Tag: wine books

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WINE BOOKS MAKE GREAT HOLIDAY GIFTS

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As much as we wine lovers like to get gifts of wine for the holidays, we also appreciate wine books. If they’re like me, they’re always interested in a good reference book. And I’ve got two good ones to recommend.

Although there are countless guides to California wine, I don’t think you can do much better than “The New Connoisseurs’ Guidebook to California Wine and Wineries” ($28) by Charles E. Olken and Joseph Furstenthal. Mr. Olken is best known in the wine world for his newsletter, The Connoisseurs’ Guide To California Wine, published since 1974.

The book begins with a useful primer on California’s wine history, how wine is made, and the most important grapes and wine types, and concludes with a helpful glossary of wine terms. But the heart of the book is the 500 winery profiles, thoughtfully organized by geographic region. After describing each region, Olken identifies the key producers, and includes smallish but useful maps showing their location.

What the book lacks in detail (the profiles are rather short and the Central Coast and South Coast especially get short shrift), it more than makes up for in breadth and especially with critical assessments of each winery. Too many such books are simple recitations of otherwise available facts. Olken wisely adds value with descriptions of the wineries’ style and overall quality. A welcome inclusion is the reading list of important books, magazines, newsletters, blogs and websites focusing on California wine.

This is an indispensable reference and would be a great companion on any visit to California wine country.

Equally vital for its chosen subject is “Washington Wines and Wineries: The Essential Guide, Second Edition” ($35) by Paul Gregutt. Mr. Gregutt, who writes for the Seattle Times and Wine Enthusiast, is one of the foremost authorities on Washington wine.

His guide begins with a history of Washington wine and descriptions of the best regions (with good maps), grapes, and vineyards. The core of the book also is the winery profiles (about 200 of the state’s 500-plus wineries). The profiles are fairly detailed, with descriptions of the key wines and, again thankfully, of overall quality.

I especially like that Gregutt provides a critical assessment of the wineries, considering style, consistency, value, and “contribution to the development and improvement of the Washington wine industry” in his rankings. And in the chapter on the grapes, he also lists who he thinks are the best wineries for each varietal.

If you haven’t discovered Washington wine yet, it’s time you did and this book is a great companion on the journey.

“Reading between the Wines” ($25) by Terry Theise is a completely different sort of wine book. Mr. Theise is famous in the wine world as an importer of wines from Germany, Champagne, and Austria. He also has gained attention for his passionate writing about wine in his catalogue. This book further reflects that passion.

Theise begins by describing how he came to have a life in wine. More importantly, he asks the reader “to accept the ethereal as an ordinary and valid part of everyday experience – because the theme of this book is that wine can be a portal into the mystic.” Along the way he pays homage to particular grape varieties, profound wines and model producers to illustrate the theme.

Theise is trying to convey how wine (and a wine drinking experience) can be more than the sum of its parts. The book is an exploration of the meaning of wine and how wine can deliver emotional, sensual, inspirational, even mystical and transcendental experiences. But only certain wines can do this, only wines of honest origin from artisan producers mostly from the “Old World” (like those he imports).

It’s about authenticity. Mass produced, industrial, manufactured wines may offer a nice diversion now and then but cannot facilitate such meaningful experience. The implication is that such wines are not real wine. They are what might be called (paraphrasing Michael Pollan’s description of processed food) “drinkable wine-like liquids.”

It seems even artisan produced “New World” wines fall short by this measure. In Theise’s world, authenticity takes time. Here is where the “New World” wines of the Western Hemisphere just can’t match the wines of “Old World” Europe. Heard of “slow food?” Well, this is “slow wine.”

The enlightening final chapter on tasting wine reads like a manifesto effectively illustrating the holistic approach to wine promoted throughout the book. It’s one I’ll come back to time and again.

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How About Dessert and a Good Book for the Holidays?

Something about the cold weather and holidays always gets me in the mood for dessert wines and thinking about which wine books I want to give or get for Christmas. In this posting, I share a few ideas for this year’s season. Americans love to drink, alcoholic beverages that is. But we have deeply conflicted attitudes about alcohol. This love/hate relationship is at the core of The Prohibition Hangover: Alcohol in America from Demon Rum to Cult Cabernet by Garrett Peck (Rutgers University Press, $27). Peck explores the contradictory history of alcohol in America – from the Temperance movement to Prohibition to the binge drinking present – placing it within the broader context of social, religious, political, health and economic concerns. He concludes this comprehensive, well-documented account applying the lessons of Prohibition to the variety of alcohol-related issues facing us yet today. These include thoughtful considerations on such remnants as control states, blue laws, arcane shipping laws, the obligation of parents to instill responsible drinking values, drunk driving, binge drinking, and balancing the health effects of alcohol with the health detriments of excessive drinking.

If you are a Bordeaux fan or just want to learn more about this most influential wine region, What Price Bordeaux? by Benjamin Lewin (Vendange Press, $35) is a must read. Lewin provides copious detail on Bordeaux’s history, geography and economics. He analyzes the enduring impact of the Classification of 1855 relative to “terroir,” the “branding” of chateau, the region’s class structure, and prices. Other topics covered include the influence of consultants and critics, changing wine styles, global warming, futures, corporate ownership and a thought provoking reclassification. This reclassification and its analysis of the the original classification is the most enlightening I have read (and there have been countless such attempts in recent decades). Commendably Lewin clearly loves Bordeaux but is willing to look at it with a clear eye and challenge assumptions and vested interests, all to the better for consumers.

And to drink while I read these fine books? I crave a little dessert wine, those naturally sweet wines balanced with refreshing acidity so the wine isn’t cloying. The best are viscous and luscious, yet elegant and. They combine the richness of intense fruit with the elegance from low alcohol. Note all prices are for half bottles unless otherwise stated. Late Harvest. Probably the most common type of dessert wine results from grapes left on the vine past normal harvest until they become super ripe, concentrating the sugars. The resulting wine is lush with, pure fruit. A unique example of this is the 2007 Camilo Castilla “Montecristo” Moscatel Blanco Dulce, from a selection of small grain muscat grapes from a 145 year-old estate.

Under certain conditions, botrytis cinerea (the “noble rot”) dehydrates the grapes, concentrates the sugars, and imparts its own honey, herbal and spice characteristics. German Auslese and French Sauternes are the most notable representatives of this style but fine versions also are available from California, like the 2006 J. Lohr White Riesling Arroyo Seco and 2006 Cambria Viognier Tepesquet Vineyard. And I found a fine value in the 2008 d’Arenberg “Stump Jump” Sticky Chardonnay from Australia in certain cases, producers may leave grapes to hang on the vine until they freeze, thus making “Eiswein” in Germany and “Icewine” in Canada. Current releases from Inniskillin, Canada’s original Icewine producer, include a 2006 Vidal Gold, 2007 Riesling, and 2007 Cabernet Franc. These are luxury wines at luxury prices but they certainly will make any special occasion unforgettable. Jackson-Triggs, another highly regarded Canadian producer, offers a fine value in the 2007 Proprietor’s Reserve Vidal. Rather than wait for Nature, some producers actually freeze the grapes themselves after harvest. One of the best is of this style is the unctuous 2008 Joseph Phelps “Eisrebe” made from the scheurebe grape.

Fortified Wine. “Port” from Portugal is very sweet, high alcohol (fortified with brandy), and bursting with red and black fruit flavors. Pre-aged Tawny Ports, like Dow’s, Graham’s or Warre’s “Ten Year Tawny” and “Twenty Year Tawny” are ethereal. While, not a Port but made in that style, Charbay Pomegranate Dessert Wine from 100% organically grown fruit and fortified with Pinot Noir Brandy is a delightful alternative. Arrested Development. Moscato d’Asti from Italy’s Piedmont is slightly effervescent wine made from the partially fermented juice of white muscat grapes. It is sweet but not too, delightfully aromatic, and delicate on the palate. As a bonus, its low alcohol (5-6%) makes the wine equally comfortable as an aperitif or a dessert wine. I found a recently tasted 2007 Saracco is a perfect example.

So, get yourself a copy of these books, grab a glass of dessert wine and enjoy the holiday season.

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Wine Books Makes Great Holiday Gifts


As much as we wine lovers like to get gifts of wine for the holidays, we also appreciate wine books. As you begin to think about what to get the wine devotee in your life, here are a few suggestions.

“The Grapes Grow Sweet: A Child’s First Family Grape Harvest,” story and illustrations by Lynn Tuft, with text by Tessa DeCarlo (Rivervine Press, $20), will help get that future wine aficionado interested in the vine. It is a delightful story of the first year Julian, the fourth generation of a family of grape growers, is old enough to help his mother and father with harvest. Colorfully illustrated, the book brings to life the lifeycles of the vineyard both for children and parents. Now in its third printing, the author has added a coloring book companion ($5, coloring book only, $8 with crayons), “Julian’s Vineyard Adventures.” It devotes a page illustrating each month of the growing year, with additional text describing the happenings in the vineyard and Julian’s adventures.

“Small Plates, Perfect Wines: Creating Little Dishes with Big Flavors,” by Lori Lyn Norlock (Andrew McMeel Publishing, $17), would be nice for the foodie who is also interested in wine. it is a timely release given the growing interest in small plates – whether they be called tapas, antipasti, mezes, or antojitos. The book is a collaboration with the Kendall-Jackson culinary team, led by Executive Chef Justin Wangler. Fifty delectable recipes are organized into chapters covering salads, vegetables, seafood, meat, poultry and desserts. The recipes also are assembled conveniently into sample party menus reflecting the seasons and various special occasions. Of course, I’m equally interested in the wine pairing tips provided by Kendall-Jackson Winemaster Randy Ullom. After wisely noting the subjectivity involved in wine pairing and counseling that the best advice for pairing food and wine is “to just enjoy yourself,” Ullom does offer “a few guiding principles.” Like seeking balance in both the food and the wine. With no component too prominent, the possibility of clashes is diminished. Or applying the affinity approach, which matches food and wine with the same kind of intensity or the contrast approach, in which one chooses food and wine that compliment each other. In case you still are unsure, there are specific pairing suggestions, catalogued both by grape variety and by recipe.

“The Art of Terroir: A Portrait of California’s Vineyards,” photographs by George Rose and text by Rod Smith (Chronicle Books, $25), is another offering from Kendall-Jackson. What a great coffee table book. The focus is on the 85 pages of evocative photos of vineyards stretching along California’s coastal regions. The close-ups are enlightening in their detail. The panoramas of the landscape photos are simply breathtaking. While George Rose’s photos visually depict the terroir of the vineyards, Rod Smith’s essays are an inspired guide to how the vitis vinfera vine “gathers in various forms of energy and captures them in its fruit.” At the beginning of each chapter, Smith’s poetic descriptions illuminate the influence of those energy sources – light, air, water, rock, air, and cultivation. If you have found all the talk about the significance of terroir to be a little bewildering, this fine book will help bring that concept to life.

“Passion on the Vine: A Memoir of Food, Wine, and Family in the Heart of Italy,” by Sergio Esposito, with Justine and der Leun (Broadway Books, $28), is a personal chronicle of discovery and respect for tradition. A highly regarded authority on Italian wine, Mr. Esposito operates Italian Wine Merchants in Manhattan with co-owners Mario Batali and Joe Bastianich. While the book mostly describes his travels throughout Italy drinking great wine, eating great food and meeting the extraordinary people who create them, it also interweaves intimate stories of his relationships with his family, friends and business acquaintances. Having been born in Naples, he recounts the unhappy experience of emigrating to Albany, New York and later anxiously moving to a small apartment in Manhattan. There, he naturally was drawn to a career in wine, which included a sales job at the House of Burgundy specialty wine shop and formative time as sommelier at San Domenico, one of the best Italian restaurants in the country.

I often am put off by books replete with tales of gustatory excess but Esposito’s stories are worth telling. The core relationship that weaves through all the others in the book is that of the authenticity of food, wine, and family. That this elemental association has informed his life is illustrated in Mr. Esposito’s accounts of his frequent trips back to Italy. Along the way, he gains a renewed appreciation for the traditions of Italian winemaking and cooking. With the help of co-author Justine van der Leun, the book goes beyond recitations of multi-course, multi-hour meals filled with rare, expensive wines to touch real insights into the worlds of fine wine and dining. The reader is treated to illuminating recitations on the realities of the wine trade, the power of critics, controversies over traditional vs. modern winegrowing and winemaking methods, and the loss of traditional, regional Italian cuisine. In the end, one has gained an understanding and appreciation for Italy and for what Esposito calls ‘the Italian way” that belies a long history of stereotypes. That alone makes this book worthwhile.

Please note that you can find these books on Amazon and other bookstores in your area.