Foreword, Robert Mondavi Mondavi, Martini, Sebastiani, Gallo, Bargetto and Pirelli-Minetti. Who could deny the importance of Italians to the development of America's wine industry? It is little known that Italians have been planting vineyards and making wine in America since the early colonial days when Filio Mazzei was the vineyard consultant for Thomas Jefferson. Grapes were planted and nurtured in virtually every corner of America where Italians settled. Wine making was as sacrosanct as making bread or pasta. Wine is inseparable from the Italian culture and is loved and revered as the "holy blood of the grape." It is one of the secrets of the healthy Mediterranean life style now preached by health experts.

Here is the story of Italian immigrants whose descendants now dominate American wine making. How they struggled and endured. How they persisted in the face of Prohibition and facilitated legislation permitting home wine making of 200 gallons per family. The intrigue, the feuds, the love affairs and financial triumphs are all in this authenticated history from the earliest days of America to the new Italian/American wine makers such as Francis Ford Coola. 256 , 150 historic photos.

Customer Review: Wine and Winemakers

Dick Rosano is an Italian-American winemaker, and, thanks to his considerable talents as a writer, he is able to share both his love for his heritage and his love for the world of win in this delightful book. He traces the history of winemaking in the United States, giving credit where due and reveals some details hitherto unpublicized. A good read and a great gift for anyone who shares his heritage, a love of history, or a love of wine.

Customer Review: Great history of Italian-American Wine

Dick Rosano has written an in-depth account of one of the marvels of American wine: The influence that Italian-Americans have had on the development and history of the industry. Without this Italian influence, in culture and winemaking, American wine wouldn't be what it is today. And without this book, Americans wouldn't understand the impact that these families had on our winemaking culture over the last 300 years. It's a must if you want to understand the evolution of American wine.

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