Is This Bottle Corked? The Secret Life of Wine

Is This Bottle Corked? The Secret Life of Wine

by Michael Bywater (Author), Michael Bywater (Author), Kathleen Burk (Author)

Synopsis

What was Falstaff drinking when he called for more sack? What did they actually drink at Plato's Symposium? Why does Bridget Jones drink Chardonnay? Why do we drink to forget (and why doesn't it work)? All these and many other intriguing questions will be answered in "Is this Bottle Corked?" As much for bon vivants and those of us who just enjoy a good glass or two as for the committed oenophile, this book is guaranteed to provide readers with a 'Yes, but did you know ...' for every time a cork is drawn.

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More Information

Format: Hardcover
Pages: 272
Edition: Main
Publisher: Faber & Faber
Published: 02 Oct 2008

ISBN 10: 0571241743
ISBN 13: 9780571241743
Book Overview: Is this Bottle Corked?: The Secret Life of Wine, by Kathleen Burk and Michael Bywater, is a highly entertaining and enlightening compendium on the curiosities, culture, craft, history and oddities of wine.

Media Reviews
As appealing to wine-lovers as it is to the simply curious-and to those who like to start their sentences, 'Ah yes, but did you know . . . ?'- Is This Bottle Corked? answers the really important questions about wine. . . . Best read with a glass of good Pomerol, or perhaps a soft consoling Constantia, this book is as much for those who just enjoy a good glass as it is for committed oenophiles. -- Harpers Wine and Spirit Weekly A compilation of amusing and curious stories about wine. -- Times (London) As fascinating and quirky as the wine it celebrates. -- Oxford Times Plenty here that will deepen and enrich even a developed understanding of wine. --Giles Kime, Times Literary Supplement This book is actually fun and tells you things you didn't know about everything wine-connected. . . . Read it and then instead of being a wine dullard you can be the drinker with the facts. -- Diplomat
Author Bio
Kathleen Burk was born and raised in California. She has achieved a Diploma in Wine and Spirits; this is the level just below that of the Master of Wine, of which there are about 250 in the world. She writes for The World of Fine Wine, the leading magazine for those interested in both its culture and taste, and is a judge for the International Wine and Spirits Competition. She is the Professor of Modern and Contemporary History at University College London. Her newest book is Old World, New World: the Story of Britain and America. Michael Bywater is a culture critic, commentator, broadcaster and reviewer. He is the author of two previous Granta books and is currently Culture Critic of the New Statesman and a regular reviewer for the Daily Telegraph, Sunday Times and The Independent. He also teaches Tragedy on the English Tripos for a number of Cambridge colleges. He is currently completing his next book, Like Brothers: On Men & Friendship, to be published by Granta Books next year.