From Demon to Darling

A Legal History of Wine in America

Author: Richard Mendelson and Margrit Biever Mondavi

A story of fits and starts that provides a chronicle of the history of wine in the United States told through the lens of the law. It explains how laws shape the wine industry in such areas as pricing and taxation, licensing, appellations, health claims and warnings, labeling, and domestic and international commerce.

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Summary

Description

Richard Mendelson brings together his expertise as both a Napa Valley lawyer and a winemaker into this accessible overview of American wine law from colonial times to the present. It is a story of fits and starts that provides a fascinating chronicle of the history of wine in the United States told through the lens of the law. From the country's early support for wine as a beverage to the moral and religious fervor that resulted in Prohibition and to the governmental controls that followed Repeal, Mendelson takes us to the present day-and to the emergence of an authentic and significant wine culture. He explains how current laws shape the wine industry in such areas as pricing and taxation, licensing, appellations, health claims and warnings, labeling, and domestic and international commerce. As he explores these and other legal and policy issues, Mendelson lucidly highlights the concerns that have made wine alternatively the demon or the darling of American society-and at the same time illuminates the ways in which lives and livelihoods are affected by the rise and fall of social movements.

Critic Reviews

“"Very engaging."--Bookforum”

"The legal machinations of wine, described here, are a hoot." Miami Herald "A thorough consideration of American wine's legal history." SF Chronicle "Provides the definitive background for understanding the competing legal, political, economic, and social forces shaping the ongoing evolution of America's wine culture." The World Of Fine Wine "Highly readable ... Should be a must-read for anyone who wants to produce or sell wine in this country." San Francisco Chronicle "A splendid volume... This wonderful book should be agreeable to a great many palates." Choice "Very engaging." Bookforum "Illuminating, provocative..." A Best Book of 2009 Wine & Spirits Magazine "Highly recommended." -- Charles Ludington Law & History Review "An engaging style that makes learning how law and wine have intertwined throughout this country's history an enlightening educational journey." Wine Spectator "A fascinating work." California Grapevine

About the Author

Richard Mendelson is a wine law specialist at Dickenson, Peatman & Fogarty in Napa, California, and Lecturer at the University of California at Berkeley School of Law, where he directs the Program on Wine Law and Policy. He also owns Mendelson Wines.