Jonathan Nossiter, award-winning filmmaker and former sommelier, had his first taste of wine at the age of three in Paris, from his father's fingertip. For him, wine is "memory in its most liquid and dynamic form," an essential art. In Liquid Memory, the American expatriate takes readers on a cheeky insider's investigation of the mysteries of terroir, the historical sense of place that makes wine unique.

Nossiter, who already created an uproar in the world of wine with his film Mondovino, here reveals how the tyranny of snobs, critics, and charlatans prevents us all from taking part in what should be a gloriously democratic bacchanalia. From the sacred wineshops of Paris to film locations in Rio de Janeiro, this singular journey invites us to consider how power influences taste and how one's own taste might combat power in any sphere.

Unabashedly controversial, Liquid Memory has already riled the establishment, and it will continue to stimulate wine lovers and convert the skeptics for many years to come.