Eric Asimov

The New York Times

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Recommended by Eric Asimov

A warm and loving reflection that, like good bourbon, will stand the test of time. (from Amazon)

The New York Times bestseller! “A warm and loving reflection that, like good bourbon, will stand the test of time.” —Eric Asimov, The New York Times “Bourbon is for sharing, and so is Pappyland.”—The Wall Street Journal The story of how Julian Van Winkle III, the caretaker of the most coveted cult Kentucky Bourbon whiskey in the world, fought to protect his family's heritage and preserve the taste of his forebears, in a world where authenticity, like his product, is in very short supply. Following his father’s death decades ago, Julian Van Winkle stepped in to try to save the bourbon business his grandfather had founded on the mission statement: “We make fine bourbon—at a profit if we can, at a loss if we must, but always fine bourbon.” With the company in its wilderness years, Julian committed to safeguarding his namesake’s legacy or going down with the ship. Then he discovered that hundreds of barrels from the family distillery had survived their sale to a multinational conglomerate. The whiskey that Julian produced after recovering those barrels would immediately be hailed as the greatest in the world—and soon would be the hardest to find. Once they had been used up, a fresh challenge began: preserving the taste of Pappy in a new age. Wright Thompson was invited to ride along as Julian undertook the task. From the Van Winkle family, Wright learned not only about great bourbon but about complicated legacies and the rewards of honoring your people and your craft—lessons that he couldn’t help but apply to his own work and life. May we all be lucky enough to find some of ourselves, as Wright Thompson did, in Pappyland.

Recommended by Eric Asimov

[T]he essential book for serious wine students. (from Amazon)

The Oxford Companion to Wine book cover

by Julia Harding MW, Jancis Robinson OBE MW, Tara Q. Thomas·You?

Everything you could possibly want to know about wine, in one fully up-to-date A-Z volume! The Oxford Companion to Wine is a uniquely comprehensive and in-depth A-Z reference book on every aspect of wine: more than 4,000 entries covering topics from history through geography, geology, soil science, viticulture, winemaking, packaging, academia, technology, and regulations to people and places, tasting, writing, and the language of wine. The system of cross-references takes the reader from one entry to another, showing how all these topics are interconnected in the fascinating story of wine in its most traditional and modern forms. This new fifth edition, which benefits from the knowledge and experience of over one hundred new contributors, all experts in their field or geographical region, is expanded by 272 new entries, and every existing entry has been reviewed, updated, and polished. The text is more international than ever, written for wine lovers of every persuasion, including those who love wine but want to know more in order to increase their enjoyment of this endlessly fascinating liquid, and those who are intent on studying wine, professionally or privately. This is a huge treasure trove of knowledge, for the first time breaking the barrier of one million words, but the alphabetical format and the links between the entries make it easily navigable, and the language, while not shying away from complex science, is intended to open the door to every curious reader looking for answers on every question they have ever wanted to ask about wine.

Recommended by Eric Asimov

The World Atlas of Wine is the single most important reference book on the shelf of any wine student. (from Amazon)

The World Atlas of Wine 8th Edition book cover

by Jancis Robinson, Hugh Johnson·You?

2020 JAMES BEARD AWARD WINNER JANCIS ROBINSON - 2020 JAMES BEARD COOKBOOK HALL OF FAME HONOREE "The most useful single volume on wine ever published... If I owned only one wine book, it would be this one." - Andrew Jefford, Decanter A major new edition of this landmark wine book that has sold 4.7 million copies worldwide. Few wine books can be called classic, but the first edition of The World Atlas of Wine made publishing history when it appeared in 1971. It is recognized by critics as the essential and most authoritative wine reference work available. This eighth edition will bring readers, both old and new, up to date with the world of wine. To reflect all the changes in the global wine scene over the past six years, the Atlas has grown in size to 416 pages and 22 new maps have been added to the wealth of superb cartography in the book. The text has been given a complete overhaul to address the topics of most vital interest to today's wine-growers and drinkers. With beautiful photography throughout, Hugh Johnson and Jancis Robinson, the world's most respected wine-writing duo, have once again joined forces to create a classic that no wine lover can afford to be without. "The World Atlas of Wine is the single most important reference book on the shelf of any wine student." - Eric Asimov, New York Times "Like a good bottle of wine, you'll find yourself going back to it again and again... Perfect for anyone who has a thirst for greater wine knowledge." - Edward Deitch, NBC/today.com "The World Atlas of Wine belongs on your shelf... The essential rootstock of any true wine lover's library. A multi-layered snapshot of wine and how it has evolved." - Dave McIntyre, Washington Post A "masterwork" and a "must-have" - Food & Wine Winner Andre Simon Award Best Drinks Book of 2019 Shortlisted for the Louis Roederer Wine Book of the Year 2020