Just in time for the annual harvest season, Crush by John Briscoe provides a fascinating and comprehensive look at the dramatic history of the California wine industry. California’s superb climate and geography established its wine industry; however, its native grapes did not. California’s first viticulture actually began after the Mission grape was brought to the region by its Franciscan fathers. Since then, its winemakers have continued to face obstacles, including vine-destroying plague, the near-total destruction of an earthquake, and the drying effects of governmental restriction. They have also endured the effects of unscrupulous dealers, fluctuations in the market, and the resurrection of Prohibition-era rhetoric. Despite the odds, they have prevailed.
With vivid and passionate detail, Briscoe explores the unlikely ascendance of California wine from the first harvest to its amazing triumph at the Paris Wine Tasting of 1976 and beyond.
About the Author
John Briscoe is a San Francisco poet, award-winning author, and lawyer. A noted wine and food writer, he is the author of Tadich Grill: The Story of San Francisco’s Oldest Restaurant.
Publisher: University of Nevada Press