About the Book
This pocket guide to Jamie Goode’s philosophy divulges what you need to know (and what you don’t) about the world of wine.
Who will have the last word on wine, if not Jamie Goode? Over the last decade, Goode has embarked on almost nonstop travel through the world’s vineyards in an effort to understand the beautifully diverse and complicated world of wine. His hard-nosed pursuit of the most interesting stories to tell about wine has led us here, to The Goode Guide to Wine.
This book—a sort of manifesto—distills many of the observations, lessons, and opinions that have made Jamie Goode a renowned voice within the wine world. In a series of short, pithy, and often rather blunt chapters, he celebrates what is exciting and interesting about wine, asks how we could do things better, and points out some of the absurdities of wine culture. Jamie Goode has a distinct philosophy when it comes to wine, and he knows you may disagree; if you do, that means it’s working. The Goode Guide to Wine is a book designed to provoke and inspire in equal measure, encouraging the reader to be critical and to see the world of wine through fresh eyes.
Table of Contents:
preface
1. the heart of authenticity
2. the skill of winegrowing
3. soils matter
4. the art of interpretation
5. some wines are just wine
6. the wine is a whole
7. wine resists the proud
8. the taste is not in the wine
9. buildings, people, fabrics
10. framing: how words can get in the way
11. mouthfeel matters
12. just because I’m learning doesn’t mean I’m stupid
13 wine as an aesthetic system
14. beauty is not the absence of flaws
15. we drink wine for many reasons: flavor is just one of them
16. a virtuous intoxicant
17. there is always another wine
18. tasting transforms us
19. we are not programmed to like certain wines
20. scores can be useful, but mostly they are stupid
21. wine, be yourself
22. the sadness of spoofulation
23. too many commercial palates
24. monsters aren’t serious
25. the evil of overripeness
26. express the vintage
27. stay critical, but remember: there is room for everyone
28. a mystical transformation
29. don’t expect others to pick up your tab
30. true to origins
31. no new clothes
32. bright side story
33. no one drinks wine blind
34. you don’t drink the same wine at home
35. beer is better than wine
36. escape the small oak rut
37. segment or be damned
38. balance is not always in the middle
39. we are on a journey; this is mine
40. don’t expect the fish to come to you
41. lead with your best
42. beware the wine consumer champions
43. winemaking is not chemistry. it is biology
44. stop trying so hard and just be yourself
45. don’t be an all-rounder; be a specialist
46. beware the time lag
47. first impressions matter
48. play the long game
49. for most wines, glass bottles make no sense
50. fewer follies
51. celebrity wines, no thanks
52. all can play
53. how to succeed at wine writing by writing boring articles
54. the importance of stories
55. why it matters
acknowledgments
index
About the Author :
Jamie Goode is a wine writer and lecturer. He has a national newspaper column, writes for many publications, and authors wineanorak.com, one of the top wine websites. His previous books include The Science of Wine, Flawless, and I Taste Red. He is based in London, UK.
Review :
"Original, sensory-fused titles. . . frame the book’s short and easy-reading chapters. Goode is open and assertive with his opinions, including of the need for a holistic approach to wine, but his tone is humorous, even facetious at times. . . . An entertaining and deep industry text."
“Oenophiles and vintners alike will find provocations, lessons, and pleasures in these smartly opinionated pages.”
“Good reading from an author who writes, ‘Personally, I’d rather drink beer than suffer these dull, dishonest, trick-about wines.’"
“A peek into the mind of this fascinating fellow as he travels the wine world, seeking out questions, weighing evidence, making up his mind. . . . It’s really good. Highly recommended."
"This new manifesto will reveal Goode's personal take on the wine industry, drawing on his travels and experiences throughout the wine world and promises to be as enjoyable to read as it is thought-provoking."
“Eminently readable. . . . Never less than engaging, entertaining and – yes – thought-provoking."
“Never has a wine book had a subtitle that so accurately describes its contents. . . . Somehow, despite a premise that could easily have devolved into arrogant mansplaining, and a penchant for utilizing sentences so short that it suggests a phobia against punctuation, this book manages to come off as friendly, informed, and useful.”
"He has travelled the world, dipping in and out of vineyards to better understand the diverse and complicated world of wine. . . . A very entertaining read."
"Fun polemical primer to wine appreciation."
“A delightful book that is like a jumble sale: rummage around and you’ll find some really awful, trite, clichéd stuff; you’ll find some well-used but useful bits and bobs that are a little bit mundane, certainly not original, but solidly made; and then there are the absolute gems. These are the kind of treasures you want to hug to your chest and not tell the seller how freaking thrilled you are in case they up the price. This is Jamie’s car boot – packed to the rooftop with all three categories. . . . Get the book. Rummage around. You’ll find something."
“A great book for the knowledgeable wine lover who has almost everything.”
“A fabulous read, very unique in its form and structure, entertaining, thoughtful and quite easily one of the best wine books released this year. I also disagree with much of what is in it, yet I can’t seem to stop picking it up and re-reading it. . . . Goode is honest, complete, and responsible to himself and his readers. The beauty of this little book is that it motivates the reader to stop after each and every entry and think, consider their response to his positions and hone their own. In this respect, Goode’s manifesto is a gift."
