Dr Vino's wine blog

It’s been a little while since I did one of these roundups–and not sure they are of real interest to anyone but my mom (hi mom!)–but here’s another roundup of my book, Wine Politics: How Governments, Environmentalists, Mobsters and Critics Influence the Wines We Drink, in the news!

Wine & Spirits magazine gave the book 100 points! Or, no, wait, that was the Chateau Latour 2005. But they still had kind words about the book in a review in the October issue calling it “engaging and entertaining!”

The omnivorous Mike Sula asked me several questions and I saw his questions with answers! [Chicago Reader]

Colin Marshall had me on his radio show, Marketplace of Ideas, for a 53 minute discussion about the book. Check out our discussion via iTunes or in his show archive. Actually, poke around the archive for other cool interviews with the likes of my almost doppelganger, economist Tyler Cowen, as well as Steve Wozniak, a founder of Apple Computer, Slate economic columnist Tim Harford, NPR’s Peter Sagal and more.

University of California Press also recorded a (shorter!) podcast. You can also hear from John Winthrop Haeger, author of North American Pinot Noir in another recording on their author podcast page.

The good folks at the New Hampshire Public Radio show, Word of Mouth, were kind enough to have me on. We talked a lot about box wines but also got into the book a bit too. Always fun to talk to an audience in a control state! [NHPR]

Thad at Beyond the Bottle, a wine blog that focuses on the Pacific Northwest, had very kind words!

And Porthos, an Italian wine site had words to say, unfortunately all in Italian!

And if you’ve been waiting for a chance to read and review the book, why not tune in to Wine Book Club?! Every two months they choose a new book for everyone to review and Wine Politics is next up. Read it now and join other bloggers posting reviews on October 28. I’m looking forward to it. Let me know if you have a blog and review the book and I will gladly post a link on this site to your review. But no blog is required to pick up a copy!

As the summer winds down, a few more events start up for my book, Wine Politics: How Governments, Environmentalists, Mobsters and Critics Influence the Wines We Drink. I hope to see you at one of the events!

August 31: Palmer Vineyards, Aquebogue, on the North Fork of Long Island, 11:30 AM. A talk with host Larry Davidson in the last of this year’s “Writers on the Vine” series. $11 admission fee, which includes a glass of wine. No reservations necessary.

September 11: Signing at Crush Wine & Spirits, 57th St between 3rd and Lex. 5:30 – 7:30. French wines relating to themes in the book will be poured! Drop in any time!

September 18: Rebel wines from France. A talk and a tasting at the West Loop wine shop, Just Grapes, Chicago, 6 PM. Pre-reserve now

September 19: book signing at Sam’s Wine, Lincoln Park, 5-7 PM. Drop in any time and say hi!

September 20: University of Chicago, “France and America: Wine Politics and a Tasting Showdown.” I always look forward to these Saturday afternoon seminars and this one will be particularly fun since we will discuss the themes of the book, and then taste excellent wines from the two counties. All participants will get a signed copy! Note: this is at the Gleacher Center, 2:30 – 6:30 PM. Advance registration essential since these sell out!

And there’s always my NYU class, “Becoming a Wine Expert,” starting October 15 for six consecutive Wednesday evenings.
October 28: panel on wine and climate change, American Museum of Natural History. Details to follow closer to the date.

Here’s a quick roundup of some recent reviews and mentions of my new book, Wine Politics: How Governments, Environmentalists, Mobsters and Critics Influence the Wines We Drink. If you’ve already gotten the book, many thanks and let us know your thoughts!

John Mariani (who has a Ph.D. himself from Columbia) wrote a review on Bloomberg.com saying that the book “contain(s) so much history, data and anecdotes in a highly readable 144 pages.”

John and Dottie quoted from the book in their Friday column in the WSJ!

The Times Higher Education Supplement says that it “exposes a little-known but influential aspect of the wine business: the politics behind it.”

Blogger Jeremy Parzen, Ph.D. generously calls it “required reading“!

And Tom Wark, involved in the day-to-day workings of wine industry politics as the head of the Specialty Wine Retailers’ Association, wrote on his blog that “A book of this sort is so long overdue and I had been looking forward to it with such great anticipation that I nearly wet my pants when it finally arrived at my door.” Then he said some other stuff that is too nice to reproduce here so you’ll have to visit his blog, Fermentation, for the rest of his write up.

The signings in Oregon were fun–it was great to meet some blog readers for the first time. Thanks for the continued interest in Wine Politics and your support!

My new book, Wine Politics: How Governments, Environmentalists, Mobsters and Critics Influence the Wines We Drink, is quickly becoming the best selling wine book from a non-profit publisher (the University of California Press) to launch while everyone is away on vacation! Let’s sell out this limited production cuvee (in wine speak, only several hundred cases made in the original printing). Here’s a quick roundup of some recent reviews and mentions. If you’ve already gotten the book, many thanks and hope you enjoy it!

The Wall Street Journal ran an author Q&A yesterday with a ridiculously large photo!

Publisher’s Weekly called it “an enlightening volume on a complex topic.”

The Wine Economist, aka Professor Mike Veseth, had a nice review saying, among other things, “I think it’s a blend that will appeal to a lot of wine enthusiasts.”

Gastronomer’s Guide wrote that “after reading this book, a glass of wine will never be the same.”

It’s been a fun launch! Last night at Powell’s in Beaverton, Oregon we had a good discussion (pick up a signed copy of the book through their site). And I was invited on KPCC, the NPR affiliate in Pasadena last and even took calls (fortunately people DID call!). Thanks to those of you who have posted your own reviews and comment to Amazon! And if you’re new to the site, consider subscribing to the site feed.

We are in book launch month! The official publication date for Wine Politics: How Governments, Environmentalists, Mobsters, and Critics Influence the Wines We Drink is July 14 but there are a few events before that (and the book is in stock now with many retailers). Here’s a roundup:

July 9, noon-1 PM: Beard on Books: a talk, discussion and book signing at the James Beard House, NYC. Brown-bagging welcome; coffee and wine biscotti from Three Tarts bakery will be available. $20 donation to the JBF encouraged for non-students. If you’ve never gotten around to checking out the historic Beard house, now’s your chance! 167 W. 12th St. Details and reservations.

July 11: Book signing at Astor Wines (Lafayette @ 4th St), 6-8 PM. No talk here, just a signing; French wines also available for tasting.

July 22: Book signing at Powell’s Books, Cedar Hills Crossing (Beaverton, OR), 7PM. details and preorder a signed copy of the book

And one day (Saturday the 26th?) at IPNC, the International Pinot Noir Celebration.

I hope you can make one–or more! If you can’t, consider adding the book for your virtual shopping cart. Ponder this comparison: William Fevre, Chablis, 2006 a fine wine that goes for $19.95 a bottle. Or , available from Amazon for $18.15! The Chablis will bring you pleasure for one evening but the book will hold down your bookshelf forever! And unlike wine, available now for shipping to all 50 states!

In 1985 at Christie’s auction house in London, Kip Forbes–dispatched by his father Malcolm to bring home a bottle of 1787 Bordeaux on the Forbes private jet–finds surprising competition from a then-upstart publisher: Marvin Shanken of the fledgling Wine Spectator. A spectacular bidding war ensues over the bottle that may have belonged to Thomas Jefferson and one of them takes the bottle back to New York in an extra seat on the plane, strapped to a mattress (read the book to discover which one) after winning it for $156,000.

Such is a great scene near the beginning of the fantastic book Billionaire’s Vinegar: The Mystery of the World’s Most Expensive Bottle of Wine. Released last month, this page-turning book that reads like fiction has already reached the extended NYT bestseller’s list. It’s a wine book that has a lot of appeal beyond simply wine geeks since the book’s verve derives not from tasting notes but a mystery over whether the bottle that Shanken and Forbes bid on was real or fake. Read more…

Julia Flynn Siler wrote an excellent book, House of Mondavi: The Rise and Fall of an American Wine Dynasty, which came out last year. In it, she chronicled the compelling saga–complete with sex scandals, business success and failure, courtroom drama, and a brawl–of one of America’s leading wine families. The book is currently shortlisted for a 2008 James Beard award in the wine and spirits book category. (As is George Taber’s To Cork or Not to Cork, which we previously gave away.)

I have two paperback editions of the book to give away. To qualify, post a comment here about which American wine family or company you’d like Julia Flynn Siler to put under her journalistic microscope next. Post your comment by midnight Sunday and check back here or your email to see if your name was selected at random as one of the two winners.

UPDATE with winners: Read more…

Mrs. Vino is having a bountiful harvest so far this year–and it’s only March! Over the weekend, we got the best Easter present in the form of a baby boy, our second. So if my blogging is somewhat intermittent, consider it a parental leave.

But Mrs. Vino’s (re)productivity doesn’t stop with babies. The fifth book in her series of children’s books has just been published: Eco Babies Wear Green. Just in time for Earth Day!