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University of California Press

Barolo and Barbaresco

The King and Queen of Italian Wine
by Kerin O’Keefe (Author)
Hardcover eBook
Price: $39.95 / £34.00
Publication Date: Oct 2014
Edition: 1st Edition
Title Details:
Rights: World
Pages: 368
ISBN: 9780520273269
Trim Size: 6 x 9
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About the Book

Following on the success of her books on Brunello di Montalcino, renowned author and wine critic Kerin O’Keefe takes readers on a historic and in-depth journey to discover Barolo and Barbaresco, two of Italy’s most fascinating and storied wines. In this groundbreaking new book, O’Keefe gives a comprehensive overview of the stunning side-by-side growing areas of these two world-class wines that are separated only by the city of Alba and profiles a number of the fiercely individualistic winemakers who create structured yet elegant and complex wines of remarkable depth from Italy’s most noble grape, Nebbiolo.

A masterful narrator of the aristocratic origins of winemaking in this region, O’Keefe gives readers a clear picture of why Barolo is called both the King of Wines and the Wine of Kings. Profiles of key Barolo and Barbaresco villages include fascinating stories of the families, wine producers, and idiosyncratic personalities that have shaped the area and its wines and helped ignite the Quality Wine Revolution that eventually swept through all of Italy.

The book also considers practical factors impacting winemaking in this region, including climate change, destructive use of harsh chemicals in the vineyards versus the gentler treatments used for centuries, the various schools of thought regarding vinification and aging, and expansion and zoning of vineyard areas. Readers will also appreciate a helpful vintage guide to Barolo and Barbaresco and a glossary of useful Italian wine terms.

About the Author

Kerin O’Keefe is the author of Brunello di Montalcino (UC Press, 2012) and of Franco Biondi Santi: The Gentleman of Brunello (Veronelli Editore, 2005). She is the Italian Editor for Wine Enthusiast magazine, and her numerous articles on Italian wine have been published in top industry publications, including The World of Fine Wine and Decanter.

Table of Contents

List of Illustrations
Preface
Introduction: Barolo and Barbaresco, the Pride of Piedmont
PART ONE
THE PLACE, THE GRAPE, THE HISTORY, AND THE WINE
1 The Ancient Origins of the Langhe Hills
2 Noble Nebbiolo 
3 The King of Wines, the Wine of Kings
4 The Barolo Wars and Their Effect on Both Denominations
5 Expansion, Subzones, and the Future of Barolo and Barbaresco
PART TWO
PROFILES OF KEY BAROLO PRODUCERS BY VILLAGE
6 Barolo and Novello
7 Castiglione Falletto 
8 Serralunga d’Alba 
9 La Morra and Cherasco 
10 Monforte d’Alba
11 Verduno, Grinzane Cavour, Roddi, and Diano d’Alba 
PART THREE
PROFILES OF KEY BARBARESCO PRODUCERS BY VILLAGE
12 Barbaresco: From Domizio Cavazza to Subzones 
13 (Village of) Barbaresco
14 Neive
15 Treiso and San Rocco Seno d’Elvio
16 Wineries in Alba and outside of Barolo/Barbaresco Villages
Appendix A. Vintage Guide to Barolo and Barbaresco
Appendix B. Barolo and Barbaresco at a Glance
Notes
Acknowledgments
Glossary
Bibliography
Index

Reviews

"Barolo and Barbaresco is unique. . . . Although it is thorough and traditionally organized for the most part, her selection of newer, less-known, up and coming producers adds a creative touch that you don’t find in most wine books. . . . O’Keefe’s book is a tour de force, a magnificent, comprehensive tome that required loads of research."
— Wine Review Online
"Fundamental by approach and inspiring by content. It will be useful for anybody with interest in Italian wines and is likely to become the first point of reference for those who geniunely love and appreciate great wines of Piedmont."
— SpazioVino
"An essential reference, with an invaluable level of both narrative and detail."
— San Francisco Chronicle
"O’Keefe’s breezy, often enthusiastic prose, combines solid background information with personal appraisals of many producers.  Kerin O’Keefe has written an informative work that will enlighten most readers to the beauty of these wines and the lofty goals of their producers. Barolo and Barbaresco brings the wines of kings and queens closer to an appreciative audience."
— International Wine Review
"Essential and timely. . . . Read the book. Pull some corks. And start plotting an itinerary for a visit to the region."
— Dr. Vino
"Anyone who loves the perfumes of Nebbiolo and the complexity and soulfulness of a mature bottle will enjoy this book."
— Wine Spectator
"Ms. O’Keefe, who wrote a similar guide to Brunello di Montalcino in 2012, is thorough and authoritative. She is a critic in the best sense of the word, not shy with her opinions, which she offers without polemics or bluster. This book is not for novices; readers are expected to have an understanding of how wine is farmed and produced. But for those who have delved into Barolo and Barbaresco and want to know more about where the wines are made, the people who make them and the differences in terroirs, this book is inspiring and essential." - The Best Wine Books of 2014
— New York Times
"Barolo and Barbaresco. . .  had me reaching for words such as 'definitive' and even 'magisterial'. Don't let those rather pompous words put you off – it's a good read, too." - Books of the Year 2014
— The Independent
"An accessible and informed orientation to two of Italy's greatest wines . . . this book is a significant contribution to the English-language literature of Italian wine."
— CHOICE
"O’Keefe is a rare journalist who does the work to flesh out what 'sense of place' means. She goes out into the vineyards of the greatest wine region in Italy. Her hands and her boots are marked by the marl and the clay and the grasses. That dedication pours forth in her writing, which is neither ostentatious nor hesitant to focus on subtle-but-important differences of place."
— Palate Press
"[...] again the only advice I can give is, get the book. [...] Indeed, it's a very useful tome to have to hand: measured, informative and very readable. I thoroughly recommend it."
— World of Fine Wine
"Part narrative history, part guidebook, Kerin O’Keefe’s exuberant engagement of the Italian Piedmont’s 'royal' oenological culture further illuminates the ways in which horticulture, geography, and good old-fashioned local characters intersect to produce some of the world’s best wines. Barolo and Barbaresco is not just a compelling read, it also reveals itself to be essential." --Matthew Gavin Frank, author of Barolo and Preparing the Ghost.

"'This book impressed me from the start with its authority and thoroughness and real passion for the wines. Barolo and Barbaresco will be the definitive book on the subject for years to come. Serious people in the wine trades, sommeliers, candidates for Master of Wine or Master Sommelier, collectors, and just plain Nebbiolo aficionados will be unable to do without it." --Tom Maresca, author Mastering Wine and The Right Wine

"An up-to-date, authoritative book on the wines of Barolo and Barbaresco is long overdue, and Kerin O'Keefe's thorough treatment of the subject is very welcome. As an importer with a particular interest in Piedmontese wines, I find the book stimulating, enlightening and very useful." --Oliver McCrum, Oliver McCrum Wines