In Search of Bacchus - Wanderings in the Wonderful World of Wine Tourism

Informationen zum Autor George M. Taber Klappentext From the award-winning and critically acclaimed author of Judgment of Paris and To Cork or Not To Cork comes a delightful, entertaining, and informative exploration of the thriving world of wine tourism. George M. Taber set out on the wine lover's ultimate dream: a journey to the twelve most beautiful and fascinating wine-producing regions around the globe. In Search of Bacchus chronicles that experience: the gorgeous landscapes, conversations with winemakers, unforgettable meals, must-do activities, and of course, the taste of the wines. Here he offers suggestions for travelers, commentary on trends in the wine world, charming anecdotes, and recommendations of vintages available in the United States, so that oenophiles at home can live vicariously through his travels. From the Napa Valley, where the art of wine tourism was perfected, to the deserts of Argentina, to a thousand-year-old monastery in Tuscany, to the famed châteaux of Bordeaux, Taber discusses the history, architecture, and culture of each destination in fascinating detail. He provides insight into the latest in the technology, politics, and business of wine, and uncovers a host of interesting characters who are major figures in their local wine worlds, including a Chilean arms merchant, a German-born Polish refugee living in South Africa, the dynamic woman who started the Wine Tourism Movement in Italy, and many more. Taber blends his own wine in Portugal, bungy jumps in New Zealand, and goes on a safari in South Africa, all in the attempt to quench his thirst for fine wine and adventure. An accessible blend of wine lore and travel memoir, In Search of Bacchus is another engaging, immersive read from George M. Taber, sure to satisfy wine lovers everywhere. Leseprobe In Search of Bacchus CHAPTER ONE Three Pioneers Wine fans for centuries have traveled to the birthplaces of their favorite wines in order to enjoy the special pleasure of drinking them where the grapes are grown and the juice fermented. Here are just three—one from the seventeenth century, one from the eighteenth, and one from the nineteenth. John Locke, the English political philosopher whose ideas had a major impact on the American Revolution, was one of the most influential thinkers in the Age of Enlightenment. Among Locke’s revolutionary ideas were the concepts of “government with the consent of the governed” and “the rights of life, liberty, and property.” The latter found its way into the Declaration of Independence as “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” Because of political setbacks at home and his problems with a chronic cough probably due to tuberculosis, Locke, a trained doctor, sought out a more temperate climate away from his home in London. In November 1675, he left for France with the intention of traveling as far south as Montpellier, a city with a major medical practice and where the weather would be much warmer. During his three and a half years in France, the philosopher wrote more than fourteen hundred pages of notes on what he saw and experienced. While living in Montpellier, Locke made several trips to nearby wine regions. He carefully recorded how winemakers went about their craft, the quality of the wine, and the prices. Locke wrote that locals “seldom make red wine without the mixture of some sort of white grapes, else it will be too thick and deep colored.” He also noted that peasants grew several varieties in the same vineyard and described in detail how farmers planted and pruned their vines. The French taught Locke the importance of terroir, the untranslatable term for local vineyard growing conditions, and of blending different kinds of grap...

Product details

• Authors: George M Taber, George M. Taber
• Publisher: Scribner USA
• Languages: English
• Product format: Paperback / Softback
• Released: 23.02.2013
• EAN: 9781416562443
• ISBN: 978-1-4165-6244-3
• Dimensions: 155 mm x 230 mm x 23 mm
• Subject: Guides > Food & drink > Drinks