Grapes Into Wine: A Guide to Winemaking in America

by Philip Marshall Wagner

As the first to write a basic book in English on winemaking from the winemaker's point of view, Philip Wagner has long been considered an authority on the subject, and his book American Wines and... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0394499190
• ISBN13: 9780394499192
• Release Date: January 1976
• Publisher: Random House (NY)
• Length: 302 Pages
• Weight: 0.90 lbs.

Customer Reviews

guru with a mission

wagner is the original guru on grape growing and wine making. how he found the time for all of his interests is a story we will never know. first, of course , he was the editor of the baltimore sun newspaper. he founded and operated boordy vineyard and winery,which became a grape vine nursury. he somehow found more time to write books on all of this, books that were clear, consise, that covered these fields with a fullnes of purpose that is amazing everytime i read and reread them. when i am planting grapes or making wine , his books are never far from my elbow. if you have limited funds and want to buy the best books for the most reasonable prices, buy wagner!

"Grapes Into Wine" set the standard all other similar books.

Philip M. Wagner's earlier "American Wines and Wine-Making" became a bible for small producers and winemakers in America. First printed in 1933, it was revised several times and then completely rewritten over 40 years later under the current title. Although dated, it is still one of the more valuable resources for the small commercial or home winemaker intent on making excellent wine from grapes and grape concentrates.Wagner discusses the grape and all its inherent qualities in clear, concise language. His treatment if both old French-American and new American hybrids is still a good historical and practical guide for grape selection. His appendix on wine grape varieties is a handy compendium for the single plant to small vineyard grower, while his appendix on "Wine Analysis Simplified" is invaluable to anyone wishing to make award winning vintages.The "meat" of the book discusses the fundamentals of winemaking as an art. This is amply illustrated with chapters on making red, white, rosé, sparkling, and other fermentations. He discusses clarification, filtering, testing, blending, and bottling with the experience of someone who is at ease with their finer points. He devotes a chapter to the then growing interest in making wines from concentrates and another on what can go wrong. While not a tutorial or handbook, his treatment is more a dissertation that any but a master winemaker would find instructive and beneficial.It is his chapter on wine tasting and drinking that sets his work apart, for these are the culminative activities for which all wine is ultimately made. His dissection of the anatomy and physiology of taste is a primer for any who aims to make really good wine. It won't make you a wine critic of Hugh Johnson's stature, but it will make you more conscious of what happens when wine is taken into your mouth. And that, after all, is what it is all about.This is a solid addition to any home winemaker's library. For historical insight alone, it is worth the price.

A must for the small batch home wine enthusiest

The book has a nice 60 page Part I with a historical overview of wines and their ancestory. Part II is a must for the home wine maker. To make good wine, one must follow a road map and this book spells it out in full detail, while being short and to the point. Long live the Vino!!

Truly elevates ones appreciation of grapes and winemaking!

Mr. Wagner's love of grapes and winemaking enlightens the reader about man's long time fascination with grapes and wine. This book could have been called the grape lovers bible because of its complete coverage of grape growing and winemaking information and history. No serious grape grower or winemaker should be without it. If you love grapes now, you may become absorbed with them after reading this book!

The most relevant book on winemaking for amatuers.

No one should start his or her first batch of wine without having read this book. Future winemakers will gain a historical perspective not found in other books, an appreciation of what it is they are about to become part of. Wagner teaches the science in application - not theory. The author speaks from much experience and love of winemaking. This vintner makes no pretenses about creating only masterpieces. Wagner will teach the reader to consistently make admirable, drinkable wines. And with experience maybe an occasional gem. Whether you want to make five gallons from a kit of concentrate or grow your own wine grapes, this book is the best place to start and it will become your trusted friend