The Billionaire's Vinegar: The Mystery of the World's Most Expensive Bottle of Wine [B1611]

2009 PB with minor wear. The rivetingly strange story of the world's most expensive bottle of wine, and the even stranger characters whose lives have intersected with it. The New York Times bestseller, updated with a new epilogue, that tells the true story of a 1787 Château Lafite Bordeaux-supposedly owned by Thomas Jefferson-that sold for $156,000 at auction and of the eccentrics whose lives intersected with it. Was it truly entombed in a Paris cellar for two hundred years? Or did it come from a secret Nazi bunker? Or from the moldy basement of a devilishly brilliant con artist? As Benjamin Wallace unravels the mystery, we meet a gallery of intriguing players-from the bicycle-riding British auctioneer who speaks of wines as if they are women to the obsessive wine collector who discovered the bottle. Suspenseful and thrillingly strange, this is the vintage tale of what could be the most elaborate con since the Hitler diaries. "Part detective story, part wine history, this is one juicy tale, even for those with no interest in the fruit of the vine. . . . As delicious as a true vintage Lafite." -BusinessWeek

From recent Amazon/GoodReads reviews: "Such a fascinating book! I'm absolutely not a wine connoisseur, nor am I particularly into wine, but I enjoyed this book so much because it's really about passion, and discovering someone's deep enthusiasm is always a joy"; "An incredible recounting of the frenzy for vintage wines from the 1700s, centered around a long-running Fraud. A fascinating insight into the lives of the rich and 'refined'."; "A unique glimpse into the world of rare wine and collectors chasing their next prize. Honestly hilarious at some points - would recommend for those who like history and wine. Beginning was a bit hard to get into but as the story progressed and gets thicker into the drama, it's captivating."; "So much nerdiness and schadenfreude! I loved it!"