Summary

Set in the Finger Lakes Region of New York State, Conserve Water, Drink Wine: Recollections of a Vinous Voyage of Discovery guides readers through the annual cycle of wine production from the grape on the vine to the bottle of wine on a menu. The vineyards, wineries, and wine shops of this famous wine-producing region serve as backdrops for the basic steps of both grape culture and the wine production process. The book demonstrates the importance of science in the study and appreciation of wine and provides practical advice on the selection, storage, and aging of wine. It also offers readers insight into the modern techniques in grape cultivation and the production of unique wines.

Conserve Water, Drink Wine presents comprehensive information in an accessible narrative style developed around the conversations of a group of wine experts. Both the wine connoisseur and the amateur will find the book?s discussions of the following topics engaging and informative:

• making homemade wine
• commercial wine making procedures
• wine tasting techniques
• health aspects of wine consumption
• effects of rootstock, vine training, and organic viticulture on wine quality
• historical and cultural background for food and wine combinations
• impact of soil type, slope, and microclimate on vineyard site selection
  
  This wonderful guidebook has something for everyone--the beginner learns methods for choosing the perfect wine to accompany a particular dinner, while the sophisticate learns special wine making techniques for botrytized, recioto, and carbonic maceration wines. Readers of Conserve Water, Drink Wine emerge at the end of the book better-informed wine consumers and enthusiasts, even inspired to begin their own home wine production.