A great complimentary text to any guided-tour visit to the Napa Valley or other wineries
Trade Review
"The complexity and subtlety of the distinctions made by master tasters is quite astonishing, and is all the more interesting when comparing notes with others." (Network Review, 1 June 2011) "It turns out that not only have reputable psychologists at well-respected institutions done experimental studies on this effect, but it also serves as a kind of foul point for various philosophical questions. The works set out to address the intersection between philosophy and areas of everyday general concern: food, wine, and beer. In addition to straightforward philosophical discussions, the volumes include historical discussions, legal questions, some personal reflections.” (Gastronomica, Fall 2008)
"It has some of the best, thoughtful essays about wine and health, winemaking, wine appreciation, wine jargon and wine writers...a very smart book about wine." (InsideBayArea.com)
“A truly well rounded view…and a critical reflection on what and how we eat can contribute to a robust enjoyment of gastronomic pleasures.” (Gourmet Retailer)
“A rare treat. These grape-stained craftsmen dive into their subjects with Socratic gusto. Nuggets of wit … throughout.” (Wine Enthusiast)
Table of Contents
List of Figures viii
Foreword by Paul Draper ix
Acknowledgments xi
Planting the Vines: An Introduction 1
Fritz Allhoff
I The Art & Culture of Wine 13
1 Wine in Ancient Greece: Some Platonist Ponderings 15
Harold Tarrant
2 On and Off the Wagon: Wine and the American Character 30
Jonathon Alsop
3 Muse in a Stem Glass: Art, Wine, and Philosophy 44
Kirsten Ditterich-Shilakes
4 In Vino Sanitas 63
Frederick Adolf Paola
II Tasting & Talking about Wine 79
5 Mmmm . . . not Aha! Imaginative vs. Analytical Experiences of Wines 81
John Dilworth
6 Talk about Wine? 95
Kent Bach
7 Winespeak or Critical Communication? Why People Talk about Wine 111
Keith Lehrer and Adrienne Lehrer
III Wine & Its Critics 123
8 What the Wine Critic Tells Us 125
John W. Bender
9 Experiencing Wine: Why Critics Mess Up (Some of the Time) 137
Jamie Goode
IV The Beauty of Wine 155
10 You’ll Never Drink Alone: Wine Tasting and Aesthetic Practice 157
Douglas Burnham and Ole Martin Skilleås
11 Who Cares If You Like It, This Is a Good Wine Regardless 172
George Gale
12 Listening to the Wine Consumer: The Art of Drinking 186
Steve Charters
V Wine & Metaphysics 203
13 Is There Coffee or Blackberry in My Wine? 205
Kevin W. Sweeney
14 The Soul of Wine: Digging for Meaning 219
Randall Grahm
15 The Notion of Terroir 225
Matt Kramer
VI The Politics & Economics of Wine 235
16 Wine-Tasting Epiphany: An Analysis of the 1976 California vs. France Tasting 237
Orley Ashenfelter, Richard E. Quandt, and George M. Taber
17 The Old World and the New: Worlds Apart? 248
Warren Winiarski
18 Taste How Expensive This Is: A Problem of Wine and Rationality 257
Justin Weinberg
19 Shipping across State Lines: Wine and the Law 275
Drew Massey
Notes on Contributors 288
Index 295
