Author: Stuart Pigott
Publisher: ABRAMS
ISBN: 1613126638
Category : Antiques & Collectibles
Languages : en
Pages : 415
Book Description
A celebrated wine journalist presents a comprehensive, entertaining primer on one of the most beloved wines of our time: Riesling. Diverse, drinkable, aromatic, and refreshing, Riesling is a chameleon among white wines. From its food-friendly flavor and favorable price point to its ability to be either bone-dry or honey-sweet, there are very good reasons to argue that Riesling is not just a popular wine of the moment, but the finest white of our time. In Best White Wine on Earth, wine journalist and Riesling enthusiast Stuart Pigott extols the virtues of his favorite varietal and explores the history behind this magnificent grape. Traveling to the great Riesling-producing regions of the world—from North America to Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and South America—Pigott provides tasting notes, top-rated recommendations, and fascinating insights into how the wine is made, all while making an impassioned case that it is, truly, the best white on earth. Written simply enough for a novice, but with enough expertise and insight to satisfy the most sophisticated collector, this is a must-have guide for any white wine enthusiast.
Best White Wine on Earth
Author: Stuart Pigott
Publisher: ABRAMS
ISBN: 1613126638
Category : Antiques & Collectibles
Languages : en
Pages : 415
Book Description
A celebrated wine journalist presents a comprehensive, entertaining primer on one of the most beloved wines of our time: Riesling. Diverse, drinkable, aromatic, and refreshing, Riesling is a chameleon among white wines. From its food-friendly flavor and favorable price point to its ability to be either bone-dry or honey-sweet, there are very good reasons to argue that Riesling is not just a popular wine of the moment, but the finest white of our time. In Best White Wine on Earth, wine journalist and Riesling enthusiast Stuart Pigott extols the virtues of his favorite varietal and explores the history behind this magnificent grape. Traveling to the great Riesling-producing regions of the world—from North America to Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and South America—Pigott provides tasting notes, top-rated recommendations, and fascinating insights into how the wine is made, all while making an impassioned case that it is, truly, the best white on earth. Written simply enough for a novice, but with enough expertise and insight to satisfy the most sophisticated collector, this is a must-have guide for any white wine enthusiast.
Publisher: ABRAMS
ISBN: 1613126638
Category : Antiques & Collectibles
Languages : en
Pages : 415
Book Description
A celebrated wine journalist presents a comprehensive, entertaining primer on one of the most beloved wines of our time: Riesling. Diverse, drinkable, aromatic, and refreshing, Riesling is a chameleon among white wines. From its food-friendly flavor and favorable price point to its ability to be either bone-dry or honey-sweet, there are very good reasons to argue that Riesling is not just a popular wine of the moment, but the finest white of our time. In Best White Wine on Earth, wine journalist and Riesling enthusiast Stuart Pigott extols the virtues of his favorite varietal and explores the history behind this magnificent grape. Traveling to the great Riesling-producing regions of the world—from North America to Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and South America—Pigott provides tasting notes, top-rated recommendations, and fascinating insights into how the wine is made, all while making an impassioned case that it is, truly, the best white on earth. Written simply enough for a novice, but with enough expertise and insight to satisfy the most sophisticated collector, this is a must-have guide for any white wine enthusiast.
Wine. All the Time.
Author: Marissa A. Ross
Publisher: Penguin
ISBN: 0399574174
Category : Cooking
Languages : en
Pages : 306
Book Description
“Can I just be Marissa, please? I want to be hilarious and sexy and smart and insanely knowledgeable about wine.” —Mindy Kaling A fresh, fun, and unpretentious guide to wine from Marissa A. Ross, official wine columnist for Bon Appétit. Does the thought of having to buy wine for a dinner party stress you out? Is your go-to strategy to pick the bottle with the coolest label? Are you tired of choosing pairings based on your wallet, instead of your palate? Fear not! Bon Appétit wine columnist and Wine. All The Time. blogger Marissa A. Ross is here to help. In this utterly accessible yet comprehensive guide to wine, Ross will walk you through the ins and outs of wine culture. Told in her signature comedic voice, with personal anecdotes woven in among its lessons, Wine. All the Time. will teach you to sip confidently, and make you laugh as you're doing it. In Wine. All The Time., you’ll learn how to: • Describe what you’re drinking, and recognize your preferences • Find the best bottle for you budget and occasion • Read and understand what’s written on a wine label • Make the perfect pairings between what you’re drinking and what you’re eating • Throw the best damn dinner party your guests will ever attend • And much more
Publisher: Penguin
ISBN: 0399574174
Category : Cooking
Languages : en
Pages : 306
Book Description
“Can I just be Marissa, please? I want to be hilarious and sexy and smart and insanely knowledgeable about wine.” —Mindy Kaling A fresh, fun, and unpretentious guide to wine from Marissa A. Ross, official wine columnist for Bon Appétit. Does the thought of having to buy wine for a dinner party stress you out? Is your go-to strategy to pick the bottle with the coolest label? Are you tired of choosing pairings based on your wallet, instead of your palate? Fear not! Bon Appétit wine columnist and Wine. All The Time. blogger Marissa A. Ross is here to help. In this utterly accessible yet comprehensive guide to wine, Ross will walk you through the ins and outs of wine culture. Told in her signature comedic voice, with personal anecdotes woven in among its lessons, Wine. All the Time. will teach you to sip confidently, and make you laugh as you're doing it. In Wine. All The Time., you’ll learn how to: • Describe what you’re drinking, and recognize your preferences • Find the best bottle for you budget and occasion • Read and understand what’s written on a wine label • Make the perfect pairings between what you’re drinking and what you’re eating • Throw the best damn dinner party your guests will ever attend • And much more
Stalin's Wine Cellar
Author: John Baker
Publisher: Random House Australia
ISBN: 1761043668
Category : Georgia (Republic)
Languages : en
Pages : 338
Book Description
The adventure of a lifetime to buy Stalin's secret multimillion dollar wine cellar located in Georgia; it is the Raiders of the Lost Ark of wine. In the late 1990s, John Baker was known as a purveyor of quality rare and old wines. He was the perfect person for an occasional business partner to approach with a mysterious wine list that was different to anything John, or his second-in-command, Kevin Hopko, had ever come across. The list was discovered to be a comprehensive catalogue of the wine collection of Nicholas II, the last Tsar of Russia. The wine had become the property of the state after the Russian Revolution of 1918, during which Nicholas and his entire family were executed. Now owned by Stalin, the wine was discreetly removed to a remote Georgian winery when Stalin was concerned the advancing Nazi army might overrun Russia. Half a century later, the wine was rumoured to be hidden underground and off any known map. John and Kevin embarked on an audacious, colourful and potentially dangerous journey to Georgia to discover if the wines actually existed; if the bottles were authentic and whether the entire collection could be bought and transported to a major London auction house for sale. Stalin's Wine Cellar is a wild, sometimes rough ride through the glamorous world of high-end wine.
Publisher: Random House Australia
ISBN: 1761043668
Category : Georgia (Republic)
Languages : en
Pages : 338
Book Description
The adventure of a lifetime to buy Stalin's secret multimillion dollar wine cellar located in Georgia; it is the Raiders of the Lost Ark of wine. In the late 1990s, John Baker was known as a purveyor of quality rare and old wines. He was the perfect person for an occasional business partner to approach with a mysterious wine list that was different to anything John, or his second-in-command, Kevin Hopko, had ever come across. The list was discovered to be a comprehensive catalogue of the wine collection of Nicholas II, the last Tsar of Russia. The wine had become the property of the state after the Russian Revolution of 1918, during which Nicholas and his entire family were executed. Now owned by Stalin, the wine was discreetly removed to a remote Georgian winery when Stalin was concerned the advancing Nazi army might overrun Russia. Half a century later, the wine was rumoured to be hidden underground and off any known map. John and Kevin embarked on an audacious, colourful and potentially dangerous journey to Georgia to discover if the wines actually existed; if the bottles were authentic and whether the entire collection could be bought and transported to a major London auction house for sale. Stalin's Wine Cellar is a wild, sometimes rough ride through the glamorous world of high-end wine.
Big Macs & Burgundy
Author: Vanessa Price
Publisher: Abrams
ISBN: 1683359259
Category : Cooking
Languages : en
Pages : 414
Book Description
The national bestseller that turns you into “an expert at pairing wine with just about anything, from pizza and Lucky Charms to pad thai and Popeye’s” (Maxim). Featured on Today and CBS This Morning Named one of the best books of the year by Food & Wine, Saveur, and Town & Country Sancerre and Cheetos go together like milk and cookies. The science behind this unholy alliance is as elemental as acid, fat, salt, and minerals. Wine pro Vanessa Price explains how to create your own pairings while proving you don’t necessarily need fancy foods to unlock the joys of wine. Building upon the outsize success of her weekly column in Grub Street, Price offers delightfully bold wine and food pairings alongside hilarious tales from her own unlikely journey as a Kentucky girl making it in the Big Apple and in the wine business. Using language everyone can understand, she reveals why each dynamic duo is a match made in heaven, serving up memorable takeaways that will help you navigate any wine list or local bottle shop. Charmingly illustrated and bubbling with personality, Big Macs & Burgundy will open your mind to the entirely fun and entirely accessible wine pairings out there waiting to be discovered—and make you do a few spit-takes along the way. “The book explores all different kinds of combinations, including breakfast pairings like avocado toast and Rueda Verdejo, pairings for entertaining like shrimp cocktail & Valdeorras Godello, and even some pairings with popular Trader Joe’s items.” —Food & Wine “A smart, useful guide to drinking the world’s great wine, whether you’re pairing it with foie gras or Fritos.” —Town & Country
Publisher: Abrams
ISBN: 1683359259
Category : Cooking
Languages : en
Pages : 414
Book Description
The national bestseller that turns you into “an expert at pairing wine with just about anything, from pizza and Lucky Charms to pad thai and Popeye’s” (Maxim). Featured on Today and CBS This Morning Named one of the best books of the year by Food & Wine, Saveur, and Town & Country Sancerre and Cheetos go together like milk and cookies. The science behind this unholy alliance is as elemental as acid, fat, salt, and minerals. Wine pro Vanessa Price explains how to create your own pairings while proving you don’t necessarily need fancy foods to unlock the joys of wine. Building upon the outsize success of her weekly column in Grub Street, Price offers delightfully bold wine and food pairings alongside hilarious tales from her own unlikely journey as a Kentucky girl making it in the Big Apple and in the wine business. Using language everyone can understand, she reveals why each dynamic duo is a match made in heaven, serving up memorable takeaways that will help you navigate any wine list or local bottle shop. Charmingly illustrated and bubbling with personality, Big Macs & Burgundy will open your mind to the entirely fun and entirely accessible wine pairings out there waiting to be discovered—and make you do a few spit-takes along the way. “The book explores all different kinds of combinations, including breakfast pairings like avocado toast and Rueda Verdejo, pairings for entertaining like shrimp cocktail & Valdeorras Godello, and even some pairings with popular Trader Joe’s items.” —Food & Wine “A smart, useful guide to drinking the world’s great wine, whether you’re pairing it with foie gras or Fritos.” —Town & Country
Reverse Wine Snob
Author: Jon Thorsen
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 1632209233
Category : Cooking
Languages : en
Pages : 293
Book Description
Most rational people don’t pay $40 for $20 items. And yet with wine, it happens all the time. Wine can be an expensive hobby. Founder of the popular site ReverseWineSnob,com, Jon Thorsen is an unapologetic frugal wine consumer. He flips wine snobbery on its head by pushing a $20 or less mantra. Reverse Wine Snob is designed to help wine drinkers stop wasting money and get the most satisfaction out of their drinking dollars. It reveals Thorsen’s Ten Tenets of Reverse Wine Snobbery—ten beliefs that eliminate myths about wine—as well as a unique rating system that includes the cost of the bottle so that there is satisfaction in both taste and price. In Jon’s unique system, the more expensive a wine, the better it must taste. Reverse Wine Snob explains: The number one rule all wine drinkers should follow, no matter what the wine snobs say. How to shop for wine at stores like the nation’s #1 wine retailer Costco and Trader Joe’s. The regions and varieties of wine that give the best value. Why the price of a wine has nothing to do with its taste. Why the distribution system in the US is broken which costs you money and limits your wine choices. Tons of Jon’s very favorite wine picks. Jon dapples in every kind of wine from $10 kitchen sink blends to the $20 “Saturday Night Splurge,” so delicious it’s worth twice the price. Reverse Wine Snob brings plain old common sense to the wine industry and encourages wine lovers to explore the world of inexpensive quality wine. Skyhorse Publishing, along with our Good Books and Arcade imprints, is proud to publish a broad range of cookbooks, including books on juicing, grilling, baking, frying, home brewing and winemaking, slow cookers, and cast iron cooking. We’ve been successful with books on gluten-free cooking, vegetarian and vegan cooking, paleo, raw foods, and more. Our list includes French cooking, Swedish cooking, Austrian and German cooking, Cajun cooking, as well as books on jerky, canning and preserving, peanut butter, meatballs, oil and vinegar, bone broth, and more. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, we are committed to books on subjects that are sometimes overlooked and to authors whose work might not otherwise find a home.
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 1632209233
Category : Cooking
Languages : en
Pages : 293
Book Description
Most rational people don’t pay $40 for $20 items. And yet with wine, it happens all the time. Wine can be an expensive hobby. Founder of the popular site ReverseWineSnob,com, Jon Thorsen is an unapologetic frugal wine consumer. He flips wine snobbery on its head by pushing a $20 or less mantra. Reverse Wine Snob is designed to help wine drinkers stop wasting money and get the most satisfaction out of their drinking dollars. It reveals Thorsen’s Ten Tenets of Reverse Wine Snobbery—ten beliefs that eliminate myths about wine—as well as a unique rating system that includes the cost of the bottle so that there is satisfaction in both taste and price. In Jon’s unique system, the more expensive a wine, the better it must taste. Reverse Wine Snob explains: The number one rule all wine drinkers should follow, no matter what the wine snobs say. How to shop for wine at stores like the nation’s #1 wine retailer Costco and Trader Joe’s. The regions and varieties of wine that give the best value. Why the price of a wine has nothing to do with its taste. Why the distribution system in the US is broken which costs you money and limits your wine choices. Tons of Jon’s very favorite wine picks. Jon dapples in every kind of wine from $10 kitchen sink blends to the $20 “Saturday Night Splurge,” so delicious it’s worth twice the price. Reverse Wine Snob brings plain old common sense to the wine industry and encourages wine lovers to explore the world of inexpensive quality wine. Skyhorse Publishing, along with our Good Books and Arcade imprints, is proud to publish a broad range of cookbooks, including books on juicing, grilling, baking, frying, home brewing and winemaking, slow cookers, and cast iron cooking. We’ve been successful with books on gluten-free cooking, vegetarian and vegan cooking, paleo, raw foods, and more. Our list includes French cooking, Swedish cooking, Austrian and German cooking, Cajun cooking, as well as books on jerky, canning and preserving, peanut butter, meatballs, oil and vinegar, bone broth, and more. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, we are committed to books on subjects that are sometimes overlooked and to authors whose work might not otherwise find a home.
Red & White
Author: Oz Clarke
Publisher: Hachette UK
ISBN: 1408710153
Category : Cooking
Languages : en
Pages : 668
Book Description
SHORTLISTED FOR THE 2018 ANDRE SIMON AWARD SHORTLISTED FOR THE FORTNUM AND MASON DRINK BOOK AWARD SHORTLISTED FOR THE JAMES BEARD AWARD With Red & White, Oz Clarke has reinvented wine writing. This is a book to read for pleasure, rather than merely refer to. Combining fast-paced witty memoir with passionately opinionated guide, Oz pops the cork on his life-long love affair with wine. The best loved wine communicator of our time, Oz Clarke is the guest you want at your table, the person to select the wine, and the ideal drinking companion. He explains how, why & where he fell in love with wine; he explains the essentials of how wine is grown and made today; then takes you into the world's wine regions and introduces you to the wines he loves. Oz reveals how he tastes wine and how you can enjoy wine whatever the budget. He covers with equal care & attention all categories of wine, from the blue-chip to the most affordable. With Red & White, you are in the hands of the best-informed and the most inspirational guide, and you will pick up, without even trying, a wealth of knowledge that Oz is bursting to share with you. With climate change and the move to organic & sustainable practices, wine is evolving faster than ever before. And hundreds of local grape varieties, until recently facing extinction, are also being rediscovered. There have never been so many brilliant & original wines. To discover them, all you need is a glass in your hand, a sense of adventure, and Oz's Red & White as your companion & inspiration!
Publisher: Hachette UK
ISBN: 1408710153
Category : Cooking
Languages : en
Pages : 668
Book Description
SHORTLISTED FOR THE 2018 ANDRE SIMON AWARD SHORTLISTED FOR THE FORTNUM AND MASON DRINK BOOK AWARD SHORTLISTED FOR THE JAMES BEARD AWARD With Red & White, Oz Clarke has reinvented wine writing. This is a book to read for pleasure, rather than merely refer to. Combining fast-paced witty memoir with passionately opinionated guide, Oz pops the cork on his life-long love affair with wine. The best loved wine communicator of our time, Oz Clarke is the guest you want at your table, the person to select the wine, and the ideal drinking companion. He explains how, why & where he fell in love with wine; he explains the essentials of how wine is grown and made today; then takes you into the world's wine regions and introduces you to the wines he loves. Oz reveals how he tastes wine and how you can enjoy wine whatever the budget. He covers with equal care & attention all categories of wine, from the blue-chip to the most affordable. With Red & White, you are in the hands of the best-informed and the most inspirational guide, and you will pick up, without even trying, a wealth of knowledge that Oz is bursting to share with you. With climate change and the move to organic & sustainable practices, wine is evolving faster than ever before. And hundreds of local grape varieties, until recently facing extinction, are also being rediscovered. There have never been so many brilliant & original wines. To discover them, all you need is a glass in your hand, a sense of adventure, and Oz's Red & White as your companion & inspiration!
The Wine Avenger
Author: Willie Gluckstern
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 0684822571
Category : Cooking
Languages : en
Pages : 196
Book Description
Irreverent, informative, and controversial, this book offers indispensable information for beginners as well as for wine enthusiasts. 2-color throughout. 50 line drawings.
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 0684822571
Category : Cooking
Languages : en
Pages : 196
Book Description
Irreverent, informative, and controversial, this book offers indispensable information for beginners as well as for wine enthusiasts. 2-color throughout. 50 line drawings.
The Spirituality of Wine
Author: Gisela H. Kreglinger
Publisher: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing
ISBN: 0802867898
Category : Cooking
Languages : en
Pages : 300
Book Description
Wine serves an important role both in Scripture and in the Christian church, but its significance has received relatively little theological attention in modern times. This book fills that gap. Viewing wine as a gift of God's created bounty and as a special symbol used pervasively throughout Scripture, Kreglinger canvasses the history of wine in the church, particularly its use in the Lord's Supper, discusses the fascinating process of winemaking, and considers both the health benefits of wine and the dangers of alcohol abuse. Offering a vision of the Christian life that sees God in all things - including the work of a vintner and the enjoyment of a well crafted glass of wine.
Publisher: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing
ISBN: 0802867898
Category : Cooking
Languages : en
Pages : 300
Book Description
Wine serves an important role both in Scripture and in the Christian church, but its significance has received relatively little theological attention in modern times. This book fills that gap. Viewing wine as a gift of God's created bounty and as a special symbol used pervasively throughout Scripture, Kreglinger canvasses the history of wine in the church, particularly its use in the Lord's Supper, discusses the fascinating process of winemaking, and considers both the health benefits of wine and the dangers of alcohol abuse. Offering a vision of the Christian life that sees God in all things - including the work of a vintner and the enjoyment of a well crafted glass of wine.
Wine Grapes
Author: Jancis Robinson
Publisher: Harper Collins
ISBN: 0062325515
Category : Cooking
Languages : en
Pages : 1434
Book Description
Winner of the James Beard Award for Best Beverage Book, Named "Best Drinks Book" by Wine & Spirits magazine, Faiveley International Wine Book of the Year, OIV Best Viticulture Book "A fantastic Christmas present for any wine geek, and one that will provide an endless source of fiendish questions for quiz-setters" —The Guardian An indispensable book for every wine lover, from some of the world's leading wine experts. Where do wine grapes come from and how are grape varieties related to one another? What is the historical background of each one? Where are they grown? What sort of wines do they make? Using cutting-edge DNA analysis and detailing almost 1,400 distinct grape varieties, as well as myriad correct (and incorrect) synonyms, this book examines grapes and wine as never before. Here is a complete, alphabetically presented profile of all grape varieties of relevance to the wine lover, charting the relationships between them and including unique and astounding family trees, their characteristics in the vineyard, and—most important—what the wines made from them taste like. Presented in a stunning design with eight-page gatefolds that reveal the family trees, and a rich variety of full-color illustrations from Viala and Vermorel's century-old classic ampelography, the text will deepen readers' understanding of grapes and wine with every page. Combining Jancis Robinson's worldview and nose for good writing and good wines with Julia Harding's research, expertise, and attention to detail plus Dr. Vouillamoz's unique level of scholarship, Wine Grapes offers essential and original information in greater depth and breadth than has ever been available before. This is a book for wine students, wine experts, and wine lovers everywhere.
Publisher: Harper Collins
ISBN: 0062325515
Category : Cooking
Languages : en
Pages : 1434
Book Description
Winner of the James Beard Award for Best Beverage Book, Named "Best Drinks Book" by Wine & Spirits magazine, Faiveley International Wine Book of the Year, OIV Best Viticulture Book "A fantastic Christmas present for any wine geek, and one that will provide an endless source of fiendish questions for quiz-setters" —The Guardian An indispensable book for every wine lover, from some of the world's leading wine experts. Where do wine grapes come from and how are grape varieties related to one another? What is the historical background of each one? Where are they grown? What sort of wines do they make? Using cutting-edge DNA analysis and detailing almost 1,400 distinct grape varieties, as well as myriad correct (and incorrect) synonyms, this book examines grapes and wine as never before. Here is a complete, alphabetically presented profile of all grape varieties of relevance to the wine lover, charting the relationships between them and including unique and astounding family trees, their characteristics in the vineyard, and—most important—what the wines made from them taste like. Presented in a stunning design with eight-page gatefolds that reveal the family trees, and a rich variety of full-color illustrations from Viala and Vermorel's century-old classic ampelography, the text will deepen readers' understanding of grapes and wine with every page. Combining Jancis Robinson's worldview and nose for good writing and good wines with Julia Harding's research, expertise, and attention to detail plus Dr. Vouillamoz's unique level of scholarship, Wine Grapes offers essential and original information in greater depth and breadth than has ever been available before. This is a book for wine students, wine experts, and wine lovers everywhere.
The Wines of Burgundy
Author: Clive Coates
Publisher: Univ of California Press
ISBN: 0520250508
Category : Cooking
Languages : en
Pages : 940
Book Description
Ten years after the publication of the highly acclaimed, award-winning Côte D'Or: A Celebration of the Great Wines of Burgundy, the "Bible of Burgundy," Clive Coates now offers this thoroughly revised and updated sequel. This long-awaited work details all the major vintages from 2006 back to 1959 and includes thousands of recent tasting notes of the top wines. All-new chapters on Chablis and Côte Chalonnaise replace the previous volume's domaine profiles. Coates, a Master of Wine who has spent much of the last thirty years in Burgundy, considers it to be the most exciting, complex, and intractable wine region in the world, and the one most likely to yield fine wines of elegance and finesse. This book is an indispensable guide for amateur and professional alike by one of the world's leading wine experts, writing with his habitual expertise, lucidity, and unequaled firsthand knowledge.
Publisher: Univ of California Press
ISBN: 0520250508
Category : Cooking
Languages : en
Pages : 940
Book Description
Ten years after the publication of the highly acclaimed, award-winning Côte D'Or: A Celebration of the Great Wines of Burgundy, the "Bible of Burgundy," Clive Coates now offers this thoroughly revised and updated sequel. This long-awaited work details all the major vintages from 2006 back to 1959 and includes thousands of recent tasting notes of the top wines. All-new chapters on Chablis and Côte Chalonnaise replace the previous volume's domaine profiles. Coates, a Master of Wine who has spent much of the last thirty years in Burgundy, considers it to be the most exciting, complex, and intractable wine region in the world, and the one most likely to yield fine wines of elegance and finesse. This book is an indispensable guide for amateur and professional alike by one of the world's leading wine experts, writing with his habitual expertise, lucidity, and unequaled firsthand knowledge.