French Wine

"The simple act of opening a bottle of wine has brought more happiness to the human race than all the collective governments in the history of earth." —Jim Harrison

Esteemed literary critic and journalist Bernard Pivot takes readers on an exploration of wine in all its aspects. He evokes legendary controversies, from Dom Pérignon and the debate over whether he invented champagne to the Persian bards who flouted religious laws by venerating wine in their poetry (and glasses). Historical traditions and innovations are explained, from the variety of toasts used around the globe to the invention of the corkscrew—by an Englishman no less—as well as the long-standing rivalry between the great wine-producing regions, from the tiny yet world-renowned villages of Burgundy and the equally famous chateaus and crus classes of Bordeaux, to the popular yet contentious Beaujolais. This collection of anecdotes, facts, and viticultural history is an indispensable volume for wine aficionados and bons vivants.