A Napa Valley Cabernet， a French Burgundy， an Orvieto Classico shared among friends in the Umbrian hills—every wine has a story， and Gerald Asher tells it best. Asher， longtime wine editor of Gourmet magazine， has an unsurpassed knowledge of vineyards， wineries， and wines. He also has the refreshing ability to write about wine informatively and entertainingly， without technical jargon. Now in paperback， Asher s delightful Vineyard Tales evaluates wines from around the world—from secret sun-drenched vineyards on Crete to the celebrated Champagne houses of France—setting each wine in the context of a region s history and culture. In addition， Asher offers an expert s advice on decanting， tasting， and serving wine. Connoisseurs looking for greater insight， novices seeking an introduction， or readers who simply want to enjoy armchair travel to the world s finest vineyards， will find Vineyard Tales irresistible—and discover that along the way they have also learned a great deal about wine.