The Wine List

Beyond geography and weather, wine reflects a specific time: technology, popular culture, stories, status, influencers, packaging, marketing, and creative trends all combine to contribute to how “great” a wine is considered. This book looks at the sociology and the chemistry of wine. It covers nearly 75 years that are remarkable in the history of wine, including stories that involve a rare 1920s Clos des Ducs found behind a wall built to hide assets from the Nazis and the genesis of Robert Mondavi as a “brand.” Interstitial sidebars and interviews and contributed essays break up these individual entries, and funky, photographic-driven collages decorate the pages. This book appeals not only to wine lovers-but to anyone interested in learning about art and culture.  

Vintage refers to the year grapes are harvested, and that vintage holds meaning. You can look up the weather in any almanac, but some stories are known only to insiders—until now. Grant Reynolds, award-winning sommelier, deciphers these signatures to reveal the impact of marketing and mentorship, technology and trends, and influencers old and new. Beginning in the late eighteenth century with a tale about Thomas Jefferson’s secret White House stash and spanning over a quarter of a millennium to social media’s effect on chenin blanc’s popularity, The Wine List explores both the chemistry and sociology that have made vintages taste a certain way, fetch a certain price, or go extinct altogether. Featuring sidebars on topics like the taste of climate change, mini timelines capturing significant historical moments, and collage-style illustration, these entries solidify the idea that every bottle is a product of a particular moment in time.