Steven Kolpan – författare

In A Sense of Place, renowned wine expert and writer Steven Kolpan tells the story of how Francis Ford Coppola brought California's most distinguished and historic vineyard back to life.Gustave Niebaum's Inglenook Estate, started in 1879, was one of the Napa Valley's first established vineyards and the birthplace of its premium wine industry. Generations after Niebaum's death, the vineyard was sold to Heublein, the wine and spirits monolith, who broke up the land and changed the Inglenook brand from a premium, connoisseur wine to a mass-market jug wine.In 1975, Francis Coppola bought the Niebaum residence and the surrounding estate. Along with the original estate's reputation, he also brought back some of its original workers, including Rafael Rodriquez, who, in h is late seventies, now serves as the vineyard manager and historian.Coppola overcame naysayers, red tape, and financial turmoil to reestablish the winery as a defender of quality, producing wine under four different labels, including the revered wine Rubicon.In 1995, Coppola purchased the Inglenook Chateau and its adjacent vineyards, fulfilling his dream of reuniting the original Napa Valley estate.Kolpan's luscious, flavorful narrative is worth enjoying now and keeping for later.

In its previous editions, Exploring Wine has been called "a large jewel and a classic," "one of the most intelligent, most easily understood books on the subject of winegrowing," and "a must-have resource for the weekend novice drinker and the everyday tasting professional."  This new edition includes even more practical, comprehensive information on wine regions, growing, purchasing, tasting, and pairing.  Based on advice from professors and other wine professionals who use the second edition of Exploring Wine, we have included more balanced coverage of the various winegrowing regions, more tasting notes on international wines, a pronunciation guide for foreign words, and more basic, practical information in the business section.  The third edition also includes more information on the health effects of wine and responsible drinking, as well as an improved guide to types of glassware and bottles.  In addition, the food and wine pairing section will go beyond merely matching menus with wine choices, to show why certain flavors go together and teach students how to identify the best matches.  Throughout the book, easy-to-use charts, tables, and maps help to simplify the subject for students and wine enthusiasts, and beautiful color photographs and personal interviews with winegrowers bring the encyclopedic content vividly to life.  From the vine to the table, Exploring Wine encompasses all aspects of wines througout the world, and is an essential reference for any student, professional, or wine aficionado.