authority on wine science, details the key scientific developments relating to viticulture and enology, explains the practical application of science to techniques that are used around the world, and explores how these issues are affecting the quality, flavor, and perception of wine. The only complete resource available on the subject, The Science of Wine: From Vine to Glass engagingly discusses a wide range of topics including terroir, biodynamics, the production of “natural” or manipulation-free wines, the potential effect of climate change on grape growing, the health benefits of wine, and much more.

Covers some of the most hotly debated issues including genetically modified grape vines, sulphur dioxide, the future of cork, and wine flavor chemistry
More than 100 illustrations and photographs make even the most complex topics clear, straightforward, and easy to understand
Engagingly written for a wide audience of students, winemakers, wine professionals, and general readers interested in the science of wine
Customer Review: Excellent Wine Read
I echo the praise for this book. As a wine geek with a liberal arts background, I was a bit hesitant to get into this book for fear it would lose me quickly. Quite the opposite. While there is plenty of “science” in the book, the book is written in a way that non-scientist types can fully follow and understand everything. There are snippets that go beyond the layman (like me), but overall, the author gets into just enough science without getting overly technical.

And, I greatly enjoyed the organization and structure of the book. I found the process of starting in the vineyard and going through the process up to the glass the exact right approach.

That approach also makes this a book one can do in stages, as each chapter/section is essentially a complete read in itself. I took probably 3 months in total to complete the book. And, having done so, I am ready to start all over again!

Highly recommended for anyone who wants a better understanding of what it takes to actually put the stuff in the glass and make us want to come back for more.
Customer Review: A must read for wine geeks
A generally well-written, informative, balanced, and certainly provocative look at a wide variety of subjects. Brings a welcome dosage of reality to wine, a topic that tends to produce flights of fancy in those who discuss and comment on it (me included), but at the same time the author is careful not to destroy our dearly-held beliefs. In other words, reading this book will enhance your drinking and thinking about wine. I did find myself wondering about how well some of the studies/experiments cited in the book were designed, and I kept hoping for the author to comment on that subject…

Living in a Foreign Language: A Memoir of Food, Wine, and Love in Italy

Customer Review: Off to Italy
This is a sleeper. Once you start you cann’t put it down. You are taking on an adventure and you feel part of it. You learn about a true love story and buying a place in Italy and getting to know the locals. The place, food, wine and how about the 400 year old pizza oven. Wonderful..couldn’t put it down. At the end you wonder could they let you rent this place?
Marie, St. Louis, MO
Customer Review: There are much better books out there…
I admit it, me, one of the most dedicated Italophiles around, finally got fed up with this account of Hollywood meets Italy. Even more so with a Jew raving about the pork products. Sheesh! If you want something more than privileged movie stars getting (what else?) the star treatment, try Ferenc Mate’s “The Hills of Tuscany”.

The Red Wine Diet Wine is good for you, and we finally know why.

Wine drinkers are less prone to heart disease, diabetes, and dementia than non-wine drinkers. But what exactly is it about wine that keeps us healthy? Which is better for you, a California Cabernet or Syrah from the south of France? How can you choose wines that both suit your tastes and benefit your health?

In a landmark study, Roger Corder revealed that compounds called procyanidins are the key components of wine for preventing illness. Now, in The Red Wine Diet, he argues that drinking the right kinds of red wine and eating procyanidin-rich foods such as dark chocolate, apples, and berries can help us live to a ripe old age-while enjoying all the pleasures of life.

Corder’s own tests show that, as a result of grape variety, wine-making style, and other factors, some red wines contain much higher levels of procyanidins than others. With a unique personal rating system, he describes the most beneficial wines he’s found to date. And to round out his lifestyle plan, he includes fifty delicious recipes featuring foods that are high in procyanidins.

Corder’s prescription is an easy pill to swallow: Drink red wine every day and live a long and healthy life.
Customer Review: The Red Wine Diet
Roger Corder’s new book provides solid laboratory evidence for the health benefits of red wine. The book is written in a readable style suited for the non-scientist interested in maintaining good health. The key product found in red wine which mediates this healthy effect particularly on the blood vessels of the heart is procyanidin. Dr. Corder has surveyed over 300 red wines from most of the world’s wine regions and has awarded each a heart rating score from 1 to 5 hearts based on procyanidin levels. The book provides the reader with a list of foods and diets which are high in procyanidin as well.The book serves as a ready resource for anyone interested in locating wines and foods rich in procyanidin.
Customer Review: Wine and beyond wine
By starting with red wine, then identifying the compounds in red wine that are responsible, and then showing that other foods containing the same compounds can have the same health benefits, Dr. Corder helps his readers step away from fad science onto solid science. In passing he trashes resveratrol (p36-7) - a further service. As with all one-topic books, this one is fluffed out to book length by including general nutrition & health information and about 50 pages of recipes. For the hard-core scientists there are about 20 pages of references.

Wine and War: The French, the Nazis, and the Battle for France’s Greatest Treasure The remarkable untold story of France’s courageous, clever vinters who protected and rescued the country’s most treasured commodity from German plunder during World War II.

“To be a Frenchman means to fight for your country and its wine.”
–Claude Terrail, owner, Restaurant La Tour d’Argent

In 1940, France fell to the Nazis and almost immediately the German army began a campaign of pillaging one of the assets the French hold most dear: their wine. Like others in the French Resistance, winemakers mobilized to oppose their occupiers, but the tale of their extraordinary efforts has remained largely unknown–until now. This is the thrilling and harrowing story of the French wine producers who undertook ingenious, daring measures to save their cherished crops and bottles as the Germans closed in on them. Wine and War illuminates a compelling, little-known chapter of history, and stands as a tribute to extraordinary individuals who waged a battle that, in a very real way, saved the spirit of France.
Customer Review: War and Peace it isn’t - nor is it intended to be
Readers should take their cue from the length and title of this book. No book of this size can definitively cover the wine industry in France nor can it address at any length the effects of war on this country. This in not the intent of the authors though, who make it clear in the introduction that this book is instead a collection of stories that give insight into the effects that wars have had on the French people, their wine industry, and the ways some of those in the industry dealt with the German occupation.

For readers who have an interest in both viticulture and winemaking, Wine & War introduces an interesting perspective. Students of winemaking understand the importance of terroir, vineyard management, and enology techniques. How often however, have those of us fortunate enough not to have lived in a war torn country, had to think about bomb craters, poisons leaching into the soil from chemical shells, and no manpower to work the fields? The beginning of the book also briefly discusses previous wars and helps remind us that the seeds of World War II were sown by the Treaty of Versailles, negatively affecting the victors as well as the vanquished.

This book is interesting in that it explores a topic not previously covered. Don’t make the mistake of expecting an in depth research piece, but rather think of it as an appetizer. Something to whet your appetite for explorations into meatier works or even as a guide to future travels in the French wine country. Wine & War personalizes the ongoing struggle of the growers and winemakers to produce the best wine possible under adverse conditions and helps the reader understand what an important economic resource wine is to France. Recommended to be read by the fireplace with a nice Bordeaux in hand.

Customer Review: Outstanding book!
Got wine?
If you do or don’t, you’ll love Wine and War. This book is a treasure and very good reading.

The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Wine Basics (The Complete Idiot’s Guide) From Chardonnay to Cabernet, discover the world of wine…

The senior editor of Wine & Spirits magazine helps beginners understand everything about wine from the process to popular varieties, from tips for tasting to advice on buying, and more. She also covers world wine regions and offers tips on wine making, storage, etiquette, wine and food pairing, and entertaining.

• Author is a wine expert with contacts throughout the wine world
• The U.S. is the third largest wine-consuming nation in the world and wine consumption in the U.S. has more than doubled in the past 12 years
• Wine books are consistently strong sellers

Customer Review: great first book about wine
This was my perfect first book on wine, after this one I can now chose and read the others. In particular guided tastings are what I will be looking for when I will dig deeper into any given continent, country or region. Main chapters of this book are the 4 or 5 most known varietals for white and red. This way at your own pace you get to know the basics. This book will also help “red wine only” drinkers to discover the world of whites and, why not, vice-versa. I also liked the fact the author gave excellent suggestions to save money where possible. There is also information on different styles (like sparklings or porto for example), accessories and basic notions (one getting closer to this world would need to know something about how wine is produced). Great hints on organizing guided tastings, purchasing at the stores or reading wine lists at the restaurants.
Customer Review: have a winetasting party
this is a great book for anyone wanting to grasp the basics of wine, not knowing where to start! I feel like the author doesn’t talk down to readers who might not know alot about wine already. She explains things thoroughly, so you get involved in chapters, but it’s not overwhelming, esp. because of the helpful summary of key info at the end of each chapter. The setups for the winetastings were really helpful when I had a winetasting party, everyone could participate, have fun, and learn something.

Michelin Red Guide 2008 San Francisco Bay Area & Wine Country (Michelin Guide San Francisco, Bay Area & Wine Country) The Michelin Guide to San Francisco 2008 is the latest title to be updated in a world-renowned series of hotel and restaurant guides. Each listing is recommended by Michelin’s team of anonymous, independent inspectors based on a process that has stood the test of time. Michelin awards select restaurants stars for culinary excellence. The guide is organized by neighborhood and detailed descriptions of each listing provide the reader with a picture of everything from the ambience to the cuisine. This guide celebrates the culinary diversity San Francisco and is perfect for locals and visitors alike.
Customer Review: It makes your mouth water!
I visit the San Francisco area a couple of times a year (actually, I spend most of my time in the Wine Country, where I have family), and it’s always great to have reliable recommendations for dining there. The Michelin San Francisco, Bay Area and Wine Country Guide has the imprimatur of the Michelin name, and I can vouch that its reviews of the dining establishments I’ve “vetted” myself (Spinnaker’s, Brix, Kenwood, Cafe Citti, Wolf House) are absolutely spot-on, which makes me eager to try more of Michelin’s recommendations. I might quibble about the exclusion of a few of my favorite places (particularly the superb Italian cuisine and cozy, old-California ambience of the Swiss Hotel in Sonoma, which I urge the Michelin raters–and whomever is reading this review–to consider), but in general this guide gives readers a cornucopia of excellent restaurants and hotels to choose from.
Customer Review: I’ll sound like a cheapskate but…
the Michelin Guides in Europe, for the most part, are thousands of pages long (2,010 for France, 1,300 for Italy) and are similar in price to the individual guides for San Francisco/Napa, LA, and Las Vegas, none of which are more than 350 pages. I’d really like to see a combo California-Nevada guide. Come to think of it, an “East Coast” (Bos-Wash) guide would be great too. Geographically the populated part of California + the more populated parts of Nevada are about the same size, though only about 75% as populous, as France. The Northeast corridor is similar in population and even smaller geographically, so why not give us a comparable deal? I’d feel a lot better about shelling out the dough every year or two if the US guides had expanded coverage.

Anyway, the guide for San Francisco is well done and worth buying if you live there or get there often. The LA guide I found to be lacking in review quality and to some degree writing style. I don’t know anything about Vegas restaurants.