The Wine Savant: A Guide to the New Wine Culture Read online

  Vilmart Champagne, 118

  Vincent Dauvissat, Domaine (Chablis), 125

  Vincent Dauvissat Chablis Les Preuses, Domaine (Burgundy), 138

  vinegar, 76, 77

  Vines, Grapes, and Wines (Robinson), 112–13

  Vineyard Brands, 53

  vineyards, 23, 75, 111

  age of, 103

  appellation system for, 103–6

  California, 108–9

  cool-climate sites for, 100–102

  disease in, 169

  environmental sustainability of, 68

  expenses of, 143, 146, 147

  farming practices in, 66, 68–75, 76–77, 78, 102, 113–14, 143

  monopole, 121

  as most important influence on wine, 49, 50, 64, 67, 75, 78

  planting of, 100, 103, 107, 136, 156

  rain and rot in, 49

  ranking of à la 1855 Burgundy cru system, 103–5

  rootstocks of, 66

  site selection for, 99, 100–102, 104

  viticulture, 32

  biodynamic, 68–75, 102, 138

  California history of, 104

  French, 49, 103–8

  organic, 70–71, 74

  Volnay, 112, 126

  Waldorf education movement, 70

  Wall Street Week, 54

  Washington, George, 169

  Waugh, Auberon, 29

  Waugh, Evelyn, 29

  Welles, Orson, 121

  Weygandt-Metzler, 53

  What Price Bordeaux? (Lewin), 114

  white wines, 34, 38, 126–39, 158–59

  acidity of, 56

  aging of, 56

  California, 94–95

  dry, 92

  French, 72, 83, 92, 94–96, 104, 111, 126–27, 136–38

  Spanish, 152, 158

  stemware for, 35

  Wiest, Rudi, 52, 134

  Wind Gap Wines, 108, 131

  Windows on the World, 83

  Wine Advocate, The, 28, 134

  Wine and Food Guide to the Loire, A (Friedrich), 137

  wineberserkers.com, 48

  wine cabinets, 34

  wine cellars, 57, 58, 64, 75, 83

  collecting wines for, 8, 10, 26, 32, 34, 56, 83

  filthy, 79

  temperature and humidity in, 34, 44

  wine classes, 26, 84, 94, 167

  wine critics, 7, 14–16, 28, 127–28, 142

  agreement vs. disagreement among, 38, 47

  catering to, 66, 96, 99, 147

  consistency and reliability of, 45–46

  influence of, 43, 66–67, 96

  professional vs. amateur, 9, 29, 31, 42, 45–47

  ratings of, 42–43, 45–48, 99

  wine discussion boards, 48

  Wine for Dummies (McCarthy and Ewing-Mulligan), 14, 27

  Wine from Sky to Earth (Joly), 72–73

  wineglasses:

  Bordeaux, 35

  breaking of, 35

  Burgundy, 35

  Champagne, 35

  cost of, 35

  evolution of wine in, 27, 30, 127

  grape-specific, 34, 35

  ordering wine in, 86, 88

  pouring and overpouring in, 88–89

  refilling of, 88–89

  Riedel family, 35

  shape of, 7, 35

  Spiegelau, 35

  wine guides, 5–6, 7–8, 14–15, 26–27

  wine investment funds, 53

  wine lists, 25, 36, 82, 83

  high-priced, 87–88, 89–90

  online, 87

  price checking of, 87

  winemaking, 62

  artisanal, 32

  bizarre practices in, 68–69

  competition in, 8–9, 154

  fermentation process in, 60, 63, 65, 77–78

  improved practices in, 8–9, 68

  industrialized, 154

  manipulation of flavor, texture, and color in, 68, 75–78, 79

  quality of, 48–49, 60

  sealants used in, 57–58

  sterile filtration in, 132–33

  traditional vs. modernist, 63

  see also vineyards; wineries

  wine mavens, 7

  accessories for, 34–36

  education of, 21–41

  evolution of, 31–34

  must-have books for, 26–27

  three rules for, 21

  Winemonger, 51

  wine regions, 32, 51

  obscure, 8

  see also specific countries and states

  wineries, 3, 66

  artisanal, 32

  boutique, 99, 146

  California, 103–4, 108–9

  customer service of, 59

  direct sales and shipping from, 44

  family-run, 114, 116, 124

  proliferation of, 43, 99

  ranking of à la 1855 Bordeaux classifications, 103, 104

  returning wine to, 59

  visiting of, 168

  wines, 3–11

  acidity and astringency in, 23, 29, 34, 40, 56, 67, 77, 91, 133

  additives in, 61, 75–79, 102, 168–69

  advice on, 4, 5–6, 7–8, 11, 14–15, 37, 42–43

  aging of, 17, 56–58, 62–65, 79, 100, 129–30

  alcohol levels in, 19, 33–34, 61, 62, 65–68, 91, 96, 100, 101, 102, 133

  as “alternate asset class,” 53

  aromatic complexity of, 22, 24, 28–30, 35, 56, 63, 73

  attempted dumbing down of, 17–18

  authenticity of, 60, 73, 119

  balance of elements in, 23, 30, 133

  best time for drinking of, 30

  big, dramatic, 62, 66–67, 91

  biodynamic, 7, 68–75, 76–77, 102

  blue chip, 53

  boutique, 99, 146

  by-the-glass, 86, 88

  chemistry of, 29, 38–41, 56, 76–77

  as cocktail beverages, 17, 68, 131

  collecting of, 8, 10, 17, 26, 50, 53–57, 74, 113, 119–20, 170

  concentration of flavor in, 22–23

  connection of human experience and history to, 9–10

  consistency in, 45

  “corked,” 38, 56–57, 58–59

  cost per bottle of, 4, 21–22, 26, 34, 36, 44, 45, 48, 54, 87, 89, 99, 137, 140–50

  counterfeit, 10, 44, 54–55

  damage of, 38–40, 76

  debate and argument about, 60–65, 96

  depth of color in, 22–23, 30, 38–39, 68, 76, 102, 119

  dirty, 79

  discount, 50

  drinking a wide range of, 21, 26

  education in, 5–6, 7, 9, 11, 15–17, 21–41

  enzymes in, 61

  fashions in, 8, 33, 99

  feelings of anxiety and inadequacy about, 14–16, 18–19

  under 15 dollars, 142–43

  in 15–25 dollar range, 142

  fortification of, 168–69

  frequent drinking of, 21

  gateway, 31, 59

  importing of, 49–53, 78, 84

  maximizing pleasure of, 7, 9, 15, 19–20

  metaphors for taste and aroma in, 6, 15–17, 22, 24, 28–30, 63

  most desirable qualities of, 22–24

  natural, 7, 75–80

  négociant, 116–17, 122

  objective qualities of, 37–39

  obscure, 36

  off-dry, 92, 134, 135

  Old vs. New World, 32–34, 100, 103, 107–9, 145

  ordering of, 36, 81–89, 91–93

  organic, 7, 77

  oxidation of, 38–39, 57, 58, 63, 78, 119

  pairing food with, 4, 7, 67–68, 81–93, 131

  personal discovery of, 32

  physiological and psychological effects of, 9, 18–20

  political allegiances linked to, 12

  possible health benefits of, 18–20

  pouring and overpouring of, 88–89

  quality in, 60, 79, 94–98

  quality-price ratio (QPR) of, 140–50

  quiet, subtle, 62
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br />   rating and judging of, 38, 42–43, 45–47, 66

  recommendation of, 37, 42–43, 59, 87

  relationships and, 25–26

  romance of, 32, 53, 58, 110

  sense of place and vineyard (terroir) reflected in, 18, 23, 50, 60, 67, 68, 96, 98–100, 102, 107, 132

  shipping of, 44

  showcasing of, 90

  single-vineyard and single-grape, 118

  speculation and investment in, 53–54, 114

  “spirit” of, 54

  spoiled, undrinkable, 38, 56–59, 78, 79, 119

  spoofulated, 7, 60, 61

  storage of, 8, 10, 26, 32, 34, 44, 163

  subtlety and complexity of, 32

  sweet, fruity, 5, 91, 132–34, 135

  texture or “mouth feel” of, 23, 24, 28, 31, 34, 68, 76

  thinking analytically about, 27

  for 25 dollars and under, 148–50

  undervalued, 55–56

  value, 7, 21–22, 122–23, 140–50

  vintages of, 7, 25, 36, 44–49, 54

  writing about, 9, 11, 13–16, 17–19, 24, 26–29, 33, 36, 38, 84, 127–28

  wine sales:

  in big-box stores, 43

  competition in, 43, 50

  direct-to-consumer, 44

  distribution system and, 44

  in drugstores, 43

  online, 44

  regulation of, 43–44

  in restaurants, 36, 59, 81–89, 91–93

  shrewd buying and, 7, 21–22, 42–59

  in supermarkets, 43

  supply and demand in, 54, 66, 68, 169

  wholesale, 43, 44

  see also restaurants; wine shops

  Wine-Searcher.com, 45

  wine shops, 7, 94

  available selections in, 4–5, 42–43, 65, 152, 153

  browsing in, 44

  comparing prices among, 45

  competition among, 43

  e-mail offers from, 45

  point of view in, 43

  proliferation of, 43

  receipts from, 59

  recommendations from, 42–43, 87

  returning wines to, 38, 56–57, 58–59

  salesmanship in, 42–43, 46, 50

  shipping and delivery from, 44

  temperature in, 44

  wine tasting in, 42

  wine snobs, 7, 13–15

  as easy marks, 10

  excesses and affectations of, 3, 4, 13, 15, 16

  Wine Snob’s Dictionary, The (Kamp and Lynch), 14

  Wine Spectator, 9, 15–16, 36, 42–43, 45, 47, 48, 99

  wine tasters, 38–41

  genetic dimensions of, 40–41

  good, 38

  “nontasters” vs., 39

  “supertaster,” 7, 39–41

  wine tastings, 7, 17, 26–31, 37, 48, 84, 167–68

  for appellation designation, 106

  blind, 34, 45, 46, 94–95, 123, 142

  of Champagne, 35

  organizing of, 168

  pitting French against California wines in, 14, 94–95, 96, 97, 100, 108

  in wine shops, 42

  Woodside, Calif., 101

  World of Fine Wine, 73–74

  World War II, 133

  Yale University, 96

  School of Medicine, 29

  yeasts, 77–78, 102

  Yquem, Château d’, 144

  1996, 28

  Zellerbach, James, 129–30

  Zind-Humbrecht, 69

  Zinfandel, 91

  California, 96, 108, 109, 145, 146

  Geyserville, 96

  Sonoma County Three Valleys, 145

  Zinfandel grape, 65

  Zraly, Kevin, 83

  Praise for

  THE WINE SAVANT

  “Entertaining and edifying. . . . [Steinberger] deftly shows how any and all of us can be savvier about wine.”

  —Bill Ward, Minneapolis Star Tribune

  “[Steinberger] covers the touchstones of all things wine, doling out brief historical illustrations and personal opinions as carefully as someone might pour a Barolo—that is to say, without waste.”

  —Marc Bona, Cleveland Plain Dealer

  “For the last decade, I have considered Michael one of the best wine writers in the world. You are about to find out why.”

  —Gary Vaynerchuk, owner and host of Wine Library TV

  “One of the greatest wine writers on the planet.”

  —Tyler Colman, DrVino.com and author of Wine Politics

  “The author’s opinions, wit, and honesty enliven the writing.”

  —Peter Hepburn, Library Journal

  ALSO BY MICHAEL STEINBERGER

  Au Revoir to All That:

  Food, Wine, and the End of France

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  MICHAEL STEINBERGER is the wine columnist for Men’s Journal. Previously he was the wine writer for Slate magazine. A James Beard Journalism Award winner, he has written for The New Yorker, Vanity Fair, and the New York Times Magazine, as well as numerous other publications. His first book,Au Revoir to All That, was about the rise, fall, and future of French cuisine. His website is winediarist.com.

  Copyright © 2013 by Michael Steinberger

  All rights reserved

  First published as a Norton paperback 2015

  For information about permission to reproduce selections from this book, write to Permissions, W. W. Norton & Company, Inc., 500 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10110

  For information about special discounts for bulk purchases, please contact W. W. Norton Special Sales at [email protected] or 800-233-4830

  Book design by Cassandra Pappas

  Production manager: Devon Zahn

  The Library of Congress has cataloged the printed edition as follows:

  Steinberger, Michael.

  The wine savant : a guide to the new wine culture / Michael Steinberger.—First edition.

  pages cm

  Includes index.

  ISBN 978-0-393-08271-5 (hardcover)

  1. Wine and wine making. I. Title.

  TP548.S72174 2013

  663'.2—dc23

  2013031572

  ISBN 978-0-393-24156-3 (e-book)

  ISBN 978-0-393-34977-1 pbk.

  W. W. Norton & Company, Inc.

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