Art and Business of Champagne or Libations of the Eighteenth Century

Art and Business of Champagne

Author: Dan Ginsburg

When people raise their glasses in celebratory toasts, few are aware of all the work behind the fizz. Here is a book to open their eyes with an inside look-from the vineyard to the marketplace-at the world of champagne.

Just like good wine, the book begins with the grapes: variety, growing season, harvesting and pressing method. While not attempting to be the definitive work on champagne making, this volume does enumerate all the steps and decisions that go into producing a quality champagne. Blending, bottling, aging, fermenting and storage are also discussed. With a view to practicality, the author-himself a champagne manufacturer-looks at the marketing and business concerns of champagne, including the necessity of balancing quality and timely production. Since, by definition, champagne comes only from Champagne, France, a brief history of and visitor's guide to this region is also included. The final chapters look at vintages from 1900 to 2003 as well as the various families who make it their business to produce some of the world's finest wines.

Dan Ginsburg lives in Washington, D.C., but is a part-time resident of Ay, France. He is the president and majority owner of Champagne de Meric, the only American-owned winery in Champagne. He is also the author of The Fix Is In (2004).

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Libations of the Eighteenth Century: A Concise Manual for the Brewing of Authentic Beverages from the Colonial Era of America, and of Times Past

Author: David Alan A Woolsey

A manual dedicated to recreating the brewed beverages that existed in the American Colonies. All of the historic recipes were documented as dating from 1800 or earlier, and all were taste-tested. The book consists of more than fifty recipes for ale, beer, mead, hard cider, and mixed drinks, including an award winning recipe for porter. Along with the recipes is a how-to chapter on brewing. There is an additional chapter on non-alcoholic brews, such as tea and coffee, and herbalsubstitutes for both. Plus, a section on making non-alcoholic beer, and carbonated soft drinks.