One Thousand Vines - by Pascaline Lepeltier (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

Shortlisted for the second annual Nach Waxman Prize for Food and Beverage Scholarship

"To call One Thousand Vines a groundbreaking masterpiece is to barely touch on the quality of this work, both in its content and production.... Overall, One Thousand Vines not only describes the modern world of wine in intimate detail but also explores why and how it has developed from the first grapevines with a strong base in science. It is stunningly illustrated by Loan Nguyen Thanh Lan." -Winepilot

The much-anticipated first book by one of the most highly regarded women in the world of wine, the French-born, US-based star sommelier Pascaline Lepeltier

"The best wine book this year by a country mile."-- Western Country Magazine

"Wine is easy to drink but complicated to understand. Most modern books focus on one element -- a region, history, wine science, tasting and so on. Few seek to explain it in its totality. That's what makes Pascaline Lepeltier's new book so extraordinary. It examines every aspect of wine, starting with the domestication of the grape vine thousands of years ago through the nature of the vine, the geology, flora and fauna of vineyards, the production and serving of wine, how we taste it and how we talk about it. It's a remarkable synthesis that incorporates biology, chemistry, history and philosophy... It's often said that the more we learn about wine the less we know. But wine lovers who read this book will deeply, richly profit." New York Times

"One Thousand Vines is the price of a good bottle of California Pinot Noir, but it's worth an entire case...It belongs in any connoisseur's wine library." - International Wine Review

"One Thousand Vines is an exceptional achievement worthy of a special place on your wine bookshelf." - The Wine Economist

"I cannot emphasize how good this book is. It's tremendous work of synthesis, broad in its scope, thoroughly up to date, imaginative, philosophical, scientific and profound. There's nothing like it." -Wineanorak​

"This book is every wine book you ever needed and every wine book you could ever want." - JancisRobinson.com

"Lepeltier's expertise is addictive and admirable. The talents that made her an in-demand sommelier and lecturer are the same qualities that come through in her writing." - DrinkHacker

"A masterpiece that offers a deep dive into the world of wine. It's a testament to its author's passion, expertise and commitment to sustainable practices." Robert Parker Wine Advocate

"Entwining culture, philosophy, history, and science, Pascaline Lepeltier's One Thousand Vines is nothing short of an astonishing work of genius. This is an essential resource for understanding wine in all its marvellous complexity." Alice Feiring

"One Thousand Vines is a crucial resource for understanding wine on both a global and local scale, and an essential read for anyone who loves wine." Jon Bonné

"Pascaline's work is essential for anyone who wants to fully understand wine. Additionally, you will find a multitude of conceptual maps and illustrations that make the reading even more delightful." Ferran Centelles

"One Thousand Vines is a rare feat: an original book about wine. Pascaline Lepeltier's work of passionate scholarship sweeps us through the disciplines which form wine's hinterland in order to illuminate her informing vision of wine: fresh, exciting, dense, grand." Andrew Jefford

Winner of an OIV Award 2024

In One Thousand Vines internationally celebrated sommelier Pascaline Lepeltier answers all the important questions about wine. With three main parts - Reading Vines, Reading Landscapes and Reading Wines - the book challenges preconceived ideas about the vine and its wine. It explains where we are now, how we got here, and shows us a way forward - in how grapes will be grown, made into wine, sold and enjoyed.

One Thousand Vines isn't an encyclopedia or atlas but it answers all the important questions about wine and offers the reader keys to understand the links between the bottle and the producers, terroirs and vineyards which give birth to it. With a refreshingly unique approach, star sommelier Pascaline Lepeltier offers those curious about wine not only the answers but also the tools to understand it by oneself.

About the Author

Pascaline Lepeltier is probably the most decorated female sommelier on the planet. She is one of only 25 or so women to have been certified a Master Sommelier, and was the first woman to be named Meilleur Sommelier de France and also Meilleur Ouvrier de France (MOF). Pascaline has written for various prominent wine guides and books in France, and is a contributor to The Oxford Companion to Wine.

Having grown up in the Loire Valley, she left an academic career in philosophy to enter the world of wine at a young age. After winning numerous awards and accolades in France, she moved to New York in 2009 to open the US outpost of the famed Michelin-star restaurant Rouge Tomate, hailed by Eric Asimov in the New York Times as 'world-class, with exquisite taste'. She has since joined the wine-focused restaurant Chambers.