Characterizing his book as "a story of the struggle for the soul of a place," journalist Deutschman describes the social conflict between the wealthy elite residents of Napa valley of Northern California and the "bohemians" of neighboring Sonoma valley, worried that their communities are in danger of becoming the playground of the rich as well. Unabashedly taking the side of the rural bohemians, he explores the eruption of a grassroots political movement in Sonoma that attempted to take over local government with the intention of keeping out the McMansions and development that characterizes Napa. Annotation ©2003 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

Pub. Date: April 2003 Publisher: Broadway Books Format: Hardcover, 240pp
Item: 076790703

Jay McInerney's wine column for Conde Nast House and Garden has become widely read for his acerbic wit, irreverent tone, and bountiful, hilarious anecdotes. But a half million readers also hark closely to each month's "Uncorked" for the breadth of knowledge every column shares. For the uninitiated or aspiring oenophile (wine lover) McInerney shares, in this collection, critical details and comprehensible descriptions not often found, or discernable, in the standard wine writers' tomes. It is actually possible for a reader to take what is learned to a wine shop or restaurant to indulge in the wine of his or her fantasy with the confidence of a sommelier.

In forty-five columns, McInerney holds forth (with agile humor, an astonishing amount of hard fact, and an ample dose of personal taste) on such topics as how to make your way around a German wine label; what to drink with Thanksgiving turkey; the truth about Zinfandels; why burgundy is so hard to predict; how California Chardonnay is improving; the pleasures of flinty Chablis, the deep satisfaction of port; the glorious potential of Oregon's pinot noir, the respectability of rosé, and profiles of the great winemakers.

Bacchus and Me is for everyone interested in learning more about the wines of the world. For those who are modest of purse there is intense vicarious pleasure to be found in McInerney's vinous adventures.

Pub. Date: October 2000 Publisher: Globe Pequot Press Format: Hardcover, 308pp
Item: 158574186