Mediterranean Wines of Place
Travel globally sip locally!
- At that rustic taverna in Athens, don't order Chardonnay with your moussaka, try it with a bottle of Malagousia.
- Dining by the Galata Bridge in Istanbul? Forgo the Merlot and pair those kebabs with a crisp Kalecik Karasi - The Hittites did it over 3000 years ago!
- In Taormina, the waiters on the Corso Umberto will gladly serve you Pinot Grigio, but watch their reaction when you order a glass of local Carricante, grown just over their shoulder on the eastern face of Mount Etna.
In Mediterranean Wines of Place, Al Leonard, a Professor of Classical Archaeology and wine aficionado, pairs his love of the Mediterranean World with wines that are crafted from the heritage grapes that have been so much a part of its history.
This locavore’s guide to Mediterranean wines provides a historical introduction to more than sixty heirloom grapes and the wines they produce. Places visited include mainland Greece and the Greek islands, Cyprus, Turkey, Italy, Croatia, Spain and Malta.
Illustrated in colour throughout.
Al Leonard, Professor Emeritus at the University of Arizona (Classical Archaeology). Over the past several decades, he has directed archaeological exploration around the Mediterranean. While uncovering the remnants of these past civilizations, his work has provided him the opportunity to discover and research the indigenous grapes and legacy wines of the areas in which he has excavated. In addition to his academic preparation (PhD from the University of Chicago's Oriental Institute) and years of university teaching, Al has studied at Le Cordon Bleu (London), as well as the Culinary Institute of America (Napa Valley, CA). He presently divides his time between Boston's Back Bay and California's Russian River Valley where for almost twenty years he has been a member of The Society of Wine Educators and the Northern Sonoma County convivium of Slow Foods International.