In Search of Bacchus: Wanderings in the Wonderful World of Wine Tourism Book

From the award-winning and critically acclaimed author of Judgment of Paris and To Cork or Not To Cork comes a delightful, entertaining, and informative exploration of the thriving world of wine tourism.

George M. Taber set out on the wine lover's ultimate dream: a journey to the twelve most beautiful and fascinating wine-producing regions around the globe. In Search of Bacchus chronicles that experience: the gorgeous landscapes, conversations with winemakers, unforgettable meals, must-do activities, and of course, the taste of the wines. Here he offers suggestions for travelers, commentary on trends in the wine world, charming anecdotes, and recommendations of vintages available in the United States, so that oenophiles at home can live vicariously through his travels.

From the Napa Valley, where the art of wine tourism was perfected, to the deserts of Argentina, to a thousand-year-old monastery in Tuscany, to the famed châteaux of Bordeaux, Taber discusses the history, architecture, and culture of each destination in fascinating detail. He provides insight into the latest in the technology, politics, and business of wine, and uncovers a host of interesting characters who are major figures in their local wine worlds, including a Chilean arms merchant, a German-born Polish refugee living in South Africa, the dynamic woman who started the Wine Tourism Movement in Italy, and many more. Taber blends his own wine in Portugal, bungy jumps in New Zealand, and goes on a safari in South Africa, all in the attempt to quench his thirst for fine wine and adventure.

An accessible blend of wine lore and travel memoir, In Search of Bacchus isanother engaging, immersive read from George M. Taber, sure to satisfy wine lovers everywhere.

Publishers Weekly

In January 2008, acclaimed oenophile and wine writer Taber set out in search of Bacchus—the Roman god of wine and theater—by exploring wine tourism in 12 of the world's most important wine regions. For the next six months, he visited wineries in familiar locales—Napa Valley, Calif., and Bordeaux, France—and not-so-familiar places, such as Central Otago, New Zealand, and Kakheti, in the country of Georgia. Taber weaves the history of a winemaking region with the history of various wineries in the place. For example, after chronicling all the challenges that the South African wine industry has faced since the 1950s (although the first winery there, Constantia, dates to 1699), he points out that the heart of South African wine tourism is the region around Stellenbosch and the best example is Vergelegen, a 7,413-acre estate producing outstanding wines that compete in quality with any in the world. In Georgia, Taber discovers numerous wineries, including Teliani Valley, which has won awards at the London International Wine Fair and other competitions, and observes sadly that the present state of Russian-Georgian relations has prevented the Georgian wine industry from flourishing and getting the international recognition it deserves. In a valuable appendix, Taber lists five wines from each region, and their prices, for those armchair travelers who cannot follow in his peripatetic footsteps and visit each region themselves. (Oct.)