DRINK BOOK REVIEWS
--FOOT TRODDEN; Portugal and the Wines That Time Forgot (Interlink Books, 2021, 257 pages, $45 hardbound) is by Simon J Woolf and Ryan Opaz, and was originally published in the Netherlands. It's a very comprehensive book on the current day Portuguese wines, as told through the personal histories of its winemakers and growers. Covered are materials dealing with both old and new winemaking techniques. There are a ton of indigenous grape varieties that seldom make it out of Portugal. There is a lot of detail and depth here. Foot treading is still popular, in a traditional sense, as the winemakers deal with varying harvests and vintages of some 250 local grape varieties. The most popular varieties appear to be the whites Encruzado, Arinto dos Acores, Alvarinho and Fernao Pires, and the reds Ramisco, Touriga Franca, Touriga Nacional, and Baga. Nominated for many wine book awards (Andre Simon, James Beard Awards) and also chosen as the NEW YORK TIMES BEST WINE BOOK OF 2021.
--EAT, DRINK, THINK: what ancient Greece can tell us about food and wine (Bloomsbury Academic, 2020, 192 pages, $47.50 paperback) is by David Roochnik, who examines the role that foods play in the shaping of humanity – such as the sharing of a good meal with friends and family and being just a necessity. He discusses classical works of Greek literature and philosophy in which food and drink play an important role. With thoughts on Homer's The Odyssey, Euripides' Bacchae, Plato's philosopher kings and Dionysian intoxication, Roochnik shows how foregrounding food in philosophy can open up new ways of understanding these thinkers and their approaches to the purpose and meaning of life. A very useful contribution to food studies, and very thought provoking as well.
--WINE STYLE; discover the wines you will love through 50 simple recipes (Ten Speed Press, 2021, 176 pages, $28 hardbound) is by Kate Leahy with photography by Eric Scott. This is a quick, casual read covering the essential varieties that wine lovers need to know, and featuring more than 50 food preps for all manner of potential pairings. There are no rules here (especially none of the old-fashioned ones, like "seafood should always be paired with white"), but there are opportunities for exploring styles of wine such as dessert wines or orange wines – with food. Typical are baked lemony feta with a crisp white wine, or caramelized cabbage and onion galette with a serious red, or smoked salmon spaghetti with sparkling wine, et al.
--EPISTENOLOGY; wine as experience (Columbia University Press, 2020, 216 pages, $33 paperback ) is by Nicola Perullo who argues that wine comes to life not in the abstract space of the professional tasting but in the real world of shared experiences. Wines can change in these encounters, and drinkers along with them. Just as a winemaker is not simply a producer but a nurturer, a wine is fully known only through an encounter among a group of drinkers in a specific place and time. Wine is not an object to analyze but an experience to make, creatively opening up new perceptual possibilities for settings, cuisines, and companions. The result of more than twenty years of research and practical engagement, Epistenology presents a new paradigm for the enjoyment of wine and through it a philosophy based on participatory and relational knowledge. Interweaving philosophical arguments with personal reflections and literary examples, this book is a journey with wine that shows how it makes life more creative. A thoughtful read.
--WINE : a tasting course, from grape to glass (DK Books, 2013, 2021, 256 pages, $32 hardbound) is by Marnie Old. It was originally published in 2013; this is the updated and revised text. It'ss a fairly comprehensive and no-nonsense wine tasting course that covers every aspect of wine from grape to glass. Nuances are stressed through the tasting and appreciation process. Themed tasting exercises are located throughout the book, encouraging readers to learn at their own pace. All the while, there are copious notes on food and wine pairing, identifying the style spectrum, and distinguishing taste and smell. Old explores fun wine facts and explodes myths, giving you everything you need to talk, taste and enjoy your favorite vintage.
--SPARKLING WINE FOR MODERN TIMES: a drinker's guide to the freewheeling world of bubbles (Ten Speed Press, 2021, 192 pages, $26 hardbound) is by Zachary Sussman. This is a definitive guide to sparkling wine today, complete with profiles of leading producers, production methods, bottle recommendations, colourful infographics, and illustrated guides. Sussman considers sparkling wine traditions and offerings from around the world. This approachable book explores fascination with sparkling wine and places each regional expression within the range from the radical grower revolution reshaping the highly conservative area of Champagne to Prosecco's overnight transformation into a multi-million-dollar brand to the retro appeal of natural wine's cult-hit "pétillant naturel" to the next generation of "real wines" from Lambrusco, and beyond. The book covers the essential information for each growing region and highlights up-and-coming areas such as Jura in France, the traditional-method Sicilian sparklers and Californian "orange" pét-nat.
--CHEESE, WINE, AND BREAD: discovering the magic of fermentation in England, Italy, and France (William Morrow, 2021, 373 pages, $37 hardbound) is by Katie Quinn who spent time in England at Neal's Yard Dairy, in France with bread at Poilane's in Paris, and in Northeast Italy with winemaker Commellis. These simple staples of a great meal (bread, cheese, and wine) develop their complex flavors through a process known as fermentation. Katie Quinn spent months as an apprentice with some of Europe's experts to study the art and science of fermentation. Visiting grain fields, vineyards, and dairies, she brings the stories and science of these foods to the table, explains the process of each craft, and introduces the people behind them. A really good read, full of insights into the fermentation processes.
--JUST A SPRITZ: 57 simple sparkling sips with low to no alcohol (Artisan, 2022, 176 pages, $25 hardbound) is by Danielle Centoni, with Eric Medsker as photographer. The Italian export, the Aperol spritz, with its classic (and simple) makeup of fizzy prosecco, sparkling water, and a splash of the bittersweet, citrus-flavored liqueur, is just the beginning. In Just a Spritz, Danielle Centoni shares a world of spritz variations. Add in sweet liqueurs and bitter amari, fresh juices, flavored kombuchas, and drinking vinegars to update the sparkling spritz. A spritz is quick to assemble and does not require a stocked pantry. Here there are more than 50 recipes (and numerous variations) organized by flavor profile and theme, including the Raspberry Beret, the Margarita Spritz, and the Cucumberbatch, as well as nonalcoholic spritz drinks. For a spritz newbie, a classic Negroni Sbagliato may be just the thing. Or the fruity-floral, scarlet-purple, picture-perfect Lady Lavender. Whatever the craving, from a sweet peach spritz to a slightly bitter and citric Cappelletti Shandy, there's a recipe to satisfy every thirst, along with colourful photos. Remember, these are all LO-AL or NO-AL concoctions.
===================================
--FOOT TRODDEN; Portugal and the Wines That Time Forgot (Interlink Books, 2021, 257 pages, $45 hardbound) is by Simon J Woolf and Ryan Opaz, and was originally published in the Netherlands. It's a very comprehensive book on the current day Portuguese wines, as told through the personal histories of its winemakers and growers. Covered are materials dealing with both old and new winemaking techniques. There are a ton of indigenous grape varieties that seldom make it out of Portugal. There is a lot of detail and depth here. Foot treading is still popular, in a traditional sense, as the winemakers deal with varying harvests and vintages of some 250 local grape varieties. The most popular varieties appear to be the whites Encruzado, Arinto dos Acores, Alvarinho and Fernao Pires, and the reds Ramisco, Touriga Franca, Touriga Nacional, and Baga. Nominated for many wine book awards (Andre Simon, James Beard Awards) and also chosen as the NEW YORK TIMES BEST WINE BOOK OF 2021.
--EAT, DRINK, THINK: what ancient Greece can tell us about food and wine (Bloomsbury Academic, 2020, 192 pages, $47.50 paperback) is by David Roochnik, who examines the role that foods play in the shaping of humanity – such as the sharing of a good meal with friends and family and being just a necessity. He discusses classical works of Greek literature and philosophy in which food and drink play an important role. With thoughts on Homer's The Odyssey, Euripides' Bacchae, Plato's philosopher kings and Dionysian intoxication, Roochnik shows how foregrounding food in philosophy can open up new ways of understanding these thinkers and their approaches to the purpose and meaning of life. A very useful contribution to food studies, and very thought provoking as well.
--WINE STYLE; discover the wines you will love through 50 simple recipes (Ten Speed Press, 2021, 176 pages, $28 hardbound) is by Kate Leahy with photography by Eric Scott. This is a quick, casual read covering the essential varieties that wine lovers need to know, and featuring more than 50 food preps for all manner of potential pairings. There are no rules here (especially none of the old-fashioned ones, like "seafood should always be paired with white"), but there are opportunities for exploring styles of wine such as dessert wines or orange wines – with food. Typical are baked lemony feta with a crisp white wine, or caramelized cabbage and onion galette with a serious red, or smoked salmon spaghetti with sparkling wine, et al.
--EPISTENOLOGY; wine as experience (Columbia University Press, 2020, 216 pages, $33 paperback ) is by Nicola Perullo who argues that wine comes to life not in the abstract space of the professional tasting but in the real world of shared experiences. Wines can change in these encounters, and drinkers along with them. Just as a winemaker is not simply a producer but a nurturer, a wine is fully known only through an encounter among a group of drinkers in a specific place and time. Wine is not an object to analyze but an experience to make, creatively opening up new perceptual possibilities for settings, cuisines, and companions. The result of more than twenty years of research and practical engagement, Epistenology presents a new paradigm for the enjoyment of wine and through it a philosophy based on participatory and relational knowledge. Interweaving philosophical arguments with personal reflections and literary examples, this book is a journey with wine that shows how it makes life more creative. A thoughtful read.
--WINE : a tasting course, from grape to glass (DK Books, 2013, 2021, 256 pages, $32 hardbound) is by Marnie Old. It was originally published in 2013; this is the updated and revised text. It'ss a fairly comprehensive and no-nonsense wine tasting course that covers every aspect of wine from grape to glass. Nuances are stressed through the tasting and appreciation process. Themed tasting exercises are located throughout the book, encouraging readers to learn at their own pace. All the while, there are copious notes on food and wine pairing, identifying the style spectrum, and distinguishing taste and smell. Old explores fun wine facts and explodes myths, giving you everything you need to talk, taste and enjoy your favorite vintage.
--SPARKLING WINE FOR MODERN TIMES: a drinker's guide to the freewheeling world of bubbles (Ten Speed Press, 2021, 192 pages, $26 hardbound) is by Zachary Sussman. This is a definitive guide to sparkling wine today, complete with profiles of leading producers, production methods, bottle recommendations, colourful infographics, and illustrated guides. Sussman considers sparkling wine traditions and offerings from around the world. This approachable book explores fascination with sparkling wine and places each regional expression within the range from the radical grower revolution reshaping the highly conservative area of Champagne to Prosecco's overnight transformation into a multi-million-dollar brand to the retro appeal of natural wine's cult-hit "pétillant naturel" to the next generation of "real wines" from Lambrusco, and beyond. The book covers the essential information for each growing region and highlights up-and-coming areas such as Jura in France, the traditional-method Sicilian sparklers and Californian "orange" pét-nat.
--CHEESE, WINE, AND BREAD: discovering the magic of fermentation in England, Italy, and France (William Morrow, 2021, 373 pages, $37 hardbound) is by Katie Quinn who spent time in England at Neal's Yard Dairy, in France with bread at Poilane's in Paris, and in Northeast Italy with winemaker Commellis. These simple staples of a great meal (bread, cheese, and wine) develop their complex flavors through a process known as fermentation. Katie Quinn spent months as an apprentice with some of Europe's experts to study the art and science of fermentation. Visiting grain fields, vineyards, and dairies, she brings the stories and science of these foods to the table, explains the process of each craft, and introduces the people behind them. A really good read, full of insights into the fermentation processes.
--JUST A SPRITZ: 57 simple sparkling sips with low to no alcohol (Artisan, 2022, 176 pages, $25 hardbound) is by Danielle Centoni, with Eric Medsker as photographer. The Italian export, the Aperol spritz, with its classic (and simple) makeup of fizzy prosecco, sparkling water, and a splash of the bittersweet, citrus-flavored liqueur, is just the beginning. In Just a Spritz, Danielle Centoni shares a world of spritz variations. Add in sweet liqueurs and bitter amari, fresh juices, flavored kombuchas, and drinking vinegars to update the sparkling spritz. A spritz is quick to assemble and does not require a stocked pantry. Here there are more than 50 recipes (and numerous variations) organized by flavor profile and theme, including the Raspberry Beret, the Margarita Spritz, and the Cucumberbatch, as well as nonalcoholic spritz drinks. For a spritz newbie, a classic Negroni Sbagliato may be just the thing. Or the fruity-floral, scarlet-purple, picture-perfect Lady Lavender. Whatever the craving, from a sweet peach spritz to a slightly bitter and citric Cappelletti Shandy, there's a recipe to satisfy every thirst, along with colourful photos. Remember, these are all LO-AL or NO-AL concoctions.
===================================
Dean Tudor, Prof Emeritus T'karonto Metropolitan University (formerly Ryerson) School of Journalism
Treasurer of Wine Writers' Circle of Canada http://www.deantudor.comhttp://gothicepicures.blogspot.com
https://twitter.com/gothicepicures
