Thank you!
Book is hardcover and ships in early November.
The maps are appellation-based. The only vineyard map is of To Kalon.
Kelli
Thanks, Kelli.
Ordered and very much looking forward to reading.
Brian
You can get a free, signed copy of the book if you sign up for this dinner:
Sadly, I cannot make that date.
I put my order in for a copy of the book. I’m looking forward to receiving it.
Two reviews so far:
From the Emperor of Wine himself:
“Kelli White’s incredible treatise and tour de force on “Napa Valley-Then and Now”-over 1200 pages of winery profiles and details about Napa. The book must weigh 5-7lbs, and is truly mind-boggling in its meticulous attention to detail and the obvious passion Kelli has for the subject matter. This is a no-brainer purchase for anyone with a love of Napa wines. Kelli, the former sommelier at Veritas in NYC,and now runs the wine cellars at Press in St. Helena, also works for my old colleague Antonio. I wrote a brief introduction so I am not totally disinterested in her success.”
And Blinky Gray:
"FRIDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2015
Pity the trees: A forest dies to make “Napa Valley Then & Now”
How big is this book? The bottle photos are almost actual size.
I can’t wait to see how much I get at the secondhand bookstore for “Napa Valley Then & Now.” If you don’t open it, it’s very impressive looking. It’s about the size of a wart hog, and is far more dangerous. If you are drinking alcohol, taking drugs that impair your motor coordination, or have suffered an injury to your back, neck or shoulders, please do not attempt to lift this book.
If I were to keep this book, it would be the largest book I own, as I do not have a Guttenberg Bible. “Wine Grapes,” the 1242-page reference book that I highly recommend, would fit neatly inside it if I hollowed it out.
And if I did hollow out “Napa Valley Then & Now,” I wouldn’t be missing anything. It may have 1255 extra-large pages on hundreds of Napa Valley wineries, but it doesn’t appear to tell me anything about them that I can’t read from their websites. Many entries read like the wineries submitted them. Trees were slaughtered willy-nilly to print a wart hog-sized PR brochure.
If it were a food product, the FDA would force it off the market, or at least require a name change. A book called “Napa Valley Then & Now” has only 16 pages of history, half of which are photos. That makes it 1.3% “Then” and 98.7% “Now.”
But that’s not the most unpardonable sin.
For a book with 1255 extra-large pages, designed to separate the well-buttressed coffee tables from the rest, it’s surprisingly hard to read. The introductions to the wineries ARE IN ALL CAPS. And not only that, THEY’RE IN ALL CAPS IN A REALLY BAD FONT. THIS BOOK MADE ME WANT TO HIT SOMEONE. ONLY NOT WITH THE BOOK ITSELF, BECAUSE THAT WOULD BE MURDER. DO YOU SEE HOW ANNOYING THIS IS? “NAPA VALLEY THEN & NOW” IS LIKE READING A WINE BOOK ON FACEBOOK WRITTEN BY SOMEBODY’S GRANDMOTHER WHO CAN’T FIND HER READING GLASSES AND DOESN’T KNOW HOW YOU TURN OFF THE BIG LETTERS.
And geez, for a coffee table book, there aren’t even many good pictures, unless you’re the kind of person who gets an erection from looking at bottles of Cabernet, nearly full-size, against a white background. Hmm, think I just found the book’s intended audience.
The author is Press sommelier Kelli White, and I feel a little bad for ripping her book like this because she’s a nice person, which I think will stay other critics’ hands. She’s on the staff at Vinous, and that explains why this book exists: to give Vinous its own in-house Robert Parker guide in print. That said, it just adds to its superfluousness, as I’m not sure what this book gives you that a subscription to Vinous (or the Wine Advocate, for that matter) would not. If you’re the kind of person who would like this book, you probably already have those subscriptions. Or you’re a winery covered in the book and you’re going to buy it just to keep on Antonio Galloni’s good side (and White’s, she is a sommelier at a high-profile restaurant).
Oh, yeah, there are tasting notes. Woo-hoo! And instead of 100-point-scale scores, even though the book has a foreword by Vinous arch-enemy Parker, there’s a gas-gauge type scale, literally: it doesn’t show you how good the wine is, instead using an arrow on a gauge to show whether it’s prior to its peak drinking period, at peak, or in decline, i.e., running out of gas. Is this an interesting new way to review wine?
Philosophically, it comes from the “every kid gets a medal” school of competition. And in a way that is interesting, as every competently made wine from a region like Napa Valley probably has someone somewhere who will love it.
A “Napa Valley Then & Now”-size warthog, right.
But for utility, that gives this wart-hog sized book, that weighs more than my bicycle, the same shelf life as an unpasteurized cheese. The person who buys my copy from the secondhand store (Note to this person: I’m sorry, but you should have read this blog. Caveat emptor) will have to decide whether the 2005 Pritchard Hill Cabernet Sauvignon that was approaching the red zone in the book was in that zone when the wine was tasted, or when the copy was written, or when the book was edited, or published, or distributed. Is that wine out of gas, or can it go another mile?
I get a lot of wine books and most I don’t even bother to review, and rarely would I write something like this about one. But check out the headline: this book was so unnecessary. The world would be better off with 10,000 more sets of disposable chopsticks."
FWIW Keli White joined Vinous right around the time this book came out, so his comment “She’s on the staff at Vinous, and that explains why this book exists: to give Vinous its own in-house Robert Parker guide in print.” is just BS.
Correct. On the other hand, to say that Vinous is making every effort to capitalize on the book and the Vinous relationship with Kelli White is fact. Vinous has similarly attempted to capitalize on Ian d’ Agata’s book, and it had nothing to do what that book, either. In fairness, there is nothing wrong with Vinous attempting to make hay from any asset at its disposal (add Loam Baby to the mix as well), but all three mentioned here have been aggregated within, not originated by, Vinous. Given that a number of prominent California wineries are choosing not to allow Galloni to taste their wines, I can hardly fault him for trying to gain California street cred in whatever way he can. Kelli White and her book may or may not be that ticket. Hyping the 2013 Napa vintage near unto death does not seem likely to be the ticket. At some point, all wine reviewers must accept the hard truth that there will never be another 1982 Bordeaux golden ticket for one of them…
I was able to see the book and look through the pages for a few minutes on a recent dinner at Press. I think it looks amazing. I am a big fan of Napa wines and will definitely be a buyer. I am astonished at the poor review from above and especially his tone in the review.
There is always a “consider the source” element with anything that Blinky writes…
While he may have a few valid points, Gray commits the cardinal sin of thinking he is far more clever than he actually is.
The review just comes off as a petulant fit by a dude who is probably jealous that he didn’t think of/get the opportunity to compile a massive tome that, like it or not, will be in a lot of houses/restaurants/wine bars.
His complaint that it’s a PR brochure for Napa wineries and there “isn’t anything” that can’t be “read on one of their websites” is either lazy journalism or ignorance on his part; a lot of the wineries in the book aren’t even around anymore, or don’t have up-to-date websites,.
I poked through it while eating at Press a few months ago, and it’s got plenty of useful information (i.e.: I was very pleased to learn Ritchie Creeks grapes are being used, and that one of Pete Minor’s sons is going to try to return the winery to production).
James Conaway’s books definitely go into deeper histories, but White’s covers a lot of ground, is well written, and pretty easy to use.
Ms. White was the guest on the I’ll Drink to That Podcast this week. I found her to be very engaging. It sounds like she did a lot of research, of course we can hardly call drinking Napa wines from the 70s and 80s work.
Check it out. Hardly ever a disappointing effort from Levi Dalton.
Bernard Sun’s review (from Twitter): “A passionate indispensable 1200 page reference on #NapaValley #NapaValleyThenandNow by Kelli White”
Bl wine sent out an offer
The BPW - Merchants of rare and fine wines
A gorgeous, serious, intellectual wine gift for yourself or someone you know. Kelli White, my friend and sommelier at our much-loved Napa-centric PRESS restaurant in St. Helena, has just released an INCREDIBLE, much-praised tome on the Napa Valley. Please check it out!
Dear Oenophile,
We are proud to be one the few “locals” to get access to this beautiful book and be able to offer it you before the holidays. Truly an amazing gift. A MUST for serious collectors!! And a must for just about anyone who appreciates wine at any level! Packed in a special shipping box, it weighs something like 15-20 pounds…not exaggerating!! PRESS (owned by Leslie Rudd of RUDD), is one of the great Napa restaurants and Kelli and her husband Scott have been instrumental in shaping it. In this stunning book you will find intimate, in-depth profiles of many Napa classics (Harlan, Togni, Heitz, Spottswoode) and many that may be new to you. Not to mention the maps, appellation info, copious tasting notes, extended history of Napa, and much more. Here are just a few of the early reviews from the wine cognoscenti:
“One of the brightest voices of our generation, Kelli White provides a fascinating behind-the-scenes look at Napa Valley and its evolution over the last several decades. The stories behind the valley’s great wines and the people who make them are told with boundless passion and enthusiasm. Napa Valley, Then & Now is a must-have for anyone who loves Napa Valley wines.” —ANTONIO GALLONI, founder of Vinous
“Kelli White writes with passion, knowledge, and more than a few deft turns of phrase, making Napa Valley, Then & Now a terrific and wonderfully engaging read. But this book serves up more than just an impressively broad and appealingly presented collection of facts. It also delivers the rarest of the rare in wine writing today: genuine insight. White methodically breaks down her subject, dissects the pieces, and then reassembles them in a way that is both compelling and cogently comprehensible. If you read only one wine book this year, the inspired and lovingly written Napa Valley should be it.” —ALLEN D. MEADOWS, founder of Burghound.com and author of The Pearl of the Côte: The Great Wines of Vosne-Romanée
NAPA VALLEY THEN & NOW by Kelli White, Sommelier, PRESS Restaurant, St. Helena ---- $109!! shipped in custom box
FEATURES: Preface by Leslie Rudd, foreword by Robert M. Parker, Jr., introduction by Kelli A. White, information about the wine list at PRESS, a history of Napa Valley, appellation guide, winery profiles with tasting notes, “Newcomers, Outsiders, and Those That Are No Longer With Us,” a vintage guide (1940 - 2014), maps, references, and winery contact information.
Written by sommelier Kelli Audrey White, this book serves as a much-needed definitive guide to one of the world’s most celebrated wine regions. Exhaustively researched and thoughtfully organized, Napa Valley, Then & Now chronicles the rise of Napa’s wine industry from its earliest days to its current glory, examining its triumphs and failures along the way. Critically, it also checks in on the current state of many of Napa’s historic wines and vintages, just as interest in this heretofore marginalized category of wine is starting to grow.
For too long, California wines were considered unworthy of great age. White seeks to dispel that notion, and is uniquely qualified to do so, having spent the last several years tasting through the cellars of countless vintners and private collectors in Napa Valley and beyond. In these pages, she guides the consumer through her findings, not only highlighting what to pursue and what to avoid, but providing context for each wine so that it might be understood as part of a larger historical narrative. In short, this is a singular, exceptional work that is a great addition to the annals of wine scholarship.
TRUST ME — this is something you want!! Be one of the very first! Arrives 2 weeks, and will ship in its special custom-designed box.
Napa Valley Then and Now by Kelli White – 2015 1.5L
$109.00!
Available: (36)
NAPA VALLEY, THEN & NOW IS AN IN-DEPTH LOOK AT THE HISTORY, THE LAND, THE WINERIES, AND THE WINES OF NAPA VALLEY, WITH A SPECIAL EMPHASIS ON TASTING NOTES OF OLDER VINTAGES.
Written by sommelier Kelli Audrey White, this book serves as a much-needed definitive guide to one of the world’s most celebrated wine regions. Exhaustively researched and thoughtfully organized, Napa Valley, Then & Now chronicles the rise of Napa’s wine industry from its earliest days to its current glory, examining its triumphs and failures along the way. Critically, it also checks in on the current state of many of Napa’s historic wines and vintages, just as interest in this heretofore marginalized category of wine is starting to grow.
For too long, California wines were considered unworthy of great age. White seeks to dispel that notion, and is uniquely qualified to do so, having spent the last several years tasting through the cellars of countless vintners and private collectors in Napa Valley and beyond. In these pages, she guides the consumer through her findings, not only highlighting what to pursue and what to avoid, but providing context for each wine so that it might be understood as part of a larger historical narrative. In short, this is a singular, exceptional work that is a great addition to the annals of wine scholarship.
1.5L LOL!
I think due to the cost a lot of people here are undecided, it will be very interesting to get the reviews of fellow berserkers on the this book
Kelli if you are still reading… Any plans for a digital edition?
I listened to the I’ll Drink To That podcast with Kelli yesterday, and while I’m not much of a Napa person, Kelli’s depth of knowledge and enthusiasm for Napa’s history made for a great episode.
+1. Perhaps not an easy undertaking since you’re self published. Another big heavy printed book would be Tsundoku for me since I do most of my reading on the train.
I liked the book. I reviewed it and conducted a fun, interesting interview with Kelli White on the book and Napa wine in general. Napa Valley Then & Now, Book Review, Author Kelli White Interview
Investigating… but no definite plans. Good to know there is interest, however.