Wine is a complex subject. Very complex.
It isn't just a beverage, it's surrounded by stories, history, geography and even controversy. I like to consider wine an adventure. Most of us start out enjoying a nice glass of wine at dinner and then one day something sparks us to want to delve deeper into this mysterious liquid. Of course, you can learn more by simply tasting, but I consider a good read as one of the most intriguing parts of the journey.
I have put together a list of some of my favorite reads and ones I know will spark your adventure.
◼️ "Bordeaux: People, Power and Politics" by Stephen Brook — This was the book that sparked my fascination with the French wine industry. There was a time when the world of wine had a very divided line between Old World and New World. Unless you were on the inside of the royal Chateaux of Bordeaux it all seemed a mystery... until this book. This book explores the power of the press, merchants, negociants (people who buy grapes and vinify them, or buy wines and blend them, and bottle the result under their own labels) and all involved in the perplexing pricing of the region. Brook also reveals insight into what properties are owned by whom, the effect of partnerships within those and the intriguing story of the Bordeaux and family trees of some of the world's most powerful wine families. I still to this day recommend this book (and give it a lot as gifts) because it opens your view into the secrecy of the Bordeaux region.
◼️ "Judgment of Paris: California vs. France and the Historic 1976 Paris Tasting That Revolutionized Wine" by George Taber — If you watched the 2008 movie "Bottle Shock," this is the book from where it got its story. I was studying wine in London around the time California was finally gaining respect from the rest of the wine world. This book makes you proud of California's quest to join the old world's stage and the years it took to earn this respect. It all started with one single event that changed forever the world of wines. Taber, the only reporter in attendance at The Paris Tasting of 1976 takes you through the landmark event that transformed our American wine industry with a single-blind tasting of California versus France wines. It is a must-add to everyone's wine library.
◼️ "The House of Mondavi: The Rise and Fall of an American Wine Dynasty" by Julia Flynn Siler —I was reading this book in the beginning of my California wine travels. It was one of my first reads to look inside the big business of wine. The book explores the Mondavi family from the beginnings in Napa Valley to the sale to an international conglomerate, with many insightful twists and turns along the way. After reading this book I walked away with more understanding of the Mondavi family's dedication, vision and enthusiasm from the beginnings of Cesare Mondavi post-Prohibition America to the incredible insight into the success we know of today's Napa Valley.
◼️ "The Billionaire's Vinegar" by Benjamin Wallace — One of my dear friends who is a professional in authenticating wine bottles gave me this book and just said, "it's a must-read." It intertwines the history of Thomas Jefferson's infatuation with Bordeaux wines to the day when one of his supposed bottles showed up at auction selling for an astonishing $156,000. The book almost reads like a mystery but along the way, it takes you inside the high-stakes wine collecting where bottles can be sold at auction for staggering amounts. Wallace explores the cellars and people buying these bottles and the journey through the recent discoveries of counterfeits, fakes and those who are the masterminds of these forgeries.
Lorri Hambuchen is a member of London's Institute of Wines and Spirits. Email: [email protected]
November 04, 2020 at 02:48PM
https://ift.tt/35ZGR9z
OPINION | UNCORKED: Tomes to bolster your understanding of wine - Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
https://ift.tt/31lUVcw
Wine
No comments:
Post a Comment