Packed with insider information in an easy-to-use format, Fodor's bestselling guide to Toronto is fully updated for 2008

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Edmond Fallot The Fallot family has enjoyed a worldwide reputation for exceptional quality, since 1840. The Mustards are made in Beaune, France near Dijon, where seeds are selected for their high quality and are then ground in a traditional stone mill. Subtly sweet and very unusual, a wonderful condiment for many different uses.

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I love this series, but this year's edition had many complex drinks with obscure ingredients... Nonetheless it's worth having - this one has "the basics" so it's a good reference, and the recipes for bar snacks look great. I recommend 2005, 2006 and 2007.

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This White Wine Vinegar is made from the sweetest fruit, the tastiest herbs and the finest spirits.

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In this guide, you will find everything from establishments that have been serving Paris for a century or two to neighborhood cellars, conventional purveyors, hipster hangouts, and even ventures–as the French publisher says–with no “complexes” whatsoever. Some places have the traditional barrels on the sidewalk, old-fashioned wooden cubbyholes for storing the bottles, creaking floorboards, and shopkeepers in starched white aprons; others have ultramodern decor, sleek and streamlined design, waitstaff in jeans and sneakers. Beyond appearances, each cellar has its own approach, its own philosophy, and producers it swears by. One merchant may carry prestigious luxury vineyards; a second, bargain terroir wines; the third, 100 percent organic vintages; a fourth may offer wines for collectors. This is a cross-section of fifty reputable and distinctive shops and an excellent map for those wishing to navigate the wine merchants of Paris.
 
The notable wines offered by each shop are highlighted, and there are lots of places that serve light meals–or even something more substantial–making The Best Wine Bars & Shops of Paris a great restaurant guide, too.

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Associated Press - September 2, 2008 3:05 AM ET FORESTVILLE, N.Y. (AP) - A western New York winery hopes to get its break in the Florida market when it's featured an an international food and...

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To describe the location of the San Matteo farm is immediately to want to go and live there: it's set amidst a splendid and extensive citrus grove, that looks out over the sea at the enchanting gulf of Taormina on the one side, and up to Mount Etna on the other. Add to that the naturally mild climate, the highly fertile volcanic soil, the skill and passion of Carlo Limone, the use of organic agriculture, and you begin to understand why the products of this company are so good.

Take this Red Onion Preserve, for example: on opening the jar you are greeted by the delightful sweet onions perfume. Well, this seems to be a preserve for real experts, but in fact it is simply a gourmet preserve, one of those you are tempted to match with anything savory you'll find in your kitchen, fresh and aged cheeses, meats and hams, to bring the colors and the flavors of Sicily at home.

All that remains is to emphasise that production is artisanal, the product free of preservatives and that, instead of using caster sugar, wheat-syrup is employed to allow reduction in total sugar content.

Carlo Limone has just recently added two oustanding wine jellies to his preserve selection: made with white Inzolia grapes and red Avola grapes, the jellies utilize two ancient and ultra typical Sicilian grape varieties to which cane sugar is added as the only other ingredient. The result is a creamy gelatin infused with wine flavor (minus the alchool content) that elegantly marries the taste of young cheeses and roasted meats. Mix a few teaspoons of wine jelly with fresh ricotta for a delicious and original spread.

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It was the unusual cultivars that captivated the judges when Swartland Winery's young wines literally cleaned up the awards at the recent Swartland Young Wine Show (SYWS). Walking away with ten class winners (gold medals) and six out of the seven trophies, the winery saw this as the perfect celebration of their 60th year.

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Customer Review: Boring read

This was an extremely boring read, and read like a junior high text book. Way too much information, very few anecdotes. I can't remember anything interesting to take away from the book, and am sad I plowed threw the whole thing (I was on vacation, and that was the only book I brought.) I am a wine specialist and educator, and found no inspiration in this. Find another wine history book.

Customer Review: An enjoyable history of wine, civilization and commerce.

This is an enjoyable and highly informative book. I had no idea of the way that wine was so intricately tied up in the progress of civilization. The book covers a vast swath of history and almost the entire planet while describing the evolution of wine and the wine trade.

The author seems to hold few biases and gives an even-handed treatment to the various aspects of this story. The only bias that I detected was towards wine merchants. This is not surprising since he makes his history as a merchant very clear. But I was disappointed that the final sentence, and particularly the final phrase, of this book were so focused on the importance of wine merchants. I read this book as a result of an interest in wine and history. Wine merchants are a necessary part of the story, but from my point of view they're just one cog in the wheel.

As another reviewer mentioned, the author's writing style leaves a little to be desired. This is not a major fault. It's just that I found his sentence structures and choice of words to be a bit awkward at times.

Although I've raised a couple of critical points, I still enthusiastically recommend this book. It's a fairly quick read, is filled with easy-to-digest information, and pulls together many facets of the story of wine. If you like wine and history, this is the book for you.

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During the thirty-five years wine critic and writer Paul Gregutt has lived in the state of Washington, its wine industry has ballooned from a mere half dozen wineries to nearly five hundred. Washington Wines and Wineries offers a comprehensive, critical, and accessible account of the nation's second largest wine-producing region. Gregutt, who has covered Washington wine in books, newspapers, and magazines since the mid-1980s, enthusiastically dispenses information along with his editorial opinion, displaying the depth of his knowledge of the area, the players, the regions, and the wines. He points out the best vineyards, the most accomplished winemakers, the must-have wines, and the newcomers to watch. He rates wineries--not wines--with a unique and detailed 100-point scale, providing an insider's view of the best that Washington state has to offer. As the global wine industry reinvents itself for twenty-first-century palates, Washington is poised to become as important and influential as California on the world stage. Washington Wines and Wineries is the definitive reference book on the subject.

Customer Review: WASHINGTON WINES AND WINERIES

I WOULD SUGGEST THAT ANYONE WHO WANTS TO KNOW MORE ABOUT WASHINGTON WINES, HAD BETTER GET A COPY OF THIS BOOK. IT IS OBVIOUS THAT MR. GREGUTT KNOWS THE WINEMAKERS AND THE WINERIES HE WRITES ABOUT. HE HAS BEEN DOING IT FOR YEARS, AND IS A RELIABLE RESOURCE FOR THIS INDUSTRY. KEN D.

Customer Review: Must have for a Washington Wine Enthusiast

Paul has a great deal of experience with the Washington Wine scene, and it shows. This should be called the Washington Wine Encyclopedia. The book is full of very current and relevant information about the blossoming (and Booming) Washington Wine industry, and the top 25% (His Opinion) of the wineries. I found the history portion of the book fascinating.

If you have any interest in the Washington wine industry, this is a must read!

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