Synopsis
A behind-the-scenes look at the wine trade offers an unsparing portrait of an industry riddled with dubious practices and dishonest dealings and shows how rigged tastings lead to overpriced wines and more. 20,000 first printing.
Reviews
Barr is a British wine writer known for his spats with the ostensibly genteel wine trade; when the original Wine Snobbery was published in England in 1988, one wine critic sued him for libel11 . In this new version amended for the U.S., Barr opens by explaining precisely why American wine lovers are philistines. They vastly prefer white wine--vastly inferior to red--and a kind of bastard white wine at that, white zinfandel. But no wonder Americans don't know quality--their palates are destroyed by a love for "sweet, fizzy drinks,"33 which they always drink ice-cold. Wine drinkers aren't the only ones to feel Barr's wrath. He hates most experts (one chapter is entitled "Wine Tastings Are Bunk"). He claims that many wine reviewers are corrupt, and lists several offenders by name. He writes that wine in restaurants is usually served by staff who are ignorant and stupid43 , and is "absurdly expensive." The casual reader's eyes may glaze over when Barr turns from entertaining harangues to detailed arguments about the technicalities of wine-making (vat elimination, anti-rot sprays). And those looking for a guide to wine appreciation will have to dig hard for concrete, serviceable bits of information.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Wine drinkers of America, get ready for a roasting. According to this American edition of British wine-writer Barr's expos‚-cum-put-down, the great American wine boom of the 70's and early 80's was fueled by white wines that we drank too cold and too sweet, and specifically by pop wines, coolers, and that fad of the bourgeoisie, white zinfandel. The imported wine we honor has been mishandled in transit. At restaurants, we pay absurd prices for ignorantly mistreated bottles. We are foolishly impressed by champagne, which has little taste, especially as made today; and the glasses we drink it from are all wrong. The Univ. of California at Davis has fostered an industrial rather than agricultural approach to wine; the result is a technically perfect product that is wholly without taste. Blind tastings are misleading, partly because wine is meant to be drunk with food, not with other wines; and California wines tend to beat those from Bordeaux and Burgundy in blind tastings partly because they mature sooner. On the other hand, we're unduly impressed by French wines, which aren't necessarily better. Worse, we are currently experiencing a national temperance movement, manifest in ``ridiculous'' health warnings. But if we are foolish, riper cultures have much to answer for. French and Italian regions sell more wine than they produce; claim fake vintage dates; indulge in misleading appellations; overcrop; and employ a jumble of additives--some toxic, some misleading, some illegal, and some of compromising quality. Snob or antisnob, read on and you, too, dear hypocrite lecteur, may squirm yet. -- Copyright ©1992, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.
Exploring the history and current status of wine production, marketing, and drinking, Barr concentrates primarily on the United States, Britain, and France. A British wine writer, he seems particularly to enjoy comparison of British and American tastes, trade publications, and wine management in restaurants. His tone occasionally smacks of high-handed muckraking. However, his extensive research and critical approach provide unusual insight and considerable detail not found elsewhere. Even those who differ with Barr's conclusions should agree that he offers a unique, often uncomplimentary perspective on the world of wine as it has developed and pretty much as it is today. His book will interest and sometimes aggravate serious wine enthusiasts and professionals.
- Carolyn Alexander, Technical Information Ctr., Ft. Hunter Liggett, Cal.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.
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