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…
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.
NOW A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
A 2011 NEW YORK TIMES HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE PICK
ABOUT.COM BEST NEW MANGA OF 2011
“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
“It presents wines rapturously and in creative ways… I’m a vodka man, but Drops of God left me with a new appreciation for the
grape, new vocabulary words like terroir (the flavors and aromas that soil and geography impart to a wine) and a fascination with decanting, which
the book depicts as an art form.”
—The New York Times
“My favorite wine book of 2011… Pick up this first volume at your sleep’s peril. It’s a one-nighter, a wine tale that is equal
parts coming-of-age, love and detective stories. Along its nervy way, it nonetheless plainly explains various wines, wine talk and the how-to of
wine tasting. As a graphic novel, it gets across a lot more emotion and imagery than mere prose… You’ll be drunk with anticipation.”
—Chicago Tribune
“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)
“Reading about wine has never been so weird, wild and exhilarating… The twisting, turning drama of the story rivals that of a Spanish telenovela, spurred on by the energetic, antic illustrations… [Tadashi Agi] manages to sneak in an entire vinous education, from the
finer points of tasting and serving wine to the sense behind the organization of Burgundy’s crus. It’s addictive stuff.”
—Wine & Spirits
“The authors manage to conjure a version of wine that is intensely personal, yet widely comprehensible. Flowery metaphors are counterbalanced by
a fair bit of instruction in technical wine history, vocabulary, and viticulture… It is precisely this balance of imaginative storytelling
and technical material that makes The Drops of God a refreshing departure from your typical wine reading.”
—Terroirist
“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
