Libation, A Bitter Alchemy [Hardcover]

Deirdre Heekin (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 2, 2009

For many years, Deirdre Heekin has been creating an unusual, revitalist wine archive of rare and traditional Italian varietals at Osteria Pane e Salute, the nationally celebrated restaurant and wine bar she shares with her chef husband, Caleb Barber. Self-taught in the world of Italian wines, she is known for her fine-tuned work with scent and taste and her ability to pair wines and food in unexpected yet terroir-driven ways.

In Libation, a Bitter Alchemy,, a series of linked personal essays, Heekin explores the curious development of her nose and palate, her intuitive education and relationship with wine and spirits, and her arduous attempts to make liqueurs and wine from the fruits of her own land in northern New England. The essays follow her as she unearths ruby-toned wines given up by the ghosts of long-gone wine makers from the red soil of Italy, her adoptive land; as she embarks on a complicated pilgrimage to the home of one of the world's oldest cocktails, Sazerac, in Katrina-soaked New Orleans; as she attempts a midsummer crafting of a brandy made from inherited roses, the results of an old Sicilian recipe she found in a dusty bookstore in Naples.

Musing on spirits from Campari to alkermes, Heekin's writing is as intoxicating, rich, and carefully crafted as the wines, liquors, and locales she loves.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"There will be obvious comparisons between Deirdre Heekin's thoughtful observations, musings, and distillations of Italian culture and those of other writers of expatriate life under the Tuscan sun, clouds and beyond, but Heekin incorporates an entirely other essence largely overlooked in that genre: the alchemy that fuels all of those glorious meals and recipes she recounts, not only in Italy, but Vermont, Paris, New Orleans, and Belfast. From jug wines to Brunello, rosolio to Campari, Sazeracs to Murphy's Irish Whisky (neat, please!), Heekin rightly discovers along the way that the true recipe for great alchemy demands the magic of memory, and all the wonderment and discovery that come with it."--Anthony Giglio, author of FOOD & WINE's Wine Guide 2009 and 2010, Cocktails in New York, and several Mr. Boston Official Bartender's Guides

"Deirdre Heekin sets a bountiful table for her readers. Libation is like the best of meals, in this case one with plates full of delicious memories and ruminations on passion and curiosity. And, finally and most importantly, there is a most satisfying dollop of love, a fine dessert which leaves us with an almost unimaginably sweet regard for life."--Neal I. Rosenthal, author of Reflections of a Wine Merchant



"The combination of travel, the alchemy of liqueurs, and her sheer joie de vivre make Heekin's book as delicious, intriguing, and warming as any of the recipes she pursues."--Joseph Olshan, author of The Conversion

"The alchemy of Deirdre Heekin's beautifully evocative memoir, her libation in tribute to the art of making wine, spirits, and other 'waters of life,' is not only the alchemy of grapes as they ferment, or that of an American couple falling in love with French and Italian cordials and spirits, or that of the pungent taste of liqueurs, whiskeys, and eaux de vie remembered on snowy Vermont evenings with such intensity that fervent, joyful, sun-filled memories of love, friendship, pleasure, and bliss come alive. It is also the alchemy of a prose transformed into a spirited and intoxicating poetry."--Richard Stamelman, author of Perfume: Joy, Obsession, Scandal, Sin; A Cultural History of Fragrance

About the Author

Deirdre Heekin and Caleb Barber are the proprietors and, respectively, wine director and head chef of Osteria Pane e Salute, a boutique restaurant and wine bar in Woodstock, Vermont, recently acclaimed in Bon Appétit, The Boston Globe, Travel and Leisure, and Attaché. Heekin and Barber grow most of their own produce in addition to working with local farm partners. In preparation for his role as head chef of Osteria Pane e Salute, Barber apprenticed with an artisanal baker and in a small trattoria in Tuscany.

Heekin and Barber live in Barnard, Vermont, where Heekin produces artisanal after-dinner brandies and micro-vintage garage wine for the osteria.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: Chelsea Green Publishing; 1 edition (June 2, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1603580867
• ISBN-13: 978-1603580861
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.1 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (27 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #957,184 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars For Foodies...travel in search of the perfect taste, July 16, 2009

By 

T. Fraser (Texas Hill Country, USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Libation, A Bitter Alchemy (Hardcover)

(What's this?)

Sometimes a book is not only good, but its timing is perfect; it may come along when you've been reading other books with which the new tome perfectly integrates and serves as a necessary complement. Such is the case for me with "Libation". I've been on a "foodie" kick in my reading, having read all three of Michael Ruhlman's books chronicling his stint at the Culinary Institute of America for culinary arts training and his subsequent exploration of the rise of celebrity chefs, plus Martha Rose Shulman's book "Culinary Boot Camp: Five Days of Basic Training at The Culinary Institute of America". All are excellent and give a thorough view of the demanding nature of the business and the technical expertise that is instilled and demanded of professional chefs.

"Libation" is the perfect accompaniment to these books.

While the previously mentioned titles are all about the mechanics of superb food preparation and expert techniques, "Libation" is a celebration of the sensuous aspects of food and beverage. While the other books keep us in the heat of the kitchen, "Libation" takes us to the sun-warmed heat of Italy in search of elusive tastes and scents. The frenetic pace of the kitchen characterizes the other titles, whereas "Libation" is a pastoral interlude, best read in a lazy hammock on a slow summer day.

The tidbits of history and fact interspersed in Heekin's account of her searches and travels for obscure and forgotten libations add to the enjoyment. I found myself spending hours online looking up additional information in response to chapters I'd read.

Recipes are interspersed throughout the book, always in keeping with the topic of the chapter in which they are found; most are for, as one would guess, libations of various forms, but there is one recipe for an alkerne-soaked egg white cake with medieval origins.

If you can't wrangle a trip to Italy this summer or a meal at a gourmet restaurant, reading "Libation" is a satisfying substitute; it would also be a wonderful gift for the aspiring chef or gourmand.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A passionate (and technical) memoir of wine, food, and travel, July 7, 2009

By 

Gwendolyn Dawson "Literary License" (Houston, Texas United States) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Libation, A Bitter Alchemy (Hardcover)

(What's this?)

In this collection of linked essays, Deirdre Heekin describes her growing appreciation for wine and the land from which it comes. Her musings range from her travels to the small winemaking villages in Italy to her life at home in Vermont where she and her husband own and manage an Italian restaurant that uses locally grown ingredients. In her own words, Heekin describes Libation as a book "about soil, vines, fruit, history, scent, taste, chemistry, and memory."

The breadth of the topics covered--from high-end perfumery in Paris to a casual family meal in Tuscany--ensures something to interest just about any reader. The lack of a central focus, however, renders Libation a bit disjointed. Heekin is knowledgeable and passionate about the subjects she discusses. Her writing is mostly charming but occasionally overloaded with technical detail. Winemakers and restaurateurs will appreciate the rigorous treatment, but armchair tourists will be left wanting more whimsy and less technique.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars As smooth and complex as a good glass of wine or liqueur, June 18, 2009

By 

Chicago Book Addict (Chicago, IL) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Libation, A Bitter Alchemy (Hardcover)

(What's this?)

In Libation, A Bitter Alchemy Deirdre Heekin explores her experiences with wine and spirits through a series of loosely intertwined essays. Half the essays read like a travelogue recounting her experiences in Paris, Italy, the United States and beyond drinking, smelling, and experiencing wine and spirits. These journeys take us inside cloisters in Italy where nuns make wine to New Orleans where she goes in search of a good Sazerac. Her vivid descriptions of these experiences are interwoven with historical background about how these drinks came to be. The other half of the book are her journal entries from her wine making experiences. These are especially facinating becaues she takes you through her process, which given that she does not come from a winemaking family is interesting.

What made this book so likeable for me is that it is very poeticly written. The plots in her individual essays may be simple, but the way she describes the events make them worth reading. She has colorful ways of describing things that feel new and inventive rather than trite. I particularly love the scene when she is in the perfume shop in Paris because it is so easy for me to imagine, as if I'm able to take a sensory vacation just by reading. I could see where someone who is more plot driven and appreciates a matter of fact writing style might find her verbose. However I love descriptive writing so I found it perfect for me and no more verbose than other food writing. The only other nit I could see is that in reading from essay to essay there are some parts that can seem repetative but this doesn't happen often.

The bottom line is that if your are an oenophile or foodie you will enjoy this book. There is so much descriptive food and beverage writing.