The Great Wines of America: The Top 40 Vintners, Vineyards, and Vintages: The Top Forty Vintners, Vineyards, and Vintages - Hardcover

Not too long ago, American wine was an object of ridicule. When compared to the great vintages of Europe, it played in the minor leagues - if it even played the same game. All that has changed. At the start of the twenty-first century, the finest American wines hold their own with the best made anywhere. But which wines are these? And who are the people responsible for them? Because American vineyards are largely devoid of tradition, American vintners have had to make choices unknown to their Old World counterparts. These involve which grapes to grow, where best to plant the vines and, most important, how to create rather than merely emulate truly distinctive wines. The Great Wines of America tells the story of how those choices, made successfully, have elevated American wine to unprecedented heights of quality and renown.

PAUL LUKACS is the author of American Vintage, winner of the James Beard, IACP and Clicquot awards. He writes regularly about wine for the Washington Times and is chair of the English department at Loyola College in Maryland.