For those who enjoy a living drama in that the author has become something of a gadfly of the wine-making industry. This work has even landed him in court by one of the famous wine writers of our time, so thoroughly does Barr rock the boat. An unsparing portrait of an industry riddled with dubious dealings, this unflinching critique is guaranteed to dismay wine snobs and wine merchants, but will delight the true wine lover by showing how image peddling and rigged tasting lead to overpriced wines with over-inflated reputations, and explaining the cozy relationship between the wine industry and wine writers who say what the business wants to hear, not what the buyer needs to know. Hardbound, 336 pp. 1992