Beaujolais, Georges Duboeuf and the Evolution of Nouveau: Rudolph Chelminski Discusses His New Book

Each year at 12:01 AM on the third Thursday of November, millions of bottles of Beaujolais Nouveau begin a journey from a little French village to locales across the globe. Wine stores and cafes enthusiastically greet these shipments with signs and banners proclaiming "Le Beaujolais Nouveau est arrivé!" "The New Beaujolais has arrived!". With this begins the annual celebration of the arrival of the French wine Beaujolais Nouveau, a celebration steeped in tradition, frivolity, grandeur, legend, and of course, fabulous wine.

Good French Wine Books

Much of the history of wine is interwoven throughout the history of France itself. It is difficult to separate French wine from French culture and vice versa. There is no shortage of books devoted to French wine. The titles listed below are but a few of the many good books about French wine and culture. Champagne: How the World's Most Glamorous Wine Triumphed Over War and Hard Times , by Don and Petie Kladstrup, explores the history of champagne as it touches the historical figures and events that have defined France, and in some cases, the world. With references to Attila the Hun, Napoleon, and German World War II bombers it's hard to believe a wine region that has seen such hard times would ever produce the ubiquitous celebratory bubbly. The Wines of the South of France: From Banyuls to St. Raphael Yquem , by Rosemary George, examines the wines of Mediterranean France and argues that the region -not known particularly for wine in the past- is underestimated and on the rise, particularly in terms of Syrah and Grenache. Yquem is the finest of the Sauternes. The late Richard Olney, in his book Yquem , has delivered the essential book on the "first great vintage". Every region needs it authoritative guide to wine. Robert Joseph -wine correspondent for London's Sunday Telegraph newspaper- has delivered a French wine guide titled French Wines: The Essential Guide to the Wines and Wine Growing Regions of France that is worth lugging with you all around the French countryside.

Families of the Vine: Seasons Among the Winemakers of Southwest France by Michael S. Sanders

A few friends, a good meal, a glass of wine, what could be a more simple pleasure? Why then does the subject of wine -and particularly writing about wine- often seem so darn complicated, so needlessly technical or frustratingly pretentious? In this book I wanted to tell a different story about wine, share my experience of two years spent among French winemakers and vineyards; two years in which I discovered that the story of wine from vine to glass is as much the story of the people who make it, their history and traditions, their intimacy with the land, as it is a tale of yeast, grape, and barrel. Happily, it is also, in the small family vineyards where much French wine is made, a very warm, very human story.

French Lessons: Adventures With Knife, Fork, and Corkscrew by Peter Mayle

From Peter Mayle, a joyous exploration and celebration of the infinite gastronomic pleasures of France. Ranging far from his adopted Provence, Mayle now travels to every corner of the country, armed with knife, fork, and corkscrew. He takes us to tiny, out-of-the-way restaurants, starred Michelin wonders, local village markets, annual festivals, and blessed vineyards.

Yquem by Richard Olney

Four centuries of history are united in the spare appellation Chateau d'Yquem Lur Saluces, -a label that evokes the same reaction the world over- of a luminous golden essence, of royalty, of impassioned devotees and collectors, and of the finest, the rarest, and the most expensive of wines.

French Wines: The Essential Guide to the Wines and Wine Growing Regions of France by Robert Joseph

Profiling hundreds of wines from every region, major vineyard, and appellation of France, French Wines is equally useful to the cultured connoisseur as well as the beginner who doesn't know Pouilly Fume from Pouilly Fuisse. Combining beautiful color photographs with an informative text by eminent wine export and author Robert Joseph, this guide offers an abundance of detailed information on each wine. Special features include a glossary of wine terminology; an extensive introductory section with information on viticulture, buying, tasting, storing, serving, and matching foods with wines. A tour itinerary and food specialty for each wine-producing region makes this a perfect accessory on a trip to France or to preparing a meal that makes you feel like you're there.