In Search of Bacchus: Wanderings in the Wonderful World of Wine Tourism

Taber has a nifty touch for interesting detailed reporting without bogging you down. His selection of 12 regions takes you to expected places and those less traveled to. He always found things to tell me that I didn't know, even though I've been interested in wines for a long time and have been to several of the regions. And who before has reported on the wines of Georgia in the shadow of the Caucasus Mountains? It is one of his most engaging accounts. He mixes wine-tourist "Diary" experiences with his descriptions of the wine history and personalities of each region. (He cheats a little in Bordeaux by slipping a bit east for a walk in Burgundy for his "Diary" item, actually a nice touch.) Wonderful armchair touring, especially while the reader sips one of his suggested wines from each region (which include both top-end high-quality and everyday wines). A great gift -- after you've treated yourself.

This book by a very knowledgeable author is a chance to experience many interesting wine regions from our armchairs. Very few people will have the chance to visit all those areas. Yet after reading "In Search of Bacchus" you get a feeling that you know each area. It is also a great source of travel ideas for those who are fortunate enough to be able to explore the world of wine in person. Highly recommended.

I recently purchased Mr. Taber's new book, In Search of Bacchus and found it a very enjoyable read. I have visited 7 of the 12 wine regions he writes about, and he has documented them well. I particularly like his explanation of each region's wine history. The time and effort he has spent on researching each region shows in the detailed writing. I was also particularly impressed with Mr. Taber's bungy jump at Kawarau Bridge in Central Otago, New Zealand. I have been to that Bridge and I can tell you it is a long way down! I am heading off to Argentina and Chile and Mr. Taber's book has given me alot of great ideas for the upcoming trip. I thank him for writing it.

When George Taber came to visit us in Mendoza while researching this book, we weren't sure what to expect. Lots of journalists and writers had come through looking for the big story of the "New Napa," and most had gone away with only a small part of it. What impressed us about George and his approach to research was the great number of people he talked to from every nook and cranny of the wine community, and the seemingly boundless breadth of his questions and interests. Now that I have had a chance to read the book (delivered on my Kindle even in Argentina), I see that he applied the same thoroughness to every wine region he visited. I think the format of telling the story of the region, mixed with the personal histories of some of the interesting people who help define the region, all used as backdrop to bring the reader along with the author's personal journey - is exactly the right mix to tackle the sometimes impregnable world of wine. I have spent a lot of time in a lot of wine regions around the world in the last 5 years. The portrayals of the places I know well are spot on, and now there are several I want to know better. I would hazard a guess that readers will wind up a little envious of George's journey by the end of this book. Enjoy!

In Search of Bacchus: Wanderings in the Wonderful World of Wine Tourism, by Geroge M. Taber, 294 pages, hardcover $30.00. Geroge Taber's name is already familiar to wine lovers - he was the only journalist present (and he has photos to prove it) at the famed 1976 Paris tasting in which two American wines, Chateau Montelena Chardonnay and Stag's Leap Cabernet Sauvignon in California, won out over the French wines in a blind tasting by French judges that put American wines on the world map. If you've seen the recent movie Bottle Shock, you should know it's very, very loosely based on Geroge's Paris Tasting book. And George is nothing like the sleepy, out of touch journalist depicted in the movie. He's smart, engaging and very well- informed. George has written two previous books about wine, The Judgement of Paris (about the 1976 tasting) and To Cork or Not to Cork: Tradition, Science, and the Battle for the Wine Bottle (in which he somehow managed to make wine bottle stoppers a fascinating and informative read). In search of Bacchus has a selection from To Cork or Not to Cork at the end, if you're interested. Now retired from his work as a writer and editor for Time Magazine, Geroge has followed up with a third book, In Search of Bacchus: Wanderings in the Wonderful World of Wine Tourism. His new work is every bit as well-written, readable and engaging as the two previous ones, and now he takes us on a tour of the world's major wine regions, some famous and some not so. The book begins with a bit of tourism history, focusing on three early wine tourists: the british philosopher John Locke, Thomas Jefferson, spendthrift and wine lover, and the author Robert Louis Stevenson (who knew?), showing that wine tourism has been around for quite a while (Pompeii had its wine bars too). There's nothing like drinking a wine at the source - in the vineyard and winery in which it came into being, and George does just that. He made a six month journey through the wine world (I wish I had his job), and introduces the reader to Napa Valley, Stellenbosch in South Africa, Mendoza in Argentina, Colchagua Valley in Chile, Margaret River in Australia, Central Otago in New Zealand, the Rioja region in Spain, Portugal's Duoro Valley, Bordeaux and Burgundy, the Rheingau and Middle Mosel in Germany, and a final chapter on Kakheti, Goergia (of the former Soviet Union). If you're thinking "Great, but can you actually find any of the wines he writes about?" the answer is yes. I saw many familiar labels on my way through the book: Robert Mondavi Fume Blanc, Beaulieu Vineyards, Francis Ford Coppola, Goats Do Roam, Casa Lapostelle, Banfi, J.J. Prum Riesling, and others. George also provedes a listing of the wines at the end of the book, with prices (many of them eminently affordable during recession times). It would be great fun to sample while reading. George's account is readable, engaging and informative; I would consider it a must-have for anyone co