"Uncorked" quenches our curiosity about the inner workings of one of the world's most prized beverages. Esteemed for its freshness, vitality, and sensuality, champagne is a wine of great complexity. Mysteries aplenty gush forth with the popping of that cork. Just what is that fizz? Can you judge champagne quality by how big the bubbles are, how long they last, or how they behave before they fade? And why does serving champagne in a long-stemmed flute prolong its chill and effervescence? Through lively prose and a wealth of state-of-the-art photos, this revised edition of "Uncorked" unlocks the door to what champagne is all about.

Providing an unprecedented close-up view of the beauty in the bubbles, Gerard Liger-Belair presents images that look surprisingly like lovely flowers, geometric patterns, even galaxies as the bubbles rise through the glass and burst forth on the surface. He illustrates how bubbles form not on the glass itself but are "born" out of debris stuck on the glass wall, how they rise, and how they pop. Offering a colorful history of champagne, Liger-Belair tells us how it is made and he asks if global warming could spell champagne's demise. In a brand-new afterword, he updates the reader on new developments in the world of bubble science and delves even more deeply into the processes that give champagne its unique and beautiful character.

Bubbly may tickle the nose, but "Uncorked" tackles what the nose and the naked eye cannot--the spectacular science that gives champagne its charm and champagne drinkers immeasurable pleasure."

After 20 years of being the ultimate do-it-yourself wine cellar guide in America, this best-selling title is now available in the UK.Worried that your beloved Montrachet is coveting the 50-degree embrace of another's cellar? Think one of your own is out of reach? The classic naturally air-conditioned wine-cellar construction guide is now revised and updated for the modern wine collector who wants or needs a wine cellar but lacks the means to fund a massive renovation, or has do-it-yourself-ness in the blood.The book begins with how to plan for optimum humidity and temperature with a discussion on the best positioning (key to a passive system that takes advantage of an existing structure's natural cooling capabilities and keeping temperature fluctuation to a minimum) and insulation.Section two outlines, step-by-step and with detailed diagrams, every level and aspect of construction, including building of racks and storage bins.Section three is all about the art and science of selecting, recording, tracking and enjoying your wines at their peak performance.

Hundreds of easy-to-scan tips in everyday language let time-starved readers find quick answers.
Most people who enjoy wine would like to know more about it, to feel confident in what they like and why, to know the "lingo." Wine lover and writer Wes Marshall helps readers explore the world of wine, offering plainspoken explanations to wine questions that most people have but are hesitant to ask no question is too simple, no answer too advanced.
Like earlier titles in the series, such as the best-selling "What's a Cook to Do?," this book offers empowering information in question-and-answer format with pronunciation guides, charts, maps, and step-by-steps plus the best-bang-for-your-buck wine recommendations from well-known experts. Is Barolo a grape or a place? What do wine scores mean? What about sniffing the cork and which glasses to use? In this newest book in the "What s a to Do?" series, Wes Marshall presents his years of wine experience and insider tips in everyday language that makes wine approachable and knowable.

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During the past eight decades French vineyards, wineries, and wine marketing efforts have undergone such profound changes--from technological, scientific, economic, and commercial standpoints--that the transformation is revolutionary for an industry dating back thousands of years. Here Leo Loubre examines how the modernization of Western society has brought about new conditions in well-established markets, making the introduction of novel techniques and processes a matter of survival for winegrowers.

Not only does Loubre explain how altered environmental conditions have enabled pioneering enologists to create styles of wine more suited to contemporary tastes and living arrangements, but he also discusses the social impact of the wine revolution on the employees in the industry. The third generation of this new viticultural regime has encountered working and living conditions drastically different from those of its predecessors, while witnessing the near disappearance of the working class and the decline of small and medium growers of ordinary wines.

Originally published in 1990.

The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These paperback editions preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting them in durable paperback editions. The goal of the Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905.