The Wine and Food Guide to the Loire, France's Royal River: Veuve Clicquot-Wine Book of the Year
Creating a fine wine is not so unlike creating a fine guide to  wine. They both take craft and inspiration, patience and a passion for  quality. Jacqueline Friedrich possesses those attributes in spades,  and with them, she's put together the definitive guide to the Loire,  its wines and cuisine, filling a niche that's been empty a long  time. As one would savor a fine wine, Friedrich takes her time,  dwelling here on the local foods of Anjou, there on the Muscadets of  Sèvre-et-Maine. Her encyclopedic guide takes on the 60 or so  appellations in the five wine regions of the Loire, describing the  history, soil, and vintners of each, and rating more than 600  wineries. With sections on local cheeses, sausages, and fish dishes,  Friedrich's scholarly approach and delightful prose makes this an  inspiring read and a necessary guide.--Stephanie Gold