Skip to content

The Curious World of Wine: Facts, Legends, and Lore about the Drink We Love So
Stock Photo: Cover May Be Different

The Curious World of Wine: Facts, Legends, and Lore about the Drink We Love So Much Hardcover - 2012

by Richard Vine


Summary

The Curious World of Wine is a fascinating miscellany about the colorful characters, celebrated places, and quirky events surrounding wine-making. Recounting wine tales that are by turns amusing, surprising, and occasionally a bit naughty, wine expert Richard Vine reveals little-known facts such as:

• The oldest vineyard still producing grapes is thought to be in Maribor, Slovenia, where vines up to four hundred years old remain fruitful.

• “Plonk,” a term used to insult any modestly priced wine, got its name from the French words for white wine—vin blanc, pronounced “vawn blawnk,” which was corrupted to “plawnk” or “plonk.”

• Thomas Jefferson was so eager to plant native French vines at his Monticello mansion that he nearly went bankrupt fruitlessly hiring experts to defeat a condition that caused European vines to mysteriously die in North American soil.

• Touching wineglasses as a toast was originally a deft move to exchange a splash of wine into each other’s cup to ensure that neither party was being poisoned.

The Curious World of Wine will keep any wine fan entertained and enlightened—from the most erudite connoisseur to Two Buck Chuck devotees.

From the publisher

Born and raised in the Finger Lakes region of upstate New York, Richard Vine began his wine-making career in 1958 at the Pleasant Valley Wine Company (Great Western) in Hammondsport. While first a cellar worker and then a laboratory technician, he was promoted to winemaker and assumed responsibility for more than six million bottles of annual wine production. In 1977, Vine accepted a research position at Mississippi State University, where he earned his baccalaureate and doctorate degrees while also writing the first of four academic wine books.

Purdue University gave Dr. Vine the call in 1991 to fill their initial professor of enology position. In 1999, Purdue dedicated a wine library in his name at the Philip E. Nelson Hall of Food Science. During his university tenures, he was also the wine consultant for American Airlines for twenty-one years.

Details

  • Title The Curious World of Wine: Facts, Legends, and Lore about the Drink We Love So Much
  • Author Richard Vine
  • Binding Hardcover
  • Edition First edition
  • Pages 212
  • Volumes 1
  • Language ENG
  • Publisher Tarcherperigee, Qd8
  • Date 2012-11-06
  • Illustrated Yes
  • ISBN 9780399537639 / 0399537635
  • Weight 0.7 lbs (0.32 kg)
  • Dimensions 8.1 x 5.1 x 1 in (20.57 x 12.95 x 2.54 cm)
  • Ages 18 to UP years
  • Grade levels 13 - UP
  • Library of Congress subjects Wine and wine making, Wine
  • Library of Congress Catalog Number 2012024528
  • Dewey Decimal Code 663.2

Media reviews

"Professor Vine’s most entertaining recitals of the romance of wine reveal to us how important it has been in the daily lives of our ancestors. . ."

About the author

Born and raised in the Finger Lakes region of upstate New York, Richard Vine began his wine-making career in 1958 at the Pleasant Valley Wine Company (Great Western) in Hammondsport. While first a cellar worker and then a laboratory technician, he was promoted to winemaker and assumed responsibility for more than six million bottles of annual wine production. In 1977, Vine accepted a research position at Mississippi State University, where he earned his baccalaureate and doctorate degrees while also writing the first of four academic wine books.

Purdue University gave Dr. Vine the call in 1991 to fill their initial professor of enology position. In 1999, Purdue dedicated a wine library in his name at the Philip E. Nelson Hall of Food Science. During his university tenures, he was also the wine consultant for American Airlines for twenty-one years.

Back to Top

More Copies for Sale

The Curious World of Wine: Facts, Legends, and Lore about the Drink We Love So Much
Stock Photo: Cover May Be Different

The Curious World of Wine: Facts, Legends, and Lore about the Drink We Love So Much

by Vine, Richard

  • Used
  • good
  • Hardcover
Condition
Used - Good
Binding
Hardcover
ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9780399537639 / 0399537635
Quantity Available
2
Seller
Seattle, Washington, United States
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 4 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
$6.53
FREE shipping to USA

Show Details

Description:
Tarcherperigee, 2012. Hardcover. Good. Former library book; Pages can have notes/highlighting. Spine may show signs of wear. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less.Dust jacket quality is not guaranteed.
Item Price
$6.53
FREE shipping to USA
The Curious World of Wine: Facts, Legends, and Lore about the Drink We Love So Much

The Curious World of Wine: Facts, Legends, and Lore about the Drink We Love So Much

by Vine, Richard

  • Used
  • good
  • Hardcover
Condition
Used - Good
Binding
Hardcover
ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9780399537639 / 0399537635
Quantity Available
2
Seller
Seattle, Washington, United States
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 4 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
$6.53
FREE shipping to USA

Show Details

Description:
Tarcherperigee, 2012. Hardcover. Good. Pages can have notes/highlighting. Spine may show signs of wear. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less.Dust jacket quality is not guaranteed.
Item Price
$6.53
FREE shipping to USA
The Curious World of Wine : Facts, Legends, and Lore about the Drink We Love So Much

The Curious World of Wine : Facts, Legends, and Lore about the Drink We Love So Much

by Richard Vine

  • Used
  • very good
  • Hardcover
Condition
Used - Very Good
Binding
Hardcover
ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9780399537639 / 0399537635
Quantity Available
3
Seller
Seattle, Washington, United States
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 4 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
$6.53
FREE shipping to USA

Show Details

Description:
Penguin Publishing Group, 2012. Hardcover. Very Good. Disclaimer:May have limited writing in cover pages. Pages are unmarked. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less.Dust jacket quality is not guaranteed.
Item Price
$6.53
FREE shipping to USA
The Curious World of Wine : Facts, Legends, and Lore about the Drink We Love So Much
Stock Photo: Cover May Be Different

The Curious World of Wine : Facts, Legends, and Lore about the Drink We Love So Much

by Vine, Richard

  • Used
Condition
Used - Good
ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9780399537639 / 0399537635
Quantity Available
1
Seller
Mishawaka, Indiana, United States
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 5 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
$7.21
FREE shipping to USA

Show Details

Description:
Penguin Publishing Group. Used - Good. Former library book; may include library markings. Used book that is in clean, average condition without any missing pages.
Item Price
$7.21
FREE shipping to USA
The Curious World of Wine: Facts, Legends, and Lore About the Drink We Love So Much
Stock Photo: Cover May Be Different

The Curious World of Wine: Facts, Legends, and Lore About the Drink We Love So Much

by Vine, Richard

  • Used
  • Hardcover
Condition
Used: Good
Binding
Hardcover
ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9780399537639 / 0399537635
Quantity Available
1
Seller
HOUSTON, Texas, United States
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 4 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
$9.79
FREE shipping to USA

Show Details

Description:
Penguin Group, 2012-11-06. hardcover. Used: Good.
Item Price
$9.79
FREE shipping to USA
The Curious World of Wine: Facts, Legends, and Lore About the Drink We Love So Much
Stock Photo: Cover May Be Different

The Curious World of Wine: Facts, Legends, and Lore About the Drink We Love So Much

by Vine, Richard

  • New
Condition
New
ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9780399537639 / 0399537635
Quantity Available
1
Seller
LONG BEACH, California, United States
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 2 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
$21.67
$3.99 shipping to USA

Show Details

Description:
New. Spend Less, Read More.
Item Price
$21.67
$3.99 shipping to USA
The Curious World of Wine: Facts, Legends, and Lore About the Drink We Love So Much
Stock Photo: Cover May Be Different

The Curious World of Wine: Facts, Legends, and Lore About the Drink We Love So Much

by Vine, Richard

  • Used
  • Hardcover
Condition
Used:Good
Binding
Hardcover
ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9780399537639 / 0399537635
Quantity Available
1
Seller
HOUSTON, Texas, United States
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 4 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
$33.30
FREE shipping to USA

Show Details

Description:
TarcherPerigee, 2012-11-06. hardcover. Used:Good.
Item Price
$33.30
FREE shipping to USA
The Curious World of Wine: Facts, Legends, and Lore About the Drink We Love So Much
Stock Photo: Cover May Be Different

The Curious World of Wine: Facts, Legends, and Lore About the Drink We Love So Much

by Vine, Richard (Author)

  • New
  • Hardcover
Condition
New
Binding
Hardcover
ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9780399537639 / 0399537635
Quantity Available
1
Seller
Exeter, Devon, United Kingdom
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 4 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
$49.59
$12.68 shipping to USA

Show Details

Description:
Perigee Trade, 2012. Hardcover. New. 224 pages. 8.50x5.75x1.00 inches.
Item Price
$49.59
$12.68 shipping to USA
The Curious World of Wine: Facts, Legends, and Lore About the Drink We Love So Much
Stock Photo: Cover May Be Different

The Curious World of Wine: Facts, Legends, and Lore About the Drink We Love So Much

by Vine, Richard

  • New
  • Hardcover
Condition
New
Binding
Hardcover
ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9780399537639 / 0399537635
Quantity Available
1
Seller
San Diego, California, United States
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 5 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
$79.73
$5.45 shipping to USA

Show Details

Description:
TarcherPerigee, 2012-11-06. Hardcover. New. New. In shrink wrap. Looks like an interesting title!
Item Price
$79.73
$5.45 shipping to USA