Robert V. Camuto’s interest in wine turned into a passion when he moved to France and began digging into local soils and cellars. Corkscrewed recounts Camuto’s journey through France’s myriad regions—and how the journey brought about a profound change in everything he believed about wine.

 

The world of great wines was once dominated by great Bordeaux châteaux. As those châteaux were bought up by moguls and international corporations, the heart of French winemaking moved into the realm of small producers, whose wines reflect the stunning diversity of regional environment, soil, and culture—terroir. In this book we follow Camuto across France as he works harvesting grapes in Alsace, learns about wine and bombs in Corsica, and eats and drinks his way through the world’s greatest bacchanalia in Burgundy. Along the route he discovers a new generation of winemakers who have rejected chemicals, additives, and technologically altered wines. His book charts an odyssey into this new world of French wine, a world of biodynamic winegrowing, herbal treatments, lunar cycles, and grape varieties long ago dismissed as “difficult.”

 

A celebration of the diversity that makes French wine more than a mere commodity, Camuto’s work is a delightful look beyond the supermarket to the various flavors offered by the true vintners of France.

Robert V. Camuto has been a journalist for nearly thirty years. He is a regular contributor to the Wine Spectator and the Washington Post and his articles have appeared in many other magazines and newspapers. He and his family live in France.

"[Corkscrewed] inspires thirst and curiosity. . . . Just as a trip around the French countryside reveals dozens of dishes that never make it to French restaurants in the United States, Mr. Camuto's adventures will introduce readers to little-known French wines like Domaine Borrely-Martin of Provence, Château Mossé of Roussillon and Domaine des Tres Cantous of Gaillac and to the passionate individuals that persevere despite the absence of monetary reward. These may not be the wines that earn one spurs as a connoisseur, but they certainly may produce a worthy sense of humility at how much there is to learn. I can't wait to drink them."—Eric Asimov, New York Times, Dining & Wine section

"[Camuto's] enthusiasm for underdog grapes, regions and winemakers makes him a pleasant guide along the back roads of France."—Thomas Matthews, Wine Spectator

“If you think you would enjoy having a conversation with a passionate French wine craftsman, dive into Robert Camuto’s delicious new book. I spend a good part of my life underground in France, and everything Camuto relates of his adventures rings true. And to those of you tiring of the varietal bandwagon, here’s an escape route.”—Kermit Lynch, wine importer and author of Adventures on the Wine Route: A Wine Buyer's Tour of France

"[Camuto] is a stylish writer with a gift for describing the way his subjects look and think, and express themselves in words and wine. He explains each winemaker's approach and results, also adding a bit of insight about intra-French competition and the export market in the French wine industry today."—Claire Walter, Culinarycolorado.com

"A good read."—JancisRobinson.com

"Mr. Camuto's writing is precise, entertaining and compelling enough that it should appeal to audiences beyond the normally narrow scope reached by wine books. It reads very much like a collection of short stories that come together to form what is essentially a non-fiction novel. It travels a road that I'd very much like to follow. The individual stories alone are very much worth the price of admission. The fact that they come together to form a much greater whole makes Corkscrewed a rare gem in the field of wine literature and a highly recommended read."—David McDuff, McDuff's Food and Wine Trail

"If you saw and liked the film Mondovino, get this book. Like a collection of love letters to wine, each chapter showcases a winemaker who has carved out a niche for himself amid the encroaching corporate tide, sprawl, or commercialization. In a world of oak chips and cost-benefit analysis, these are the winemakers who must endure, even in beloved France."—Maggie Savarino Dutton, Seattle Weekly

"Deliciously descriptive, Camuto is informative without being too technical, a serious observer yet humorously light-hearted at times."