At some point, everyone is a beginner. For those starting to appreciate wine, Wine Made Easy, edited by Susy Atkins, is a great start. Like one of those iconic yellow books for 'not so smart people', this book covers basic topics from the common types of grapes, popular wine regions, the different types of wine, and how to pair wine with meals. Each of the sections of the book cover important topics relevant to wines with no expectation of previous knowledge, making this a good starting point in learning more about wine.
Many of the popular grape varieties are listed and briefly described somewhere in this book. However, all of the grapes in the book are one of the old varieties of Vitis vinifera and do not include any New World grapes or hybrids between New and Old World varieties. Now whether the selection of grapes in the book is based solely on popularity or due to the old prejudices against New World grapes, its hard to miss that a great many grape varieties are not included the Delaware, the Niagara, Chambourcin, and Traminette.
Buying, storing, opening, and tasting wine are all important parts of the experience, and this book delivers a good overview of each of these steps. No book though, can teach you the full gambit of taste wine. A brief look at the Wikipedia entry of Wine tasting descriptors reveals just how complicated a wine can taste. Chemistry supports this view, as chemists have identified over 250 different chemical compounds in wine.
The unique part of this book is the chapter which covers how to read wine labels from the most popular wine making regions of France, Europe, and the New World. This chapter presents an interesting comparison between the various laws and practices of labels throughout the world. For our purposes here though, only the rules of the United States matter, which is covered briefly on one page.
Most wine is consumed not by itself, but with food as an appetizer, a dessert, or with a meal. That is why the topic of pairing wine is so common. This book covers far beyond the normal guidance of drinking red wines with red meat and white wines with white meat by breaking down which types of white wines go with which Pork with Cream and Mushrooms (a lightly oaked Chardonnay). If you serve wine for guests often at dinner parties, the tables in this section may be helpful, but with Google a click away and with many of the suggestions region specific, I'll stick to my method: choosing the wine I want to taste at the given moment.
The final section of the book covers the hazards and benefits to drinking wine. While there is around 10% of alcohol in a glass of wine (give or take a few percentage depending on the style of wine), most people can handle a glass of wine a day, though the World Health Organization recommends at least 2 alcohol free days a week. But, as research has shown through the 'J-shaped' curve, consuming a glass of wine a day can have many health benefits, including reducing risk for heart disease and by the antioxidants in red wine, can inhibit the growth of certain cancers. My personal viewpoint is that of the ancient Greeks and Romans: Ne quid nimis. Nothing in excess, or all things in moderation. An occasional glass, or the regular glass of wine is fine and can be healthy, but excessive drinking is harmful.
Overall, this book provides a great introduction of the world of wine. But, it is only that, an introduction. There are a great many other places where grapes and wine are grown and made, a great many other varieties of grapes and wine, and a great many other possible food pairings.
Showing posts with label Book Review. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Book Review. Show all posts
Wednesday, February 27, 2013
Friday, November 30, 2012
Book Review: Oz Clarke's Let Me Tell You About Wine
Let me tell you about wine. That's the simple premise of this book by Oz Clarke. And with a gorgeously designed and laid out pages, this book does just that. Published in 2009, the layout of the pages is a reminder that in our day and age, physical books can still a superior experience when text, pictures, and charts are laid out with a good eye for design.
It starts with a breakdown of 18 different wines, from juicy, fruity reds to toasty whites, to fortified wines. The first section continues with a breakdown of the most common varieties of grapes and then an overview of how wine is made and the numerous choices a winemaker has available to him to affect the outcome of his efforts.
The next section covers all that goes into enjoying wine: buying, storing, tasting, and pairing wine with food. Here the author covers a good deal of information. Having read Wine Made Easy, much of this information overlaps with that book.
The final section of the book, which covers nearly 1/2 the book, is a detailed overview of the major wine regions of the world. The author does not merely hint at the different named regions in France, Spain, Italy and the rest of the world, like in Wine Made Easy, but he provides detailed maps and an overview of the grapes grown here, the terroir, and how it affects the wines made here.
Surprisingly, there is a page in this section devoted to Midwestern wines. He notes the upstart nature of Midwestern wine, despite a long history cut short due to Prohibition. Mention is also made of the native North American grapes and the distinct tastes that they provide to the wines of the region.
Overall, this is a wonderful book that looks outstanding and has a great deal of useful information. The best part is that the author has broken down a great deal of data into easily read diagrams or charts that make for easy reference. For instance, he includes a wheel of wine that can be used to find a wine based on a desired taste and the intensity of the flavor. I borrowed this book from our library, but on my book rating, I set this at a 'Buy' for its gorgeous design alone. (My book ratings go from 'Ignore', 'Borrow', 'eBook', or 'Buy'.)
In searching for this book, my wife came across a number of other wine books from Oz Clarke, included one published in 2000 titled 'Oz Clarke's Introducing Wine'. While the design of the book is inferior to 'Let Me Tell You About Wine', much of the actual text is the same. The book is laid out in the same 3 basic sections. So far, I've found only 3 main differences. First, the author divides wines into 15 different varieties in the earlier book, where he later divides the wine world to 18 different styles. Second, the newer book offered a list of websites for more information on wine touring and wine in general which does not exist in the earlier book. Finally, while both books cover wines made throughout the world, the older book contains no reference to wines in the Midwest other than a shaded area on a map. But, this is a very revealing difference, as it shows that in the 9 years between the release of the 2 books, wines from the Midwest had risen in production and esteem enough to warrant adding a page dedicated to these upstart wines.
In all, I've found both books by Oz Clarke to be outstanding and I'll be keeping my eyes out for more from him, as his style and knowledge make for a great read.
It starts with a breakdown of 18 different wines, from juicy, fruity reds to toasty whites, to fortified wines. The first section continues with a breakdown of the most common varieties of grapes and then an overview of how wine is made and the numerous choices a winemaker has available to him to affect the outcome of his efforts.
The next section covers all that goes into enjoying wine: buying, storing, tasting, and pairing wine with food. Here the author covers a good deal of information. Having read Wine Made Easy, much of this information overlaps with that book.
The final section of the book, which covers nearly 1/2 the book, is a detailed overview of the major wine regions of the world. The author does not merely hint at the different named regions in France, Spain, Italy and the rest of the world, like in Wine Made Easy, but he provides detailed maps and an overview of the grapes grown here, the terroir, and how it affects the wines made here.
Surprisingly, there is a page in this section devoted to Midwestern wines. He notes the upstart nature of Midwestern wine, despite a long history cut short due to Prohibition. Mention is also made of the native North American grapes and the distinct tastes that they provide to the wines of the region.
Overall, this is a wonderful book that looks outstanding and has a great deal of useful information. The best part is that the author has broken down a great deal of data into easily read diagrams or charts that make for easy reference. For instance, he includes a wheel of wine that can be used to find a wine based on a desired taste and the intensity of the flavor. I borrowed this book from our library, but on my book rating, I set this at a 'Buy' for its gorgeous design alone. (My book ratings go from 'Ignore', 'Borrow', 'eBook', or 'Buy'.)
In searching for this book, my wife came across a number of other wine books from Oz Clarke, included one published in 2000 titled 'Oz Clarke's Introducing Wine'. While the design of the book is inferior to 'Let Me Tell You About Wine', much of the actual text is the same. The book is laid out in the same 3 basic sections. So far, I've found only 3 main differences. First, the author divides wines into 15 different varieties in the earlier book, where he later divides the wine world to 18 different styles. Second, the newer book offered a list of websites for more information on wine touring and wine in general which does not exist in the earlier book. Finally, while both books cover wines made throughout the world, the older book contains no reference to wines in the Midwest other than a shaded area on a map. But, this is a very revealing difference, as it shows that in the 9 years between the release of the 2 books, wines from the Midwest had risen in production and esteem enough to warrant adding a page dedicated to these upstart wines.
In all, I've found both books by Oz Clarke to be outstanding and I'll be keeping my eyes out for more from him, as his style and knowledge make for a great read.
Friday, November 9, 2012
Book Review: Indiana Wine: A History
I originally planned to get a degree in History in College because the subject has always fascinated me. I was lucky to be in an advanced Social Studies class during most of my Elementary and High School classes and to have great teachers in those classes who made History come alive. In 5th or 6th grade, our teacher split the class in half and had each group create an ancient civilization, setting out their religion, their social structure, and their values. We then created artifacts to represent this civilization and then buried them for the other team to dig up, reassemble, and try to decipher the 'civilization' from the artifacts.
While I later choose to study Computer Science, I still have an affinity for History in various forms. That's why I picked up Indiana Wine: A History, by James and John Butler. The father and son combo run Butler Winery in Bloomington, Indiana, and are thus well qualified to tell the story of wine cultivation in Indiana.
And its a far more fascinating story than I expected. The authors narrate the founding of Firstvineyard across the Ohio river in Kentucky and its influence in bringing Swiss vintners to what is now the town of Vevay in Switzerland County. Then, as the an economic depression decreases the demand for wine and the children of the original settlers take over, the vines are slowly abandoned. Others along the Ohio river take up Wine making, including German immigrants at Harmony, Indiana and up around Cincinnati. Indiana's early dominance in wines is passed by first Ohio, then New York, and finally California. While Indiana wineries make small recoveries throughout the 19th century, it received a mortal wound on January 19th, 1919, when the 18th Amendment was passed banning the sale of alcohol. Some wineries continued producing grapes, for sale as Table grapes or to sell to home wine makers (which was still legal), but all eventually disappeared.
Even though the 21st Amendment, passed in December 1933, made the sale of Alcohol legal again, there were no wineries in Indiana for nearly another 40 years. The State Law required all alcohol to be sold via distributors, who would sell to retailers, who could then sell to end consumers. Such a system erected a large barrier of entry that made it difficult for a winery to get off the ground. A winery would have to purchase grapes from other wineries at a high price or make the costly investment to grow grapes locally, and then be forced to sell their product to distributors and retailers, each making their own markup. Such a system is beneficial only to those wineries producing in large volumes or with a high quality that is in demand, each of which is difficult to obtain for a starting business.
In the 1970s, the laws were changed to allow wineries to sell directly to the public from their winery, and later from a second tasting room. With this restriction removed, the wine industry in Indiana has gained steam. When the book was published in 2001, there were 25 wineries in Indiana. In 2012, there are 60 wineries in Indiana.
All told, this book, at around 200 pages reads rather quickly for a History book. Much of the story was unknown to me and I found myself turning the page often to find out how the story unfolded next. If you're a history buff and enjoy wine (and why wouldn't you be if you're reading this blog), this would be a good book to add to your reading list.
While I later choose to study Computer Science, I still have an affinity for History in various forms. That's why I picked up Indiana Wine: A History, by James and John Butler. The father and son combo run Butler Winery in Bloomington, Indiana, and are thus well qualified to tell the story of wine cultivation in Indiana.
And its a far more fascinating story than I expected. The authors narrate the founding of Firstvineyard across the Ohio river in Kentucky and its influence in bringing Swiss vintners to what is now the town of Vevay in Switzerland County. Then, as the an economic depression decreases the demand for wine and the children of the original settlers take over, the vines are slowly abandoned. Others along the Ohio river take up Wine making, including German immigrants at Harmony, Indiana and up around Cincinnati. Indiana's early dominance in wines is passed by first Ohio, then New York, and finally California. While Indiana wineries make small recoveries throughout the 19th century, it received a mortal wound on January 19th, 1919, when the 18th Amendment was passed banning the sale of alcohol. Some wineries continued producing grapes, for sale as Table grapes or to sell to home wine makers (which was still legal), but all eventually disappeared.
Even though the 21st Amendment, passed in December 1933, made the sale of Alcohol legal again, there were no wineries in Indiana for nearly another 40 years. The State Law required all alcohol to be sold via distributors, who would sell to retailers, who could then sell to end consumers. Such a system erected a large barrier of entry that made it difficult for a winery to get off the ground. A winery would have to purchase grapes from other wineries at a high price or make the costly investment to grow grapes locally, and then be forced to sell their product to distributors and retailers, each making their own markup. Such a system is beneficial only to those wineries producing in large volumes or with a high quality that is in demand, each of which is difficult to obtain for a starting business.
In the 1970s, the laws were changed to allow wineries to sell directly to the public from their winery, and later from a second tasting room. With this restriction removed, the wine industry in Indiana has gained steam. When the book was published in 2001, there were 25 wineries in Indiana. In 2012, there are 60 wineries in Indiana.
All told, this book, at around 200 pages reads rather quickly for a History book. Much of the story was unknown to me and I found myself turning the page often to find out how the story unfolded next. If you're a history buff and enjoy wine (and why wouldn't you be if you're reading this blog), this would be a good book to add to your reading list.
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