going to the land of Covid in a few weeks and am anticipating much reading time. Also restaurant books.
A few recommendations:
âNose Dive: A Field Guide to the Worldâs Smellsâ by Harold McGee
An updated version of Jamie Goodeâs âThe Science of Wine: From Vine to Glassâ recently came out if you havenât read that yet.
While not super new, I just picked up Alex Maltmanâs âVineyards, Rocks, and Soils: The Wine Loverâs Guide to Geologyâ and making my way through that.
Also picked up âDirtâ by Bill Buford which has been enjoyable so far.
Last month, I purchased Ian DâAgataâs new book, The Grapes and Wines of Italy: The Definitive Compendium Region By Region, which he wrote with his protege Michele Longo.
This book is up to the minute with its analysis of Italian grapes and their primary appellations and regions. This self-published volume seems to be geared toward students pursuing an Italian wine certification - DâAgata is closely involved with the TerroirSense program - and it reads like those textbooks that your college professors wrote and required you to buy for their classes (is this still a thing in 2021, or am I aging myself?).
I like the region-by-region breakdown and the focus on the indigenous grapes of Italy, many of which other writers have not covered in depth. Itâs easy to read and well organized; for those of us who are hopeless wine geeks, it is a book that you can crawl up with in bed or bring to the beach.
DâAgata does a great job explaining which grapes are or are not the same, and shoots down the idea that DNA testing is the final word in ampelography and ampelology. I found his discussion of Vermentino/Pigato/Favorita particularly helpful.
There are some surprises here for those who may not be familiar with DâAgataâs work; for example, he is more excited by Montefalco Rosso than Sagrantino de Montefalco, and he does not mention Paolo Bea among his top Umbrian producers. Unless the quality of Beaâs wines has significantly fallen in the past couple of vintages, they are up with Arnaldo-Caprai as one of my top two Umbrian producers. Of course, nobody is going to agree with any given wine writer or critic 100% of the time.
My main criticism with this book is that it appears that nobody proofread the text before DâAgata published it. There are numerous typos throughout the book; you would think that spell check would flag âbeliveâ, but it nonetheless found its way into the discussion about Greco di Tufo. I am not a professional writer, and am definitely not the type of person who will harp on every single spelling or grammar mistake, but there are far too many errors here.
loving the noble rot book - wine from another galaxyâŚnovices or berserkers will enjoy this oneâŚdone very well.
Itâs that time again. Anything new ? Not really looking for books on tasting or viticulture. More personal stories. Especially books on chefs or restaurants. Think beach reading.
Have you read Jeffrey Steingartenâs books or Richard Olneyâs memoir Reflexions or Blue Trout and Black Truffles?
None new, all good.
I have read both those authors.
Blue Trout Black Truffles is by Wechsberg - what about The Kitchen Book / The Cook Book by Freeling?
The New French Wine by Jon Bonne**. Well written, informative, and indulges all my desires for a deep dive into French wine in all its glory!
Another vote for The New French Wine by Bonne**
Not new, but these are all winners:
Pappyland was a great read. This entertaining story of Pappy Van Winkle bourbon is also a surprisingly moving book about family, fatherhood and Southern foodways (if you want to count bourbon as food).
Pappyland: A Story of Family, Fine Bourbon and the Things That Last, Wright Thompson
If you have not yet read Anthony Bourdainâs Kitchen Confidential, you are in for a treat. Run do not walk to your local bookstore. Rollicking, profane, fun, real.
In the same vein of entertaining bad boys speaking loud and true, Jay McInerneyâs collected columns from his time as an unreliable and very entertaining wine writer for House and Garden.
Bacchus and Me
A Hedonist in the Cellar
Here are some pull quotes from âBacchus and Meâ
On the difficulty of picking a wine for a vegetarian meal: âLike boys and girls locked away in same-sex prep schools, most wines yearn for a bit of flesh.â
On telling the difference between Burgundy and Bordeaux: âIf itâs red, French, costs too much, and tastes like the water thatâs left in the vase after the flowers have died, itâs probably Burgundy.â
On the fungus responsible for the heavenly flavor of the dessert wine called Sauternes: âNot since Baudelaire smoked opium has corruption resulted in such beauty.â
The Raw and the Cooked: Adventures of a Roving Gourmand
Some of Jim Harrisonâs best food and wine writing collected here. Heâs been called a combination of Hunter S. Thompson + Hemingway + Henry Miller
Sometimes the answer to death is lunch
And this: Jim Harrison on Writing and Drinking - Poetic Outlaws
A better read than I expected: In Vino Duplicitas: The Rise and Fall of a Wine Forger Extraordinaire. Peter Hellman
Good call on The Raw and the Cooked, great read, as is almost everything else Jim Harrison wrote. He loved the pairing of food and wine, especially game with Bandol and Burgundy.