The Wines of the Northern Rhône

For anyone who wants to understand the full story that lies within a glass of wine, this book opens up the inner secrets of the geology, the vineyards, the wines, and the growers of the northern Rh´ne Valley in France. Home to the spicy Syrah, or Shiraz, and the floral Viognier grapes, the northern Rh´ne Valley is one of France's oldest wine-growing regions; its appellations include Hermitage, C´te-R´tie, Condrieu, Crozes-Hermitage, St-Joseph, and Chteau-Grillet. With evocative descriptions and marvelous insights, this accessible, elegant book, the culmination of more than thirty years following the Rh´ne, is a comprehensive and authoritative survey of the various estates, winemakers, and their wines.

Taking a deeper look at the northern Rh´ne than Livingstone-Learmonth's highly regarded previous volumes on the Rh´ne Valley, this revised and up-to-date edition covers more producers and includes more in-depth information on the various terroirs, the histories of the wines, and the methods for making the wines. Livingstone-Learmonth concentrates on letting the producers explain their outlook and methods and includes much local color.

The Wines of the Northern Rh´ne includes

* Assessments of thousands of wines, with guide dates onwhen to drink and how long to age them

* Winemakers' views on what foods best accompany their wines

* New vineyard maps for each appellation

* Detailed descriptions by growers discussing the effect of different soils on their wines

* Precise information on how each domaine makes its wines

* New research on the historical links between Hermitage and Bordeaux