The Wine Dark Sea A novelist, polemicist, occasional politician, and perennial nominee for the Nobel Prize, Leonardo Sciascia died in 1989. He left behind a formidable array of books, all of which revolve around the hallucinatory realities of Sicilian life. But the stories collected in The Wine-Dark Sea may be the best introduction to his work. They offer a kind of capsule-history of Sicily, ranging through several hundred years and engaging the country’s events from their exhilarating and terrible underside. A good comparison might be the naif’s-eye view of Waterloo that Stendhal creates in The Charterhouse of Parma. (Sciascia recalls Stendhal in other ways, too; he shares the same adamant clarity, the same bone-dry wit, which may explain why he’s always been a hard sell in the United States.)

These tales all have a certain riddling quality, whether they’re providing a nugget of Sicilian history or staging one of Sciascia’s many comedies of ironic disillusionment. The superb title story is about the bottomless chasm separating Sicilians and outsiders, bridged only temporarily by a group of strangers travelling from Rome to Agrigento. “Philology,” the closest thing to a classic Pirandellian exercise, lets us eavesdrop on two mafiosi cramming for an upcoming session with a Commission of Enquiry. The subject: how to answer the question, “What is the Mafia?” They consult a battery of dictionaries, arguing about the merits of various definitions and etymologies. We are left, in the end, with this reply: “Culture, my friend, is a wonderful thing.” So too is fiction, at least in Sciascia’s hands. He offers little in the way of certainty, but his questions, posed with deadly accuracy, are worth the answers of a dozen other authors. –James Marcus, Amazon.com

Wine Away Stain Remover in Plastic Canister (12fl.oz) Customer Review: Quite Simply, This Stuff Works!

I found this product in a cookery shop in Seattle during a business trip, and have had to use it on several occasions. The most dramatic was only a week ago when I spilt a full glass of deep red cabernet sauvignon over a light green carpet and white sofa.

I just dabbed off as much as possible with kitchen towel and then liberally sprayed Wineaway on all the numerous splashes, spots and large areas, leaving it for a few minutes and then mopping up the residue with more towel. A final clean with a normal carpet shampoo (1001) returned the carpet and sofa to new - not a sign of a stain.

The only reason I am on this Amazon page is because I must now get some more, and had to do a Google search to find a UK suppler. Believe me, this is a fantastic product!

Customer Review: Can’t believe it worked!
I’ve never written a review of anything on Amazon before, be it good, bad or indifferent, but I felt I had to re: this product.
We bought a light beige fabric settee from friends, replete with red wine stain on the top, and side of one arm. A good two inches in diameter, trickling down pretty much the whole side of the settee. The plan was to get someone in to chemically clean the pair of settees, and remove the stain at the same time…..that was until I was quoted ?176 plus vat!!! I soon began searching for a cheaper solution. I was concerned that the stain itself had been there for months, it was actually hard, almost like a fabric burn mark.
I decided to buy this product and give it a try. If it didn’t work, well, I’d lost a few quid, but IF it did work, I’d save nearly 200 quid. It was worth the risk. It arrived a few days later, courtisy of Amazon, and I did as instructed, soaking the affected area, left it for a few mins, during which I became even more sceptical as no wine coloured emissions seemed to be drawn out of the settee, then, convinced it wouldn’t work, wiped the affected area with a cloth.
Amazingly almost 90% of the stain dissapeared - still unconvinced, I waited for the settee to dry as I felt it would inevitably leave the stain behind, but it didn’t, it had pretty much gone, and a second application to the area I had not probably covered entirely the first time around, and it was totally gone. So, as you can tell by now, I’m very happy! It seems to be chemical free, so doesn’t bleach anything, something I was worried about on the type of fabric I was using it on, and it smells really fresh and zesty - money very well spent.

Parker’s Wine Buyer’s Guide, 7th Edition: The Complete, Easy-To-Use Reference on Recent Vintages, Prices, and Ratings for More Than 8,000 Wines from A (Parker’s Wine Buyer’s Guide)

The Oxford Companion to Wine Wine head girl Jancis Robinson publishes a new edition of her acclaimed Oxford Companion to Wine, coming as close as anybody is likely to in achieving the unachievable goal of a detailed, comprehensive, single-volume work of reference covering the whole world of wines. Just how daunting the task of keeping up with the now practically supersonic pace of development in many areas of the wine industry must be is indicated by the need, only five years after the first edition, to issue another with updated versions of about half the 3,000 entries. It is an awesome achievement. Wine is now a modern, global industry: Jancis Robinson and her team of contributors require–and deliver–expertise in a really astonishing range of disciplines.

Practically every field of human knowledge seems to have something to contribute. From geology and soil chemistry, through forestry and the nature of the different woods used for barrels and the harvesting of cork bark, to the cultivation of the vine, its training and pruning, and the techniques of fermentation; the list extends even into areas of cutting-edge science such as DNA fingerprinting (which finally in 1997 unravelled the mystery of the parentage of the Cabernet Sauvignon grape–no, wild horses wouldn’t drag it from me, you’ll have to buy the book). This is not to mention the thorough coverage of wine regions and grape varieties, the role of wine through history and its presence in art, the glossary entries. One could go on and on. This is a stupendous feat of organisation. More than that, it is throughout well written and lively, and in possession of a healthy quantity of attitude. –Robin Davidson
Customer Review: FROM VINE TO WINE —— A MINE OF INFORMATION
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Thirty years ago this book could not have been written. With the increasing ascendancy of the New World wine makers and in particular the influence of the Davis campus of the University of California, viticulture and oenology are now rigorous, scientific and commercially oriented professions. This is reflected in the “Oxford Companion to Wine” which has to be the most comprehensive, authoritative and accessible resource dealing with all aspects of the world of wine.

Jancis Robinson who edited this encyclopedia of wine is a highly respected wine writer and educator. She is also very well credentialled, holding the prestigious title of “Master of Wine”.

The real power of this book as an information source is the very effective use of cross-references. Its great fun to see how far one reference will take you on subjects of particular interest to the reader. It would be good to see this book published as a CD-ROM. Hyper-linking all the cross-references would make it even more powerful.

The changes in the wine business over the past generation have seen the previously exclusive, “clubbiness”, almost snobby world of fine wine appreciation opened up to everyone. It is books like this that have provided the sources of knowledge which give people the confidence and curiosity to pursue their interest and enjoyment of wine.

France is the traditional home of fine wine. The French approach to wine making is still dominated by practices and methodologies that go back centuries. It is interesting to see in the “Oxford Companion” the strong contrast between the empirically rigorous New World (particularly USA and Australian) methods and the mystery (or mystique) that even today, shrouds much of the French industry.

One of the best illustrations of this dichotomy in the Companion is the entry on “Terroir”. This French term encapsulates the mystique that defines a particular vine growing area. It goes well beyond the issue of soil and microclimate but instead embraces everything that makes a particular wine unique.

In the “Companion” the terroir debate seems to come down on the side which believes the term is used to cover vagueness and explain characteristics that are otherwise difficult to explain. This allows sometimes ordinary wine to be passed off as something special.

Compare this to the innovative, scientifically supported approaches used in the New World. A good example is the development of “Canopy Management” the varying techniques used to optimize the yield and ripening characteristics of a grapevine.

Similarly we have see the arrival of “flying winemakers” from Australia into regions like the Languedoc-Roussillon area of France. They have introduced stainless steel fermentation vessels, temperature control and meticulous cleanliness, to what was previously a very rough and ready local business. They are now producing some of the some best Merlots, acknowledged by even the French.

This book will no doubt become the definitive reference book on all matters to do with the world of wine. It will be of the highest value to both the wine professional and the enthusiastic wine lover.
Customer Review: comprehensive wine guide for the novice to expert
Great ‘Bible’ for wine lovers. A comprehensive encyclopedia of wine ranging from types of grape and regions of wine production to detailed discriptions of the qualities of different grape varieties. This book is a must for the wine lover or the interested novice. One small criticism would be the over attention to detail in the history of each wine region and not enough comment on the actual flavours and qualities of each grape variety/growing region. Otherwise a top notch publication.

Biodynamic Wines Customer Review: Another invaluable guide.
The first book to tackle the sometimes contentious but rapidly growing world of Biodynamic wine making.

It is written with wit and knowledge and presents arguments that make it difficult to disagree.

The author has a mastery of his subject that is all too often rare in the arena of wine writing. He is unpretentious with it.

Overall, an excellent read if you are interested in wine, biodynamics, food production or the well-being of the planet.

The World Atlas of Wine Customer Review: Excellent book for the right audience
The ever increasing size of this book reflects the increasing interest in wine, so it now lands with an impressive thump on your desktop. Though its content doesn’t always reflect who that new market is.

The authors start with a, rather meandering, description of the history and production of wine and some basic notes on tasting, appreciation and handling of wine. Some of this is very useful, most of it is very basic for someone who already knows the subject and all of it could do with some editing to make the best of their material. Some of it punctures some of the myths about wine such as how long wines should be laid down and do you really need to let wine breath. Elsewhere they perpetuate some of those myths, for example they still seem to give the whole concept of ‘terroir’ an almost mystical reverence.

That introduction, however, is not really the point of this volume. This appears to be aimed at the new wine connoisseur or someone who wants to be a connoisseur. The real body of this is a fairly comprehensive atlas of vineyards and producers. The detail with which they cover their subject is variable but excusably so as it reflects the varying national interest in wine. So France is covered in incredible detail while England, however much it’s wine industry may be growing, is given one brief page. Annoying when you had hoped for something comprehensive but understandable. As long as you stick to well established wine producing regions and buy from those regions this will have something to tell you.

Which, excellent as it is, is also a problem this book has. Ninety per cent of the wine buying public, whether they are buying something cheap and nasty from tescos or something better from a merchant will be buying a blend; a chardonnay or shiraz whose provenance can be narrowed down no more closely than southern Australia, South Africa or so on. Good as those wines are this book doesn’t help in selecting them.

If you’ve moved from just buying a muscadet or whatever to buying ’something from the Loire Valley’ then this is ideal for you. If you want to do so then this is ideal. If you like wine and maps then this is interesting if not useful. If you, like me, are happy buying muscadet and merlot but have no real desire to take your wine buying much further then this is probably not for you. So, interesting but impractical for most of us but excellent for the right audience.

Customer Review: The World According to Wine
At 400 pages, British wine experts Huge Johnson and Jancis Robinson have created their most exhaustive atlas yet, and a tremendous resource. The book is gorgeous - with a generous amount of color illustrations, photos, and maps, including 2 page spreads. All told there are 48 extra pages over the previous edition.

The 6th edition contains 200 maps, all revised and updates, including 20 new maps. The introduction contains essays on wine in the ancient world, vine types, grape varieties, weather, terroir, the wine growers calendar, how wine is made, etc. etc. Robinson has said this new edition took two years of concentrated effort. It was worth it!

Then the authors dive deep into wine regions organized by country. Each region or country covered has a colored map, an essay about the characteristics of the reason, vital statistics, and a few wine labels. France has the most with 55 regions featured, indeed, a quarter of the volume (100 pages) is on France. Italy features 18 regions. Spain 9. Portugal 6. Germany 12. United States 17. Australia 12. New Zealand 4. Other countries covered include: England and Wales, Switzerland, Austria, Hungary, Czech Republic, Slovenia, Western Balkans, Bulgaria, Romania, Former Soviet Republics, Greece, Eastern Mediterranean, North Africa, South Africa, China, Japan, and the rest of Asia. I find the information scant on Chile and Argentina, which is odd given their increased market exposure and rising excellence of wines.

The authors have expanded New World coverage, in keeping with expanded exposure and quality of the wine produced in these regions, for Australia, New Zealand, Argentina, South America, and South Africa. These are additions, with nothing taken away from the previous fabulous coverage of Old & New World wine regions.

Since the first edition in 1971, the World Atlas of Wine has sold more than 4 million copies and I’m happy to add this new 6th edition to my library, especially at such a reasonable price. It’s always a pleasure to look up some background information on tonight’s glass of wine.

Easymade Wine and Country Drinks (Paperfronts) Customer Review: An excellent book for beginners and Experts alike!
This really is a good book. Mrs Gennery-Taylor has written a book which is a good starting point for people who have never made wine before and for those who have. If you have never made any wine but would like to have a go this book is for you. It teaches the basics and tells you what you need. It also contains lot of interesting and very good recipes for you to try. For the experts this book is a good reference and contains a lot of useful tips and information. A pleasure to read!

Home-made Country Wines, beer, mead and methglin

Growing Vines to Make Wines

To Cork or Not to Cork: Tradition, Romance, Science, and the Battle for the Wine Bottle