Product Description

In the late 1970s, Neal I. Rosenthal set out to learn everything he could about wine. Today, he is one of the most successful importers of traditionally made wines produced by small family owned estates in France and Italy. Rosenthal has immersed himself in the culture of Old World wine production, working closely with his growers for two and sometimes three generations. He is one of the leading exponents of the concept of 'terroir' - the notion that a particular vineyward site imparts distinct qualities of bouquet, flavour, and colour to a wine. In "Reflections of a Wine Merchant", Rosenthal brings us into the cellars, vineyards, and homes of these vignerons, and his delightful stories about his encounters, relationships, and explorations - and what he has learned along the way - give us an unequalled perspective on winemaking tradition and what threatens it today. Rosenthal was featured in the documentary film "Mondovino" and is one of the more outspoken figures against globalization, homogenization, and the 'critic-ization' of the wine business. He was also a major subject in Lawrence Osborne's "The Accidental Connoisseur". Rosenthal's is an important voice in defense of the individual and the artisanal, and their contribution to our quality of life.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #103766 in Books
• Published on: 2009-06-02
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 272 pages

Review
"Neal Rosenthal is a source of the kind of wines that I have always looked for, wines that speak to me not of marketing trends, but of the places where they were grown and the people who made them. Whether rustic or elegant, Neal's wines are wines of character, of taste. His lively book, which displays the spunky personality of the author, shines light on how character and taste may be bred into wine." --Victor Hazan
"There have been many books about wine, but rarely one as absorbing and as wise as this one. Rosenthal tells of his travels in France and Italy, of his friendships with wine growers, and of his own growing understanding of this ancient business that combines both art and commerce. He writes so well, one can taste the wines he loves." --Charles Simic