I'm a bit of a foodie and, by extension, a bit of an oenophile. Due to my literary bent, I don't just like to taste food and wine but read about them as well. I read cook books, food blogs, magazines, and news articles. Food writing speaks to me, where most other non-fiction doesn't. So finding a book that combines encyclopedic information about food (or in this case, wine) with narrative drama, and I am hooked.
Judgment of Paris: California vs. France and the Historic 1976 Paris Tasting That Revolutionized Wine is a bit Melvillian in its scope. George M. Taber seeks to set the record straight on what actually happened in Paris on May 24, 1976, but along the way he encompasses the entire history of wine. He specifically deals with the growth of the French and California wine industries, which involves a great deal of world history, economics, and climatology. The chapters on 20th century technological advances in winemaking are very technical and at times tedious. Taber is a trained journalist and as such his narratives are gripping and draw the reader in, but his economic break down of wine trade going into the 21st century reads a bit like the Wall Street Journal: Wine Edition. He is less than economical in his writing and strays into cliches on occasion— How many ways can one say 'from A-Z' before it becomes overly tired and trite?
As an educational book, the narrative gives the reader an impetus to read the less exciting chapters in order to get back to the main story. As a narrative, readers could skip chapters 2, 3, 10, 17, 18, and 22 to the end. This is merely a suggestion to anyone who finds the technical nature of the writing inaccessible. An easier way to selectively read is to stick to chapters about Grgich, Winiarski, and Spurrier. Alternatively, for a less than accurate portrayal of events, try watching Bottle Shock, a Lifetime-movie-esque representation of the winning Chardonnay winery.
To be clear, this book is no more inaccessible than Moby Dick or Hunchback of Notre Dame, albeit less likely to become a classic. And with the wine industry in America booming and wineries popping up in every state, remembering the history of those early vintners is important to understanding how American wines are perceived globally. The technical aspects, while dry, are really to help make wine more accessible to the uninitiated.
I appreciate Taber's attempt to clarify the nature of the tasting and its original goals which were more educational than competitive. As a native Californian, I derive great satisfaction from the fact that we won.
Judgment of Paris: California vs. France and the Historic 1976 Paris Tasting That Revolutionized Wine is a bit Melvillian in its scope. George M. Taber seeks to set the record straight on what actually happened in Paris on May 24, 1976, but along the way he encompasses the entire history of wine. He specifically deals with the growth of the French and California wine industries, which involves a great deal of world history, economics, and climatology. The chapters on 20th century technological advances in winemaking are very technical and at times tedious. Taber is a trained journalist and as such his narratives are gripping and draw the reader in, but his economic break down of wine trade going into the 21st century reads a bit like the Wall Street Journal: Wine Edition. He is less than economical in his writing and strays into cliches on occasion— How many ways can one say 'from A-Z' before it becomes overly tired and trite?
As an educational book, the narrative gives the reader an impetus to read the less exciting chapters in order to get back to the main story. As a narrative, readers could skip chapters 2, 3, 10, 17, 18, and 22 to the end. This is merely a suggestion to anyone who finds the technical nature of the writing inaccessible. An easier way to selectively read is to stick to chapters about Grgich, Winiarski, and Spurrier. Alternatively, for a less than accurate portrayal of events, try watching Bottle Shock, a Lifetime-movie-esque representation of the winning Chardonnay winery.
To be clear, this book is no more inaccessible than Moby Dick or Hunchback of Notre Dame, albeit less likely to become a classic. And with the wine industry in America booming and wineries popping up in every state, remembering the history of those early vintners is important to understanding how American wines are perceived globally. The technical aspects, while dry, are really to help make wine more accessible to the uninitiated.
I appreciate Taber's attempt to clarify the nature of the tasting and its original goals which were more educational than competitive. As a native Californian, I derive great satisfaction from the fact that we won.
