The Vineyard at the End of the World: Maverick Winemakers and the Rebirth of Malbec

<p>&quot;The improbable triumph of the humble Malbec -- the Seabiscuit of grapes.&quot; -- Benjamin Wallace, author of The Billionaire's Vinegar</p> For generations, Argentine wine was famously bad -- ­oxidized, unpalatable, and often mixed with a low-class French grape called Malbec. But then in 2001, a Cabernet Sauvignon / Malbec blend beat all contenders in a blind taste test featuring Napa and Bordeaux's finest. Today, Argentina and its signature wine are on the tip of every smart traveler's tongue. How did this happen? <p>The Vineyard at the End of the World tells the fascinating, four-hundred-year history of how a wine mecca arose in the high Andean desert. Profiling the outlandish figures who fueled the Malbec revolution -- including celebrity enologist Michel Rolland, acclaimed American winemaker Paul Hobbs, and the Mondavi-esque Catena family -- Ian Mount describes in colorful detail the nefarious scams, brilliant business innovations, and backroom politics that put Malbec on the map.</p> 12 black-and-white illustrations, map