Kerin O’KeefeBrunello di Montalcino: Understanding and Appreciating One of Italy’s Greatest Wines

i wanted to read about Brunello on the plane as my wife and I were on our way to Montalcino. (1) I got an education. Previously, I knew a little, just enough to dangerous-s they say. But, after reading the book, it enabled me to buy some really nice bottles of Brunello that I might have over-looked or just not developed the interest to find. (2) This book could have been drier than even the worst Brunello. Instead, O'Keefe's writing displayed both a lively wit, a depth of the subject, and a love for Brunello. Like Brunello Reserva, it was surprisingly good. Standing in a wine store in both Montalcino and San Quirico, I remembered stories about many of the brands displayed from her book. Her book certainly increased my love of Brunello, and it certainly enriched my trip to Tuscany. In fact, I now own a few bottles of 2010 Brunello that I would not have put the effort into finding had it not been for her book.

Phenomenal. A beautiful explanation of the history of the region, the geology and lay of the land, the producers and potential future challenges for brunello makers. This book is organized in the exact way that you want for a wine book and it delivers on that structure with just enough detail to keep things interesting but not too much to bog you down. Great read for anyone who appreciates Italian wines.

I love Brunello, but after reading some of the posted reviews, I was afraid this book would be too technical. I bought it anyway and was pleasantly surprised. Yes it does cover technical subjects, like clones and vinfication, but the author writes in a very easy to understand and entertaining style, so I followed everything and learned a lot. The best part was the breakdown of Montalcino into subzones. I've been thrilled by many Brunellos, but disappointed in others and now I know why. I've already tried some of O'Keefe's suggested Brunellos, and have loved them. Highly recommend this book for Brunello fans looking for the best from Montalcino. As a last note, the photos by Paolo Tenti are beautiful and complement the book very well.

If you're well past wine geekdom 101 and want to get serious about a particular region like Brunello Di Montalcino, this is a must read. I already have three "encylopedia of wine" books that do a decent job of skiming every region on the planet. Lately, I'm prefering to buy and read books that dig more deeply into a particular region I already love like Burgundy or one I want to know a lot more about. I don't think I'm being a wine snob when I say this book is not for casual wine drinkers unless, perhaps you've traveled the region extensively and accidentally fell in love with this unique expression of the Sangiovese grape. This is a refreshingly honest take on Brunello sans the 100pt scale from the critics. My only beef with this book is I'd like to contact the author with a few questions. Since the book is written with passionate wine geeks in mind, I would have included an email address for follow up questions in the book itself or on the author's website.

Having been a wine lover for some time, I never realized how complex the great wines are. Kerin gives you a complete education on Brunello di Motalcino, its historical background, how it's made and a description of the top vinyards. If you want to learn about Brunello this book is for you.

Incredible document on the various regions of the 'Grand Cru' of Sangiovese. You will be introduced of all the vintners of note, with detailed descriptions of the 'house' style. It clearly comes from a long personal connection to the region and its growers.

I got this book as I was interested in learning more about Brunello wines and read the positive reviews. I'm glad I did as the book is very enjoyable to read and explains the history behind Brunello di Montalcino. This author is very passionate about Brunello and you can feel this passion when reading the book. The classical Brunello style, the Brunellogate scandal, and the beauty of terroir driven Brunello wines is covered in this book. I enjoyed reading the book found it easy to read and had a greater understanding of Montalcino and Brunello after that.The authors recommended Brunello producers and vintages are covered in the book and that alone is worth buying the book for those who want to collect Brunello wines.

Fabulous research and information. I have had many conversations about wine and am excited to incorporate this knowledge with my friends. I also appreciate the research done at individual wineries, which will enable me to choose which ones I would rather visit.

From the novices (mine) point of view this is a fantastic guide to Brunello.The author, right at the beginning, nails her colours to the mast about what she thinks is "classic" Brunello. And she doesn't pull her punches on what she considers "modern" Brunellos that are aimed at a specific market / group of influential critics. From reading her criticisms of the darker, more potent and early drinking Brunellos, I knew they weren't for my palate so that means, for me at least, that I can trust her judgement on the more traditional Brunellos she praises throughout the book.The history section is a great introduction to the region, contains everything you need to know without overstaying its welcome. Concise, clear and helpful. The writing is pure and you can feel the passion the author has for the region and its wines. She doesn't side step the issues Brunello has faced in the last decade or so, from the blending scandal to the in-fighting to plant more Brunello vineyards in areas not deemed suitable. It will be interesting to see if the bigger producers manage to push through measures that would surely only harm Brunello as a great wine.The producer / subzone section of the book is even better. It clearly (with the help of maps, although my North & South Montalcino maps were the wrong way round!) sets out where the producers are based and gives a brief history of winemaking in the subzone. The author explains how the altitude / soil in each cru helps give the grapes their distinctive character and how this is displayed in the bottle. The book is very good in breaking down the producers different bottling's and helpfully moves up the scale, giving opinions and drinking windows on certain vintages of the wine.Finally, you have a vintage guide going back further than I will ever find bottles for. Useful is not the word, as I knew next to nothing about the region, the wine, the good vintages and the one's to avoid before reading the book. Just a really great read that I wouldn't hesitate to recommend to anyone wanting to learn about Brunello.Now I need to save up and buy some wine!

Bought as a present and it was very much appreciated.

My favourite wine appellation and a good book. What else ?

Best book I read over my favorite wine. Great level of detail but easy to read. If you want to understand the different areas around Montalcino this is your book

Definite reference book for the area. A lot of Detail on the different terroirs and the different styles of Brunello