Osborne travels to wineries in California, Italy and France all the while trying to find the bigger questions about wine. What is the best bottle of wine? Is it based on the grape, the terroir, the experience you are having while you drink it? What is taste? Is there any reason to buy into the Robert Parker's number rating? Our perception on pricing (more expensive wine equals a better wine?) He addresses issues of wine being made for the masses and how homogenized it has become. He talks about Americans being youthful in there wine buying and how wine labels reflect this buying trend (i.e. labels that have animals, cartoon drawings, silly sayings). He meets winemakers, owners, buyers, tourists and allows them all to have a say about what wine they enjoy, why they enjoy it and their thoughts on the New World vs the Old World. He gets drunk on some of the worlds most famous wines and indulges in each regions cuisine. By the end of the book, Osborne seems tired of the wine world and is comfortable just to enjoy wine for what it is. This book is meant to be savored so pop open your favorite wine and make sure you have a good dictionary nearby.

Tip: Log onto www.madrose.com - go to the link Producers. This will help you place Osbornes travels

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