For fans of Italian wine, few names command the level of respect accorded to Brunello di Montalcino. Expert wine writer Kerin O’Keefe has a deep personal knowledge of Tuscany and its extraordinary wine, and her account is both thoroughly researched and readable. Organized as a guided tour through Montalcino’s geography, this essential reference also makes sense of Brunello’s complicated history, from its rapid rise to the negative and positive effects of the 2008 grape-blending scandal dubbed “Brunellogate.” O’Keefe also provides in-depth profiles of nearly sixty leading producers of Brunello.
Kerin O’Keefe writes about Italian wine for Decanter, The World of Fine Wine, and formerly for Wine News. She is the author of Franco Biondi Santi: The Gentleman of Brunello, a recipient of the Gourmand World Cookbook Award.
"Kerin O'Keefe is undoubtedly the English-speaking world's most passionate advocate of the wines of Montalcino. Every page of her book reflects her expertise and long experience, and what's more, she's a good writer. How often have we been presented with detailed knowledge wrapped in turgid language? Not here! This is a page-turner if ever a wine book was one." —Nicolas Belfrage M.W., The Finest Wines of Tuscany and Central Italy: A Regional and Village Guide to the Best Wines and Their Producers
"Kerin O'Keefe's book is the best thing I have read on Brunello di Montalcino—period. The research is the most thorough, and the coverage of the key aspects of the Montalcino situation—origins and history, legislation, zonal variations, producers—is the most complete and rigorous I have encountered anywhere." —Tom Maresca, contributor to Decanter, Wine & Spirits and Quarterly Review of Wines
312 pp.6 x 9Illus: 28 b/w photographs, 7 maps
9780520265646$42.95|£36.00Hardcover
Apr 2012