M. A. Jagendorf (1888–1981)

This is a fun book if you are interested in making beverages at home, the "old way". It is very anecdotal, with stories about friends of the author, and reads much more like a conversation than a how-to manual on making wine at home. I was actually not interested in wine making because it seemed like you need a lot of specialized equipment, but this makes book makes it feel more doable. The introduction to each of the plants used was as valuable, if not more so, than the recipes themselves, because in the end the recipes are all very similar. I think the book's value is in it opening the reader's eyes to the idea that many things can be made into a fine wine. The point also, I think, is not to get people drunk, but to have something interesting to drink that has had as much care taken towards its process as the food itself.… (mehr)

This is a truly fascinating book for anyone with an interest in wine making, or even just in how things were done bygone days. It is mainly a book of recipes, but there is lots of interesting commentary sprinkled throughout.
As is noted in other reviews, some of the techniques are quite dated, and there are better ways to do some of the operations. But the thrust of the book is not about precision or chemistry lab-style wine making. Rather, it focuses on the fun of it all. The author emphasizes that it is about making enjoyable consumables, and in fact making refreshments that one simply cannot purchase commercially.
Truly a one-of-a-kind book!… (mehr)