The Billionaire’s Vinegar out in Paperback
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Per The New York Times Book Review (Sunday, May 17, 2009), Benjamin Wallace’s excellent The Billionaire’s Vinegar: The Mystery of the World’s Most Expensive Bottle of Wine is out in paperback. As I wrote here, Wallace’s book is entertaining, insightful, and definitely a worthwhile read. I recommend adding it to your summer reading list.
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I stand corrected
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A couple days back I writ a quickie post regarding George Taber’s original “Judgement of Paris” article published in TIME magazine, 1976. I pointed out that it is now available on TIME’s website in their archives. My apologies to Dale Cruse, as, in my haste, I thoughtlessly left out that I had first learned of the article on his excellent website Drinks Are On Me.
Dale not only sticks to his “no B.S.” policy when it comes to writing on wine, he also offers up Great Guy Food recipes from time to time that I have more than once prepared at home. A good example of this is the amazing Shrimp Clemenceau recipe that has become an instant favorite around our house. It makes great surf to a perfectly grilled turf. Thanks Dale, and again, apologies.
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This week in wine? The dogs have it
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photo by Eliott Erwitt
Dogs have always played a role in the winemaker’s home and vineyard. There is the popular Wine Dogs book series (and, consequently, the Wine Dog Blog); where one can find one, two, three and more, dogs cavorting about, smiling up at their mistresses and/or masters, and prancing among the vines. But I wasn’t expecting to find dogs showing up in an AAWE paper, let alone learn that wine dogs can be much more than mere companions to their folks. Read on.
The American Association of Wine Economist published a paper on a study conducted to see if folks could distinguish dog food from pate. Out of 100 people studied? Only 17% correctly identified the dog food. (Well, at least it was Newman’s Own).
And over at Food and Wine, Ray Isle reports on Ziggy, a 5-year old lab trained to snuffle out cork taint. Read all about it here.
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Judgement of Paris
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The original article – penned by George Taber in 1976 – is now up on the internet via TIME Magazine archives.
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Ethics and Wine
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or WHAT WOULD THE COUNTESS DO?
In the past weeks, there has been quite the on-going conversation about ethics regarding wine writing. Specifically, wine reviews. Should a (well known) critic and his or her colleagues take samples and/or go on junkets that have been payed for by the very folks whose wines they will be reviewing. Should a mere wine blogger do it?
As pointed out here, this all started with Tyler Colman (Dr. Vino) posing questions to both Robert Parker, Jr. and Jay Miller (one of Parker’s staff writers) in regards to Parker’s high standards of impartiality that have been the cornerstone of his wine reviewing since he started. The question was whether or not those standards have changed recently, as it appears that Mr. Miller has, indeed, gone on wine reviews that were paid for by the producers of those wines. Oh, and lots of other things.
It’s an interesting read for those who:
1. Enjoy The Real Housewives of New York City (what with all the name-calling and catfighting that comes with it. Oh what would Jill Zarin do?)
2. Like to be surprised by the rare insight made by a precious few (Joe Dressner comes to mind). (Warning: you must swim through a lot o’ sea to get to that “Aha!” moment)
3. Or just like a good debate (Undeniably, most people do not understand the concept of “debate”).
After reading through all the hundreds of thoughts, insights, and observations of so many wine folks, you may find your heart not settled on a damn thing. Ah, but that is where the lovely Jancis Robinson comes along: To ease our hearts and make it all make a little more sense. She wrote brilliantly on The Ethics of Wine Writing last week. It is definitely worth the checking out.
Frankly, I’d head right on over to Jancis and get back to that marathon of Real Housewives. Not that you’ll learn anything about personal ethics or anything. But you might just walk away better mannered (thanks to the Countess).
Salud.
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And the Beat Goes On
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Tyler Colman over at Dr. Vino keeps at it. He’s putting the hard questions to both the man himself – Robert Parker – and one of Parker’s contributing wine reviewers, Jay Miller. Have the high standards of wine ethics that Parker has for so long (and admirably) upheld changed?
Another lively exchange to read and discuss.
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But everybody has a point….
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Mark Squires, moderator over at ebobparker’s forum, deletes another thread. Is banishment forthcoming? Discussion and opinions fly, some hilarity ensues.
Dr. Vino, aka Tyler Colman, has got it all right here.
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The Voice of the Phillies – Harry Kalas – Dies at 73
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“”Players come and go, but ‘Outta here!’ — that’s forever,” said Scott Franzke, a Phillies radio broadcaster.
Kalas lent his sonorous voice to everything from puppies to soup. He did work for NFL Films, was the voice for Chunky Soup commercials and Animal Planet’s annual tongue-in-cheek Super Bowl competitor, the Puppy Bowl.”
Excerpted from sports.espn.go.com. Read full article over here.
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Wine News
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Earthquakes in Abruzzo kill hundreds and leave hundreds of thousands homeless in one of Italy’s beloved wine regions. (from Mutineer Magazine).
America – The New Wine Frontier. Jancis Robsinson reports that Americans drink their way through a depression. Europeans curb their appetites (but not by too too much). Read the full OIV (International Organization of Vine and Wine) report.
Wine and spirits labels may undergo big changes in the future. The excellent Bevlog reports.
In a BBC news piece from May 2008, researchers from the Heriot Watt University found wine-tasting heavily affected by music. (I wonder if that was at all affected by the fact that the “research involved 250 students at the university who were offered a free glass of wine in exchange for their views” ).
That said, pour yourself a glass, pull up a chair, and watch this.
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This Week in Wine
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In this weeks Cellarist, Jon Bonne’ makes this excellent point: “If we can’t say ‘clos’, do we get to ban such Franco-American labels as Fat Bastard and French Rabbit, or the Jumilla-generated Mad Dogs & Englishman?” The outrage over the EU’s decision to hijack common wine terms continues.
Robot pruners? Does this mean more job losses in the fields are on the way?
The light brown apple moth continues moving north through Sonoma County. Quarantines ordered for an 18 square mile area that includes 280 acres of grapes.
And for those among us who are either unaffected by the economic downturn or simply ignoring it altogether, our good friend Eric Arnold – over at Forbes magazine – has written up Ten Great International Wine Destinations. Happy travels!
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