Is this Bottle Corked?: The Secret Life of Wine

Description

What was Falstaff drinking when he called for more sack? What did they actually drink at Plato's Symposium? Why does Bridget Jones drink Chardonnay? What did Jane Austen drink? Why do wine connoisseurs talk like that? Why do we drink to forget (and why doesn't it work?). All these and many other intriguing questions will be answered in Is this Bottle Corked? Best read with a glass of good second-growth Pomerol, or perhaps a suave Banyuls or maybe even a glass of St Anne's Vineyard Rhubarb and Ginger Wine, Is This Bottle Corked? is as much for bon vivants and those of us who just enjoy a good glass or two as for the committed oenophile. Just open, pour and relax. This book is guaranteed to provide readers with a 'yes, but did you know?' for every time a cork is drawn.

Kathleen Burk was born and raised in California. She has achieved a Diploma in Wine and Spirits; this is the level just below that of the Master of Wine, of which there are about 250 in the world. She writes for The World of Fine Wine, the leading magazine for those interested in both its culture and taste, and is a judge for the International Wine and Spirits Competition. She is the Professor of Modern and Contemporary History at University College London. Her newest book is Old World, New World: the Story of Britain and America. Michael Bywater is a culture critic, commentator and broadcaster. He is the author of two Granta books and is currently Culture Critic of the New Statesman. He teaches Tragedy on the English Tripos for a number of Cambridge colleges. He is currently completing his next book, Like Brothers: On Men and Friendship, to be published by Granta Books next year.

"As appealing to wine-lovers as it is to the simply curious-and to those who like to start their sentences, 'Ah yes, but did you know . . . ?'-"Is This Bottle Corked?" answers the really important questions about wine. . . . Best read with a glass of good Pomerol, or perhaps a soft consoling Constantia, this book is as much for those who just enjoy a good glass as it is for committed oenophiles."--"Harpers Wine and Spirit Weekly""A compilation of amusing and curious stories about wine."--"Times" (London)"As fascinating and quirky as the wine it celebrates."--"Oxford Times"Plenty here that will deepen and enrich even a developed understanding of wine."--Giles Kime, "Times Literary Supplement""This book is actually fun and tells you things you didn't know about everything wine-connected. . . . Read it and then instead of being a wine dullard you can be the drinker with the facts."--"Diplomat"