Finally available in English: the award-winning comic about wine that has been a hit not just all over Asia but also in France! Learn about legendary bottles as well as affordable secrets while enjoying a page-turner that’s not about superheroes but people with jobs to keep. When world-renowned wine critic Kanzaki passes away, his will reveals that his fortune of a wine collection isn’t bequeathed as a matter of course to his only son, who in a snub went to work sales at a beer company. To come into the inheritance, Shizuku must identify—in competition with a stellar young critic—twelve heaven-sent wines whose impressions the will describes in flowing terms…

“Absolute page-turner… It’s the sweeping two-page illustrations of taste-transporting moments (a shirt-tearing jam by rock band Queen, a maiden fleeing through strawberry fields) that better capture wine’s great allure than a thousand dry scribblings on history and weather conditions.”
—Time Out New York

“An almost psychedelically beautiful work… It’s like Speed Racer crossed with Wine Spectator.”
—The Daily Dish (LA Times)

“Following the recipe of many graphic novels, ‘Drops‘ is filled with adventure, betrayal, family secrets and a pinch of sexual tension.”
—The Daily (Wall Street Journal)

“Visually stunning and effortlessly entertaining… To top it off, reading Drops is a trippy literary experience… Don’t be surprised if you crush this book in one night. It’s pretty impossible to put down once you pick it up.”
—Bottlenotes (The Daily Sip)

“I have already ordered the second volume (out in December) and I guess that in terms of reviews that is a definitive statement.”
—Wine Psych

“Presents some complex wine topics in an easy to understand manner, without talking down to the consumer… I urge all wine lovers to take a look, with an open mind, at The Drops of God. Give it a chance and you might be surprised at how much you enjoy it.”
—The Passionate Foodie

“Penchants for French wines drive the selection of vinos described with dramatic, often fanatical detail.”
—Wine Enthusiast

“Through the dramas of their wine-drinking characters, [Tadashi Agi] instructs readers on how to taste wine. It’s hilarious, for sure, when a young woman swoons over a man’s decanting skills, but it’s also a great way to draw attention to the technical proficiency of a beautiful pour without getting too technical. And that’s what’s truly extraordinary about Drops of God: It makes learning about wine—which, let’s face it, can be a totally tedious thing for the non-obsessed—really fun… Seriously, this is juicy stuff!”
—GILT

“This is not only an influential wine book in Japan (and France) but is a gem of a find—something that is out-of-the-ordinary, yet based on serious wine understanding, i.e. that wine is a living thing and the memories that fine wines can evoke. It is a real page turner!”
—WEINGARTEN

“I can’t begin to express how much I learned from this manga… Even if you aren’t comfortable with graphic novels, this one is very approachable due to the subject matter… I can’t wait until the second volume comes out, but for now I will content myself with rereading and savoring the first.”
—S. Krishna’s Books

“This book is extraordinarily easy to like, and I vastly prefer whiskey over wine. I’ve been hearing everyone and everything hail The Drops of God as the latest best thing ever since 2009. As it turns out, the hype was right. This is good comic-booking.”
—Comics Alliance

“Does it live up to the hype? It does… Where Drops of God draws you in is its writing… Vertical’s translation and presentation is as good as we’ve come to expect from them.”
—A Case Suitable for Treatment

“The series really seems to be more about teaching readers about wine by showing the ways it can influence people’s character… It’s about hooch, it’s got amiable stars, and you can learn stuff about a subject that may be new to you… I’m in for the duration.”
—Manga Curmudgeon

“The Drops of God describes the various wines in an entertaining, appealing and unique manner… Now, wine geeks in Finland will be able to drink in this zesty text in English and hopefully inspire a Finnish translation.”
—Helsinki Times

Tadashi Agi is the pen name used by the best-selling brother and sister duo Shin and Yuko Kibayashi. Veteran writers, the Kibayashis debuted on the Japanese scene with the award-winning and best-selling comic series Kindaichi’s Case Files. Agi’s next hit was the series GetBackers, which would cement the pair as Japan’s most innovative thriller/mystery writers of the early part of the new century. The Kibayashi siblings are also highly regarded wine enthusiasts who were also voted one of Decanter magazine’s 50 most influential people in the wine industry in 2009. They have been interviewed by the New York Times, CNN, and Wine Aficionado regarding global wine trends.

Shu Okimoto is a veteran comic illustrator and book jacket designer.