Beyond the Bottle : Books Archives

June 06, 2010

Review: The Battle for Wine or Love by Alice Feiring

Alice Feiring's "The Battle for Wine and Love: Or How I Saved the World From Parkerization" is a book I have referenced in various posts since reading it six months ago, but until now had yet to dedicate time to actually review. I attribute my postponement of this task to the mixed emotions I experienced reading it. While I appreciated this book for the learnings it offered about wine, I was put off by what I came to know of the author's personality. On the positive side, "The Battle for Wine and Love" offers useful insights into the historical...

Posted by Thad W. at 03:01 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

April 26, 2010

One of my favorite poems about wine

This is a terrific poem about wine, one that speaks to the communal joy that comes with sharing a bottle and experiencing a glass (or two) with others. And there is no other piece that effectively captures that moment so often experienced after dinner with family and friends. I first heard this poem read by Garrison Keillor on the radio when traveling to IPNC in July 2008. What a profound moment to have heard this on the same day I was planning to join hundreds of fellow pinot lovers at this event. "The Good Nights" by Joseph Mills On the...

Posted by Thad W. at 07:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

December 28, 2009

Review: Been Doon So Long by Randall Grahm

Every now and then, a certain wine comes along that is transformative; a bottle that connects me to something deeper, helping to fill a void or bridge a gap in my thinking. Reading about wine can have a similar affect. There is an occasional book that guides me down new paths of discovery, trails that not only challenge my perspective of wine, but transform how I think about wine going forward. With Been Doon So Long, Randall Grahm has created such a book, one full of transformative facts, thoughts, and ideas that have enlightened my understanding of what it...

Posted by Thad W. at 01:21 PM | Permalink

September 07, 2009

Expanding my frame of reference

This summer, I've been reading Hugh Johnson's "A Life Uncorked", an educational and entertaining memoir which so far is living up to its publisher's positioning: "At the heart of A Life Uncorked is the idea that wine is more than a drink; its characteristics link it directly to memory, to locations around the world where grapes are grown and wine is made, and to the dining rooms, restaurants, bars, and gardens where we consume it." This book offers a terrific way to expand one's frame of reference. At the same time, it confirms for me the fact that the...

Posted by Thad W. at 01:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

February 28, 2009

Review: Red, White, and Drunk All Over by Natalie MacLean

Had it not been for a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher, I might have passed on reading it. To be honest, I was guilty of judging this book by its cover, as it suggested an approach to wine that seemed far afield from the one I follow. Boy, am I glad to have accepted this book to read and review, for I was completely wrong about the approach Natalie MacLean takes with her subject. Red, White, and Drunk All Over: A Wine Soaked Journey from Grape to Glass is an enlightening, entertaining, and inspiring read, comprised...

Posted by Thad W. at 04:40 PM | Permalink

September 09, 2008

Book Review: At Home in the Vineyard by Susan Sokol Blosser

At Home in the Vineyard: Cultivating a Winery, an Industry, and a Life by Susan Sokol Blosser is one book that seems to offer an exception to the adage, "you can't judge a book by its cover". Just as the subtitle suggests, At Home in the Vineyard effectively describes the slow, steady transformation of an estate winery, a wine industry, and a human being over a period of more than 30 years. It is an intimate study of all three components delivered in a narrative style that keeps you engaged from start to finish. This book is first and...

Posted by Thad W. at 08:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

September 01, 2008

Book Review: Wine Politics by Tyler Colman

It is said that to really appreciate wine, one must understand its context. When some talk of "context", they often focus on what is in the bottle, such as a wine's varietal makeup, the vineyard from which its fruit was sourced, and/or the vintage which serves to describe the growing season. Even still, there are some who extend context further to include the historical and cultural influences shaping a wine, specifically those factors that have served to guide viticulturists and enologists in a singular fashion within a particular region. Tyler Colman has now broadened this notion of context with...

Posted by Thad W. at 10:08 PM | Permalink

February 18, 2008

The Dysfunctional House of Mondavi

I couldn't finish this book. I was halfway through and just couldn't bring myself to reading any more pages detailing the dysfunction of the Mondavi family. The sibling rivalries, the raw greed, the marital affairs, and the suffering children who repeated this dysfunctional cycle across several generations. What a sad, pitiful tale Julia Flynn Siler has crafted in "The House of Mondavi: The Rise and Fall of an American Wine Dynasty". If you can get past Siler's overlapping sequence of events from chapter to chapter, you'll find a story that leaves little to be desired. The book clearly validates...

Posted by Thad W. at 01:53 PM | Permalink

October 19, 2007

Review: The Emperor of Wine

I am no fan of Robert Parker, but am better off as a wine enthusiast for having read Elin McCoy's biography, "The Emperor of Wine: The Rise of Robert M. Parker, Jr. and the Reign of American Taste". As the title suggests, McCoy's book is divided into two parts: the incredible rise of Parker as a wine reviewer and then his role leading the American influence over the global wine industry. In addition to educating me about the man, I also learned a ton about the wine industry in general, especially the history and culture of the Bordeaux and...

Posted by Thad W. at 12:16 PM | Permalink

September 19, 2007

Experiencing the crush of harvest season

The cooler temps and shortening days here in the Pacific Northwest signal the harvest season is upon us and with it comes crush. While reading the updates on this year's harvest, I am reminded of Brian Doyle's excellent book, "The Grail: A Year Ambling & Shambling Through an Oregon Vinyard in Pursuit of the Best Pinot Noir Wine in the Whole Wild World". If you have ever been curious about what it's like to work in a vineyard and/or winery during crush, then this is the book to read. In this wonderful account, Doyle shares the year he spent...

Posted by Thad W. at 09:21 AM | Permalink

Home

About

Books

Connections

Perspectives

Tasting Notes

Wine Recos

Categories

June 06, 2010

Review: The Battle for Wine or Love by Alice Feiring

April 26, 2010

One of my favorite poems about wine

December 28, 2009

Review: Been Doon So Long by Randall Grahm

September 07, 2009

Expanding my frame of reference

February 28, 2009

Review: Red, White, and Drunk All Over by Natalie MacLean

September 09, 2008

Book Review: At Home in the Vineyard by Susan Sokol Blosser

September 01, 2008

Book Review: Wine Politics by Tyler Colman

February 18, 2008

The Dysfunctional House of Mondavi

October 19, 2007

Review: The Emperor of Wine

September 19, 2007

Experiencing the crush of harvest season

Recent Posts

Archives