From Vine to Wine by Rose-Marie Ponsot

From Vine to Wine is a history of Domaine Ponsot and, through it, of Burgundy over the last 150 years.

Written by the historian Guillaume Grillon with Rose-Marie Ponsot and introduced by William Kelley, the book uses one estate's records to trace how the region changed. The domaine has a claim on several turning points: it was among the pioneers of estate bottling in the 1930s, alongside Gouges, Lafarge and Rousseau. Many of the Pinot clones planted today, often called the Dijon clones, were selected by Jean-Marie Ponsot from the domaine's old Clos de la Roche vines; the family was closely involved in framing the appellation laws; and it has been the longest-standing advocate of Aligote, still producing the only premier cru example on the Cote.

This suits Burgundy drinkers who want history more than vintage charts, and anyone interested in how the region's institutions and plant material came to be. It is also the best available account of one of Burgundy's more idiosyncratic estates.