Following on the success of her books on Brunello di Montalcino, renowned author and wine critic Kerin O’Keefe takes readers on a historic and in-depth journey to discover Barolo and Barbaresco, two of Italy’s most fascinating and storied wines. In this groundbreaking new book, O’Keefe gives a comprehensive overview of the stunning side-by-side growing areas of these two world-class wines that are separated only by the city of Alba and profiles a number of the fiercely individualistic winemakers who create structured yet elegant and complex wines of remarkable depth from Italy’s most noble grape, Nebbiolo.
A masterful narrator of the aristocratic origins of winemaking in this region, O’Keefe gives readers a clear picture of why Barolo is called both the King of Wines and the Wine of Kings. Profiles of key Barolo and Barbaresco villages include fascinating stories of the families, wine producers, and idiosyncratic personalities that have shaped the area and its wines and helped ignite the Quality Wine Revolution that eventually swept through all of Italy.
The book also considers practical factors impacting winemaking in this region, including climate change, destructive use of harsh chemicals in the vineyards versus the gentler treatments used for centuries, the various schools of thought regarding vinification and aging, and expansion and zoning of vineyard areas. Readers will also appreciate a helpful vintage guide to Barolo and Barbaresco and a glossary of useful Italian wine terms.
Kerin O’Keefe is the author of Brunello di Montalcino (UC Press, 2012) and of Franco Biondi Santi: The Gentleman of Brunello (Veronelli Editore, 2005). She is the Italian Editor for Wine Enthusiast magazine, and her numerous articles on Italian wine have been published in top industry publications, including The World of Fine Wine and Decanter.
"Part narrative history, part guidebook, Kerin O’Keefe’s exuberant engagement of the Italian Piedmont’s 'royal' oenological culture further illuminates the ways in which horticulture, geography, and good old-fashioned local characters intersect to produce some of the world’s best wines. Barolo and Barbaresco is not just a compelling read, it also reveals itself to be essential." --Matthew Gavin Frank, author of Barolo and Preparing the Ghost.
"'This book impressed me from the start with its authority and thoroughness and real passion for the wines. Barolo and Barbaresco will be the definitive book on the subject for years to come. Serious people in the wine trades, sommeliers, candidates for Master of Wine or Master Sommelier, collectors, and just plain Nebbiolo aficionados will be unable to do without it." --Tom Maresca, author Mastering Wine and The Right Wine
"An up-to-date, authoritative book on the wines of Barolo and Barbaresco is long overdue, and Kerin O'Keefe's thorough treatment of the subject is very welcome. As an importer with a particular interest in Piedmontese wines, I find the book stimulating, enlightening and very useful." --Oliver McCrum, Oliver McCrum Wines
368 pp.6 x 9
9780520273269$39.95|£34.00Hardcover
Oct 2014