Paper Palate

Histories of some of the most loved and revered drinks are the topic of this week’s Hump Day Horizons. Wine and champagne are popular holiday-time (ok, popular anytime) drinks. These new books offer wine and champagne lovers a glimpse into their origins.

These could also make great holiday gifts.

Champagne: How the World’s Most Glamorous Wine Triumphed over War and Hard Times
by Don Kladstrup, Petie Kladstrup, Petie Kladstrup - HarperCollins/$13.95

I am a sucker for the wonderful sparkling wine from the Champagne area of France. There is something about sipping the bubbly goodness from a delicate flute that just creates a feeling of sexy elegance. With the holidays and New Years Eve right around the corner, what a better time is there for learning a bit about the history of the famous party sipper?

This book is due in late November.

Ancient Wine: The Search for the Origins of Viniculture
by Patrick E. McGovern - Princeton University Press/$19.95

If you feel about wine, the way I feel about champagne then this is the book for you. For some, wine is the perfect day ender . . . something to sip casually with a good book by a warm fire in the frigid winter months. This book delves into the history of wine making.

This book is due out in December.

Napa Wine: A History from Mission Days to Present
by Charles L. Sullivan, Earl Thollander - Wine Appreciation Guild/$39.95

Also for the wine lover, this revised book explores the history of wine from the Napa Valley. California’s famed Napa Valley is a mecca of wine in the United States. This follows the area’s more than 100 year history of grapes, fermentation and human labor.

This book is due out in late December.