Lowest Price The cultivation of the native grape, and manufacture of American wines

Set the way-back machine to shortly after the US civil war. Even though the publication date is listed as 2007, according to the copyright page this book was published in 1866. This book was written as an every man's guide to grape growing, propagation, grape breeding, and to describe how to make a vineyard and winemaking operation profitable.

I've read several other books on the subject of growing grapes, and this is very much in line with those other works. Or, I should say, they are very much in line with THIS book. It is not the most current work, but much of this information is still pertinent. It gives one a glimpse of the time before massive chemical use and heavy machinery. Interestingly, many organic and biodynamic vineyards today (2008) follow some of these same methods.

Husmann suggests that in the future, the general public will be able to distinguish between good and bad wines. The book has many statements about matching the varietals to the location (soil and climate) for best results and suggesting which varietals grows best where. Can you say "Terrior"? The author suggests experimentation, changing methods as necessary, and watching nature. These are all common in modern grape growing and winemaking.

This book also gives you a view into the author's thoughts about the civil war, what it (almost) did to this country, and slavery. "They still cling to the demon of slavery..." There are historical records such as mentions of rebels stealing wine and the year vines froze down to the ground. There are references to cheap whiskey and how to make the country more temperate by having inexpensive wines. One can see in hindsight that the seeds of prohibition were spreading and that some sought to prevent it through more reasonable measures.

If this had not been available on the Kindle, I would not have spent the $70 for the paper version of the book. The Kindle price of under $4 was well worth the read.Get more detail about The cultivation of the native grape, and manufacture of American wines.

Low Price A Very Good Year: The Journey of a California Wine from Vine to Table

This book came in perfect condition and very quickly.
I've read through pieces of the book and it sounds very interesting. I will be reading it for my book group.Get more detail about A Very Good Year: The Journey of a California Wine from Vine to Table.

Save The Wines of Bordeaux: Vintages and Tasting Notes 1952-2003

This is a comprehensive review of the Bordeaux region which will not disappoint the wine enthusiast!Get more detail about The Wines of Bordeaux: Vintages and Tasting Notes 1952-2003.

Discount Coffee: The World's Great Recipes, Stories and Histories

These cards are a quick, fun way to acquaint yourself with the rich history of much that is coffee! Beautifully photographed, these colorful coffee cards are sure to delight you and you friends.Get more detail about Coffee: The World's Great Recipes, Stories and Histories.

Cheapest Baking Boot Camp: Five Days of Basic Training at The Culinary Institute of America

I just finished reading this book earlier this week and, like other reviewers, was pretty disappointed. I was hoping to learn a good deal more about the techniques and processes that the author learned and less about herself and her relationships with the other students. I was really surprised to read other reviews praising the writing style--I found the author to be amateurish and mostly annoying. Her fretting over using electric mixers, correction of food history, and critiquing of her classmates was just not what I was looking for when I picked out a book called "Baking Boot Camp." Get more detail about Baking Boot Camp: Five Days of Basic Training at The Culinary Institute of America.

Cheap American Still Life: The Jim Beam Story and the Making of the World's #1 Bourbon

This is a great reference book on both early origins on distilling in America and the Beam family - who comprise a large branch of the founding families of Bourbon distilling and still have many members working at various distilleries throughout Kentucky. A entertaining read and great reference for anyone who is interested in bourbon.Get more detail about American Still Life: The Jim Beam Story and the Making of the World's #1 Bourbon.

Buying Corked: A Memoir

Sometimes someone writes a book which is horribly self-indulgent, and out of all that wallowing in their own "stuff", they manage to create something readable and interesting, something that illuminates some larger principle or idea or just tells a rollicking good tale.

This book is about as self-indulgent as they come, and horrible to the point of being unreadable. Consider the most annoying person you have ever met, badly behaved, and self-righteous. Now imagine that in addition to those features, this person has an absurd disregard for facts. And now imagine that you are forced to live inside that person's head while they give you a running commentary of their bad behavior, banal thoughts, and idiotic notions. Finally, imagine that it's all horribly badly written.

That's what this book is, and it's bad. Really really bad. I found no redeeming features other than the fact that it ended. Eventually.

I promised myself when I agreed to be part of the Vine program that I would read every word of every book they sent me. This book almost made me resign from the program so I didn't have to do that.

Give this one a pass. It's not worth any time you might spend reading it.Get more detail about Corked: A Memoir.