The Billionaires Vinegar The Mystery of the Worlds Most Expensive Bottle of Wine 百万红酒传奇

Thetitularbottle,fromacacheofallegedlyfine,allegedlyFrenchwine,allegedlyownedbyThomasJeffersoninthe1780s,setarecordpricewhenauctionedin1985.Thesubsequentbrouhahaoverthecache'sauthenticitytakeswinejournalistWallaceonapiquantjourneyintothemirage-likeworldofrarewines.AtitscenterareHardyRodenstock,anenigmaticGermancollectorwithasuspiciousknackforunearthingimplausiblyoldanddrinkablewines,andMichaelBroadbent,aChristie'swineexpert,whoauctionedRodenstock'slucrativefinds.TheargumentovertheJeffersonbottlesandotherraritiesagedfordecades,flummoxedawineestablishmentdesperatetokeepthecorkinacontroversythatmightdeflatethemarketforantiquevintages.(Intheauthor'stelling,a2006lawsuitalmostsettlestheissue.)Wallacesipsthestoryslowly,takingleisurelydigressionsintotechniquesforfakingwineanddetectingsamewitheverythingfromMonticelloscholarshiptonuclearphysics.Hepaintsacolorfulbackdropofeccentricoenophiles,decadenttastingsandoverripeflavorrhetoric(Broadbentdescribesonewineasredolentofchocolateandschoolgirls'uniforms).Investigatingwinessooldandraretheycouldtastelikeanything,heplayfullyquestionstheveryfoundationsofconnoisseurship.(May)Copyright©ReedBusinessInformation,adivisionofReedElsevierInc.Allrightsreserved.--ThistextreferstotheHardcoveredition.