From Demon to Darling: A Legal History of Wine in America

Richard  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.

Awarded the Grand Prize in Law from the International Organization of Vine and Wine in Paris, France.