Planet Wine : A Grape by Grape Visual Guide to the Contemporary Wine World

Planet Wine is the first book to describe how the diversity of wine styles has deepened as a result of generations of winemakers using different grape varieties to extend their range of tastes and textures. The book is divided into three sections. The first, Battle of the Giants, covers the "big six" varieties and discusses issues such as winemaking technology, consumer demand, and style evolution. The second documents the Search for Elegance, describing the current regime for "cult styles". Lastly, Renaissance of the Originals introduces the "new twenty-first century classics" identifying a turn away from global standardization in wine styles. Every grape variety is explored on three levels: its origins, history, and its genetic flavour; ecological and environmental issues surrounding winemaking and winemakers today; and the influence of external factors like the country or region where it is grown and the human and technological intervention. The book draws from over 140 photographs, sourced directly from wine regions and producers, to create a unique, personal, and visually evocative approach to a subject that is becoming increasingly popular with winemakers and consumers.