The Vineyard at the End of the World: Maverick Winemakers and the Rebirth of Malbec - Tapa dura

"This well-informed chronicle captures the distinctive nature of winemaking in a country challenged by an unforgiving climate and political and economic instability." "[Vineyard at the End of the World]... excels at telling the personal stories of struggling and speculation." "An artfully written story of how a poorly developed wine culture grew into one of the best wine regions in the world... This engaging, important, and accessible book fills a gap in the literature of wine culture and history." -- Lisa Ennis "Mount's impressive history... provides ample regional and global color in a lively addition to wine literature." "A definite must-read for Malbec drinkers everywhere, and Argentine wine fans." -- Lettie Teague "The rise of Argentine wine and the improbable triumph of the humble Malbec-the Seabiscuit of grapes-is one of the great untold stories of globalization. As Ian Mount shows with great energy and feeling, the tale is as much about people and their dreams and obsessions as it is about the delicious drink that motivates them." -- Benjamin Wallace, The Billionaire's Vinegar "Ian Mount takes wine lovers on an intoxicating adventure. Anyone intrigued by how Argentina has amazed the wine world will love this gripping tale of invention, breakthrough and revelation. I enjoyed this wide-ranging book tremendously." -- Vivienne Sosnowski, author of When the Rivers Ran Red "The Vineyard at the End of the World is a fascinating account of wine-world alchemy: what happens when the old world and the new world meet on the Argentinean frontier. This book will convince you-as if there were ever any doubt-that, for international wine lovers, the golden age is now." -- Tilar Mazzeo, bestselling author of The Widow Clicquot "Ian Mount has found an important void in the current library of wine books: Mendoza and Malbec. The history is fascinating." -- George Taber, bestselling author of The Judgment of Paris

For generations, Argentine wine was famously bad--oxidized, unpalatable, and often mixed with a low-class French grape called Malbec. But then in 2001, a Cabernet Sauvignon / Malbec blend beat all contenders in a blind taste test featuring Napa and Bordeaux's finest. Today, Argentina and its signature wine are on the tip of every smart traveler's tongue. How did this happen? The Vineyard at the End of the World tells the fascinating, four-hundred-year history of how a wine mecca arose in the high Andean desert. Profiling the outlandish figures who fueled the Malbec revolution-including celebrity enologist Michel Rolland, acclaimed American winemaker Paul Hobbs, and the Mondavi-esque Catena family-Ian Mount describes in colorful detail the nefarious scams, brilliant business innovations, and backroom politics that put Malbec on the map.