Order The Botanist and the Vintner: How Wine Was Saved for the World

For 20 years in the mid-1800s phylloxera threatened the wine industry in Europe

Many botanists, entomologists and vintners played a role in identifying the phylloxera, studying its life cycle and devising a means to defeat it. Although he doesn't get much credit in this book, T. V. Munson in the US was crucial in identifying louse resistant vines. Planchon, a professor at the prestigious Montpellier School of Pharmacy, gets credit for identifying the phylloxera aphid as the cause and for tracing its origins to the States.

The book is wonderful in describing Planchon's efforts to convince French growers and scientists that the louse was responsible. It also is wonderful at tracing the differing responses of wine regions as they became infest with the louse.

The French government offered a large cash prize for a solution to the problem; "solutions" included exorcism, mesmerism, "electrical commotions", marching bands, and a marvelous "beating wheelbarrow," with hammers that would pound the soil. Serious consideration was given to an even more absurd solution: make wine from American grapes. The country-life correspondent for Le Temps, after attending a half-dozen tastings of American wines, reported that "not one of those who took part had the courage to empty his glass."

Nonetheless, by grafting French vines on American roots, the louse was defeated. Despite my carping about how Munson is portrayed, this is an excellent wine history.

Robert C. Ross 2008Get more detail about The Botanist and the Vintner: How Wine Was Saved for the World.

Where To Buy Keys to the Cellar: Strategies and Secrets of Wine Collecting

Mr. Meltzer is a solid writer with an excellent wine industry pedigree. He is a collector himself and is the knowledgeable auction correspondent for Wine Spectator as well as being a contributing editor for Food Arts. His column in Wine Spectator is generally the first thing I read in that publication. Along with the "collector spotlight" segment, it is also often the part of the magazine I enjoy the most.

Unfortunately, I found this book somewhat poorly formatted. I think the problem is that the Mr. Meltzer tries to reach too broad an audience while simultaneously providing very pointed material. Truly, this is a book for the serious wine collector, or for the individual with a lot of capital looking to begin collecting. Either way, it is really meant for someone who is looking at wine collecting as an investment vehicle. In that respect, it serves its purpose and certainly deserves the attention of individuals in those categories.

The book starts with a chapter entitled, "A Cellar To Fit Your Lifestyle", setting the reader up for the expectation that the rest of the book is going to follow a model which is tailored to multiple audiences. However, this expectation is at odds with the actual direction of the following chapters. Successive chapters include "Buying and Selling Wine At Auction," and a historical breakdown, "Collecting: A Brief Background," as well as a discussion of The Wine Spectator Auction Index. These are all topics which I find fascinating, but which I believe could be intimidating for someone interested in starting a moderate or low-end collection. It almost feels as though Mr. Meltzer's editor insisted on the inclusion of the first chapter in order to increase the book's sales, after the rest of the book had already been written.

Some of the most enjoyable and interesting segments of the book are the mid-chapter interludes of either case-studies or anecdotes. I suspect that several of these interludes are really just reprints of Mr. Meltzer's Wine Spectator columns, or at least pull quite heavily from them. In many ways, these interludes could make up their own book. If that were the case, it would make for an infinitely easier volume to move through. As it is, the way they are distributed in the book can be distracting and bog the reader down. Additionally, their content is not always directly relevant to the chapter in which they located, thus making them feel as though they're included in a somewhat pell-mell fashion.

Finally, the writing can also feel overly cerebral and somewhat patronizing at turns. The numerous charts and detailed auction information can also feel overwhelming with the small typeface.

At any rate, part of me loves this book for providing information that serious collectors will find useful and which I found highly informative. The rest of me dislikes it for setting itself up as a collecting guide for the masses but then potentially alienating that readership with the layout and content.Get more detail about Keys to the Cellar: Strategies and Secrets of Wine Collecting.

Shop For Hungarian Cook Book: Pleasures of Hungarian Foods and Wines

Excellent cookbook,interesting addtional information. Recepies close to mum's. A bit of a shame that it contained no creative photographs but that was known at the time of purchase. The real value is in the authentic recepies. Get more detail about Hungarian Cook Book: Pleasures of Hungarian Foods and Wines.

Tea Basics: A Quick and Easy Guide

This was the first book I ever bought on tea. It seemed appropriate for a beginner and it indeed was a great place to start.

There were recommendations in the book that I wasn't comfortable with at first, like that getting serious about teaware might include acquiring some Yi Xing teapots.

It didn't take long until the opposite was true. Now I'd be uncomfortable if tea weren't elevated as quite important in my life, demanding all the accoutrements that are appropriate to its graces. Get more detail about Tea Basics: A Quick and Easy Guide.

Steroid Nation: Juiced Home Run Totals, Anti-aging Miracles, and a Hercules in Every High School: The Secret History of America's True Drug Addiction Review

Steroid Nation gives a great overview of how steroids initially hit mainstream bodybuilding and the world of professional sports. The historical battles of the regulatory agencies versus the users/dealers/manufacturers of steroids is chronicled all the way up until 2007.

It was easy to read, and is very much a history book. However, I wouldn't advise anyone else to read it. Why? I saw the movie "Bigger, Stronger, Faster" and it is almost verbatim with what is in this book. The movie is also much more entertaining. The book advantage is that it definitely has more finer details, such as dates and names.

So read the book if you haven't seen the movie, but otherwise, pick one or the other.Get more detail about Steroid Nation: Juiced Home Run Totals, Anti-aging Miracles, and a Hercules in Every High School: The Secret History of America's True Drug Addiction.

Good Spirits: Recipes, Revelations, Refreshments, and Romance, Shaken and Served with a Twist Top Quality

I bought this because it was supposed to have a lot of punch recipes, but there are not that many. I could care less about mixed drinks, just the alcoholic punch, since I don't make individual drinks, just one batch. There are easier recipes online that don't call for exotic liquors and making a syrup. The book is well presented, there are a lot of photos, the author tries to crack jokes about the drinks, but it was not what I wanted. My old cookbook has better punch recipes! If you have a fully stocked bar and like to play bartender, then get this book. If you want drinks for a crowd that don't involve cooking a syrup, go online or find an old cookbook.Get more detail about Good Spirits: Recipes, Revelations, Refreshments, and Romance, Shaken and Served with a Twist.

Peat Smoke and Spirit: A Portrait of Islay and Its Whiskies This instant

I didn't know much about the tiny island of Islay before, other than I liked some of the whiskies that came from there. Thanks to this book, I feel like I've been there on vacation! Mr. Jefford covers the history of the island, current events, and a fairly detailed description of each of the several distilleries currently in operation (which thanks to his writing, he's now made me want to buy a bottle or two from each of them!). If you're at all interested in Islay or its main claim to fame, this is a great book to grab.Get more detail about Peat Smoke and Spirit: A Portrait of Islay and Its Whiskies.

Cognac: The Seductive Saga of the World's Most Coveted Spirit Immediately

This book provides an admirable, if tedious history of the Cognac region through the middle ages. Beyond that, it is basically a bald tout of the Cognac industry with no critical elements to it at all. Worse, it provides virtually NO useful information on the specifics of how Cognac is made beyond grand allusions to how wonderful it is. Very disappointing read and an obvious promotion of the industry and region.

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Stout (Classic Beer Style Series, 10) Best Quality

I have read most of the classic beer style series from Brewers' Publications, and contrary to many of the opinions expressed in reviews so far, I think that _Stout_ by M.J. Lewis is one of the best. _Stout_ is an outstanding book for the serious home-brewer; don't be misled by the unfavorable reviews.

I am, however, glad that I waited to purchase this book. As one reviewer says, it does not provide information for a first time brewer (though such information is readily available in print and online). And as another reviewer suggests, the chapter on stout in Daniels' _Designing Great Beers_ provides a much better *starting point* for stout brewing. Using Daniels' chapter as guide, a brewer can make a passable stout on his first try, and even possibly a great one.

Lewis' _Stout_ is a book for the home- or craft-brewer who can already make a decent stout, but who wants to take it to the next level. The history of Guinness and the account of their brewing methods is interesting, but in terms of practical value, the real heart of this book is chapter 4, "A Taste of Stout".

Chapter 4 begins with a corrective polemic on beer styles, where Lewis argues (reasonably persuasively) that the subdivision of stout styles has rather little to do with flavor profiles and rather more to do with marketing, which in previous, less teetotaling eras, often involved making health claims (hence the wholesome-sounding "oatmeal" and "milk" styles of stout). I personally find beer styles to be extremely helpful in my attempts to explain beers to novice tasters. But as a brewer, I really just want to make a great beer. If it ends up a bit sweet: fine, call it a sweet stout if you'd like; if it ends up a bit astringent and well attenuated: fine, call it a dry stout. If it ends up on the lighter side: call it a porter. What really matters is that the beer tastes great and looks great in the glass.

Lewis takes an empirical approach to profile the sensory qualities of stout. He begins with a deflated definition: a stout is a black or very dark beer that is referred to as a `stout' by its brewer. The rest of chapter 4 is spent supplementing this definition with a statistical analysis of commercial stouts available at the time of writing (1995). No concise definition is ever offered, but correlations and oppositions in the flavor breakdown are discussed at some length. In the course of this discussion, the reader is given a concise introduction to the world of scientific sensory analysis. The author clearly has the ambition to get his readers to try such methods for themselves, and to that end he provides an excellent explanation of the principal elements of stout's flavor, mouth-feel, and aroma. Using this lexicon and referring to the standard reference beers for each element, a reader is able to become an expert taster of stout. A few test batches later, and the reader can explain what ingredients make what sorts of flavor contributions to his beers and is freed from the descriptions penned by a specific maltster or by the author of a book written before the barley in his mash tun was even sown. Malts change over the years and from region to region, making older descriptions inherently unreliable, at least for the fine-tuning of an already passable product. Performing her own sensory analysis frees a brewer from relying on these sources. A casual home-brewer does not need this kind of information, but a serious brewer does, whether a home-brewer or a professional.

Lewis also presents the best explanation that I've seen of the difference between flavor and mouth-feel, and of the ways that they can become confused in the process of tasting beers.

Other reviewers seem to have been turned off by two things: the use of principal components analysis to construct the sensory profile of stout, and the use of extract weight in specifying recipes. The concept of extract weight is used by the big boys to calculate their malt bills, and a serious home-brewer should not be scared off by practices that have led to commercial success and repeatable brewing. An extract weight recipe remains relatively constant even when the raw agricultural products change form year to year or over the course of a year as moisture from the air accumulates in stored malt. The technique is adequately explained at the beginning of chapter 6, and would be of use to any home brewer that buys her grains in bulk. Principal components analysis leads to a very sophisticated characterization of stout, but anyone who has sampled a few stouts already has the basis of this analysis down: you can taste whether a beer is sweet or bitter, whether it has a burnt taste (ashy) or a roast taste (coffee, chocolate). The statistical analysis that Lewis provides just takes such judgments to the next level, so that associations and anti-associations between these elements can be seen.

In the background, I think also that the author's dismissal of beer styles may rub some home brewers the wrong way. We rely on styles in competitions, and as a shorthand for describing our projects to one another, so a dismissal of beer style might read as a dismissal of home brewing and home brewers. This impression might also be reinforced by the presentation of technical data in relatively raw forms, which one might assume is only relevant to the professional brewer-chemist. I think that a closer reading of _Stout_ will reveal these impressions to be incorrect, and even if correct, they would not diminish the usefulness of the information and techniques presented in _Stout_, even to the home-brewer.

A final comment: the glimpse into the history and manufacturing process of Guinness is priceless---ever wonder how the widget in canned Guinness works?Get more detail about Stout (Classic Beer Style Series, 10).

First Big Crush: The Down and Dirty on Making Great Wine Down Under Buy Now

This could have been very good if it were written by someone who was accepting of cultural differences and minor annoyances that go along with travel in a foreign country, instead of a boorish prat. The book did have some very interesting information and amusing stories, its just a shame it was ruined by the authors crude and crass writing style. So much so it made reading the book a chore rather than a pleasure. In a word disappointing. I had hoped for more.Get more detail about First Big Crush: The Down and Dirty on Making Great Wine Down Under.

Boothby's 1934 Reprint World Drinks And How To Mix Them Order Now

Got this for research, not really intending to make anything from it, but it's very interesting. Wish it were hardbound.Get more detail about Boothby's 1934 Reprint World Drinks And How To Mix Them.

Matt Kramer's Making Sense Of Italian Wine Decide Now

There are some great reviews here of this book. The only thing I can add as someone who loves Italian wine is Matt Kramer does a great job with the big job he has given himself and tells you as much in his introduction. I thought the first 3 chapters were excellent with the philosophy of being Italian. Each chapter simply covers the basics of Northern Italy's wine giving you producers who are good at that particuliar wine. I would recommend this book as a primer for the real beginner. God read.Get more detail about Matt Kramer's Making Sense Of Italian Wine.

Champagne For One (Nero Wolfe Mysteries) Right now

As is often true, Stout's first chapter sparkles. Here, even though the plot premise is a bit strained, I really don't care. We get something better: in a quartet of dialogues -- through Archie's eyes, and through Fritz's & Wolfe's -- we see Archie at his Archie-est.

A few brief tastes of these four:

First dialogue, with a new male character. He calls out-of-the-blue to invite Archie to a very elite, possibly strained dinner party. After toying with him, Archie says to himself,

"If I hadn't had my full share of ego I might also have been curious as to why he had picked on me, since we were not chums, but of course that was no problem. If your ego is in good shape you will pretend you're surprised if a National Chairman calls to tell you his party wants to nominate you for President of the United States, but you're not really surprised.

"...the fact was that that idea [of the dinner party] appealed to me. It would be a new experience and should increase my knowledge of human nature. It might also be a bit ticklish, and even dismal, but it would be interesting to see how they handled it. Not to mention how I would handle it myself."

Second dialogue, with another new character - an older very rich female snob, who neither likes nor trusts Archie. Starting with Archie:

"Okay. I accept the invitation as a favor to your nephew. Thank you."
"Very well." A pause. "Of course it is not usual, on inviting a dinner guest, to caution him about his conduct, but for this occasion some care is required. You appreciate that?"
"Certainly."
"Tact and discretion are necessary."
"I'll bring mine along," I assured her.
"And of course refinement."
"I'll borrow some." I decided she needed a little comfort. "Don't' worry, Mrs. Robilotti, I understand the setup and you can count on me through to the coffee and even after. Relax. I am fully briefed. Tact, discretion, refinement, black tie, seven o'clock."
"Then I'll expect you. Please hold the wire."

Third dialogue, one of Stout's nicest Archie/Fritz playful bantering scenes. In the brownstone's kitchen, again, starting with Archie:

"...and I would appreciate some suggestions on how I act this evening."

He snorted. "Act with women? You? Ha! With your thousand triumphs! Advice from me? Archie, that is upside down?"

"Thanks for the plug, but these women are special." With a finger I wiped up a speck of anchovy butter that had dropped on the table and licked it off. "Here's the problem. This Mrs. Robilotti's first husband was Albert Grantham, who spent the last ten years of his life doing things with part of the three or four hundred million dollars he had inherited - things to improve the world, including the people in it. I assume you will admit that a girl who had a baby but no husband needs improving."

Fritz pursed his lips. "First I would have to see the girl and the baby. They might be charming."

And finally, from a Wolfe/Archie dialogue, the longest of the four and one of several nice one's in this book. Starting with Wolfe:

"...Buffoonery. A burlesque of hospitality. Do you mean you are abetting it?"

"I wouldn't say abetting it. A man I know named Austin Byne phoned and asked me to fill in for him because he's in bed with a cold and can't go. Anyhow, it will give me a fresh outlook. I will harden my nerves. It will broaden my mind."

His eyes had narrowed. "Archie."
"Yes, sir."
"Do I ever intrude in your private affairs?"
"Yes, sir. Frequently. But you think you don't, so go right ahead."
"I am not intruding. If it is your whim to lend yourself to that outlandish performance, very well. I merely suggest that you demean yourself. Those creatures are summoned there for an obvious purpose. It is hoped that they, or at least one of them, will meet a man who will be moved to pursue the acquaintance and who will end by legitimating, if not the infant already in being, the future produce of the womb. Therefore your attendance there will be an imposture, and you know it. I begin to doubt if you will ever let a woman plant her foot on your neck, but if you do she will have qualities that would make it impossible for her to share the fate of those forlorn creatures. You will be perpetrating a fraud."

I was shaking my head. "No, sir. You've got it wrong. I let you finish just to hear it.... And don't be so sure I don't meet my doom. It's a scientific fact that some girls are more beautiful, more spiritual, more fascinating, after they have had a baby. Also it would be an advantage to have the family already started."

"Pfui."

Archie, always a wonderful character, shines throughout this tale. But there are several other highspots: Hackett, the Robilotti butler, is given several neat scenes. (Stout often does butlers well.) After its weak premise, the plot kicks in, and has some really fun & unexpected twists. There are nice Wolfe-Archie tiffs, and a couple of fun Wolfe-women tiffs, as well as a few touching scenes, too. Great mature Stout, with many characters well-drawn.

I close with the Archie quitting scene, one of several in the Stout canon. After a frustrating dry period, Wolfe had just given Saul an errand. Starting with Archie:

That was when we had words. I cradled the receiver, not gently, and stood up. "This is Saturday,' I said, "and I've got my check for this week. I want a month's severance pay."

"Pfui."

"No phooey. I am severing relations. It has been eighty-eight hours since I saw that girl die, and your one bright idea, granting that it was bright, was to collect her mother, and I refuse to camp here on my fanny while Saul collects her. Saul is not ten times as smart as I am; he's only twice as smart. A month's severance pay will be--"

"Shut up."

"Gladly." I went to the safe for the checkbook and took it to my desk.

"Archie."

"I have shut up." I opened the checkbook.

"This is natural. That is, it is in us, and we are alive, and whatever is in life is natural. You are headstrong and I am magisterial. Our tolerance of each other is a constantly recurring miracle. I did not have one idea, bright or not, I had two. We have neglected Austin Byne. ...he deserves better of us. I suggest that you attend to him."

I turned my head but kept the checkbook open. "How? Tell him we don't like his explanation and we want new ones?"

"Nonsense. You are not so ingenuous. Survey him. Explore him."

"I already have.... Are you working yourself up to saying that you want to see him?"

"No. I have no lever to use him. I only feel that he has been neglected. If you approach him again you too will be without a lever. Perhaps the best course would be to put him under surveillance.'

"If I postpone writing this check is that an instruction?"

"Yes."

"At least I would get out in the air and away from the miracle for a while."

All Wolfe-Archie fans are grateful that Stout kept this miracle alive for so long.
Get more detail about Champagne For One (Nero Wolfe Mysteries).

Lowest Price Margarita Mama: Mocktails for Moms-to-Be

Bought this for two pregnant ladies and they both LOVED it! All of the mocktails have really cute names too!Get more detail about Margarita Mama: Mocktails for Moms-to-Be.

Low Price Great Tea Rooms of America

Page 17 -- recipe for Double Chocolate Brownies. Part of the recipe is missing. When do you add the eggs, vanilla and sugar listed in the ingredients?

I am surprised that someone didn't notice this since the first printing which appears to have been in 2002, but perhaps the error did not appear in those issues.

I just bought this book and it makes me hesitant to try the recipes -- just wondering if there are other mistakes (this one was obvious).

Note also -- there are only 117 pages in this book with 77 recipes listed (77 recipes if you include the recipe for the double chocolate brownies on page 17 which isn't complete). I think the suggested price of $25.00 is a little expensive for the content.

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