Some time ago, I decided to buy a book on wine just to see what some “experts” on the subject had to say on the subject. I quickly learned that most books written on wine have several distinct characteristics. The first of which is that they are as much about travel as they are about wine. This means that after reading one book on wine, you probably have heard about the author’s favorite trip to Burgundy, Bordeaux, Tuscany, Napa Valley, and three or four other, “new frontiers” of wine (think Argentina, Germany, South Africa, Texas, etc.). This means that once you have read one book on wine, you know the hot spots and reading a second or third book on wine means you’ll visit some familiar locations and the story can get repetitive. Secondly, writers always place their emphasis on relationships in the wine industry. They will go on and on about a person they like dealing with, or a particular location that sticks out in their mind, all the while, trying to connect with the reader. I like this aspect of wine writing because I believe that wine is about more than just the act of drinking, it is about people, places, memories, and any other human emotion imaginable. I do not like this aspect of wine writing because often writers try too hard to make this emotional connection and just come off as snobby, talking about “enchanted little Chateaux, housing wine over a century old.” Third, wine writers generally do a fair amount of advocating in their books- they are quick to recommend wines they like or quick to call a particular vintage or region “the next big thing in wine.” This is helpful, but can get old too. I tend to think to myself, “I bought a book, not a commercial.”
I realize that there were a lot of negative sentiments toward wine writers in the previous, and while I do think that all my criticisms are fully warranted, I have to say that I truly enjoy reading books about wine. Some people may be turned off by stories about the authors going to Bordeaux, and all of the other famous wine regions on business trips, eating nice meals, and drinking fabulous wine that would cost the normal consumer an arm and a leg, but to me they are fascinating stories. My logic is that I am a) learning more about wine by hearing other people’s stories, and b) gaining knowledge for the day that I am able to take similar trips.
Without a doubt, my favorite book on wine is “The Accidental Connoisseur” by Lawrence Osborne. The subtitle for this book is “An Irreverent Journey Through the Wine World,” and that is part of what drew me to this book. Osborne wasn’t a practiced wine critic, just a fan in search of the meaning of terroir. Terroir can be a confusing concept to some (I’ll write more about it later), and the simplest definition is that it is the effect that the geography, geology, and weather have on a wine, but to some wine fanatics, it is much more than that. Osborne tells a great story and gets to the heart of the question “what is terroir and why does it matter?” If you are a wine fan, I highly recommend picking up this book.
For as good a writer as he is, Jay McInerney is not a good wine writer at all. Remember my thoughts about wine books turning into a commercial? If you want to see what I was talking about, open one of his books. The two books on wine that I’ve seen him come out with are little more than his recommendations for a wide variety of wines with minimal story thrown in for filler.
If you want a book that looks into wine’s past a bit, pick up “The Billionaires Vinegar.” This book tells the story of wine that was supposedly once owned by Thomas Jefferson. The book tries to turn itself into a mystery, but it is more just a collection of stories from about some of the oldest bottles of wine on the planet and how they survived 200+ years.
Reading a book on wine is quite the time commitment, but no matter which book you read, if you decide to pick up a book on the subject, you will walk away with some great insight into the wine world and will be inspired to try some new wine.
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