Naked Wine: Letting Grapes Do What Comes Naturally and over one million other books are available for Amazon Kindle. Learn more



or
Sign in to turn on 1-Click ordering
More Buying Choices
Have one to sell? Sell yours here
Start reading Naked Wine: Letting Grapes Do What Comes Naturally on your Kindle in under a minute.

Don't have a Kindle? Get your Kindle here, or download a FREE Kindle Reading App.
Sorry, this item is not available in
Image not available for
Color:
Image not available

To view this video download Flash Player

 

Naked Wine: Letting Grapes Do What Comes Naturally [Hardcover]

Alice Feiring
4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)

List Price: $24.00
Price: $16.64 & FREE Shipping on orders over $25. Details
You Save: $7.36 (31%)
o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o
Only 4 left in stock (more on the way).
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com. Gift-wrap available.
Want it Wednesday, May 29? Choose One-Day Shipping at checkout. Details

Formats

Amazon Price New from Used from
Kindle Edition $14.40  
Hardcover $16.64  
Unknown Binding --  
The Amazon Wine Store
Shop wines from California, Washington, Oregon, New York and more; plus, find wines with a 90+ professional rating. Ship up to six bottles of your favorite wine for just $9.99. Learn more.

Book Description

August 30, 2011
Naked wine is wine stripped down to its basics—wine as it was meant to be: wholesome, exciting, provocative, living, sensual, and pure. Naked, or natural, wine is the opposite of most New World wines today; Alice Feiring calls them “overripe, over-manipulated, and overblown” and makes her case that good (and possibly great) wine can still be made, if only winemakers would listen more to nature and less to marketers, and stop using additives and chemicals. But letting wine make itself is harder than it seems.

Three years ago, Feiring answered a dare to try her hand at natural winemaking. In Naked Wine,she details her adventure—sometimes calm, sometimes wild, always revealing—and peers into the nooks and crannies of today’s exciting, new (but centuries-old) world of natural wine.


Frequently Bought Together

Naked Wine: Letting Grapes Do What Comes Naturally + Authentic Wine: Toward Natural and Sustainable Winemaking + Voodoo Vintners: Oregon's Astonishing Biodynamic Winegrowers
Price for all three: $53.63

Buy the selected items together


Editorial Reviews

Review

Gourmand Wine Books 2011 USA Winner (Drinks Education category)

Named one of the “Top Drink books of 2011” by StarChefs.com

Art of Eating (Twitter post), 6/30/11
“[Feiring] digs into the natural wine movement in a very smart way.”

Oregon Wine Press, August 2011
“Feiring’s book is both educational and entertaining. It also includes a staggering list of approved additives and processes for wine, a step-by-step guide to making it and a list of wines to look for that fall into the natural category.”
 
Decatur Wine & Food Dude (blog), 8/2/11
“[Feiring] has a deft hand as a storyteller and the book is an engaging read for anyone interested in wine, organic farming, agribusiness, labor standards, and even philosophy.”
 
New York Times, 8/8/11
“[Feiring is] passionate, determined, brave and thorny. It’s all out there in Naked Wine: Letting Grapes Do What Comes Naturally, her ardent cry from the heart for natural wines and the committed vignerons who produce them…If you are at all curious about natural wines, drink this book in. It will make you thirsty and point you in the right direction.”
 
Houston Press, 8/10/11
“[Feiring is] one of our favorite American wine writers.”
 
On the Wine Trail in Italy (blog), 8/7/11
“Alice is a good story-teller. She’s a siren, seducing you away from your masts of convention.”

Wineanorak.com, 8/16/11
“One of the most important wine books in recent years… A very personal book, written in Alice’s disclosing and witty style, telling the story of her search for the roots of the modern natural wine movement. She captures some of the life, edginess and imprecision of natural wine through her encounters with many of the key figures in the scene.”

Bloomberg News, 8/22/11
“The best guide to the [natural wine] movement is Naked Wine by Alice Feiring…Feiring is funny, feisty, self-absorbed and a passionate advocate.” 

LocalWineEvents.com
“[A] colorful narrative…Definitely recommended for readers who enjoy learning more about winemakers, the art of making wine, and the intricacies of the natural wine movement.”
 
DirtySouthWine.com, 8/17/11
“If Alice's first book is a battle, this one is more of a multi-threaded journey.  A journey in winemaking, a search for the origins of natural wine, and also an optimistic search for hope in CA wine…Well worth the read.”
 
1WineDude.com, 8/22/11
“It will almost certainly make you think differently about how wine is made, and that alone makes it worth the price of admission.”
 
AllVoices.com, 8/24/11
“Readers will enjoy [Feiring’s] casual prose highlighted with humor, as they learn about the wonders of wine, and why it should be natural (chemical/additive-free). Once immersed in Naked Wine, they may question their own wine choices.”

WinesWorld’s, 8/25/11
“An invaluable book for anyone who enjoys wine and wants to know how it is created…What makes this book unique is the style, the enthusiasm and love of the ‘nectar of the gods.’ Highly recommended!”

Palate Press, 8/30/11
“Alice Feiring set out on an adventure, a journey of discovery to find out what natural wine is—or maybe, more accurately, what it can be. She should be commended for doing so with an open mind, and sharing the results of her quest in such an open, personal manner.”
 
John Koenig’s “Stuff I Like” blog, 8/28/11
“I love [Feiring’s] fearless attitude.”

Publishers Weekly, 9/5/11
“A treatise on the joys of wine made with nothing but grapes.”

Portland Book Review, September-November 2011
“[A] fascinating and at times humorous book. If you drink wine and care about what goes into your body, then this book is a must read.”

San Francisco Bay Guardian, 9/13/11
“[Feiring is] the high priestess of natural wines.”

ZesterDaily.com, 9/13/11
“Of all the recent books on the subject, [Feiring’s] is the most personal, the most agitated, the most illuminating voice in the din.”
 
Dayton Daily News, 9/15/11
“[Feiring] is a rebel in the world of wine.”

Organic Spa, September/October 2011
“Entertaining.”

Henry’s World of Booze (blog), 9/17/11
“It’s both a voyage of discovery and a snapshot of an exciting time to drink wine.”

Metro Pulse, 9/28/11
“At heart, a book about the pure joy of drinking wine. Just try to get through it without sticking your nose deep into a glass of a good French red. I dare you.”

SeriousEats.com, 9/30/11
“Feiring is a dynamite writer, one who easily draws us into her tale. On each page she manages to be both authoritative and vulnerable and always exceedingly honest…Naked Wine is a fantastic read, one that will convert wine drinkers one bottle (or page) at a time.”

Beverage Media, October 2011
“This book solidifies Feiring’s reputation as one of the wine world’s most important writers, and natural wine as a hot topic for coming years.”

50 States of Wine (blog), 10/19/11
“A book that everyone should read.”

Curled Up With a Good Book
“Feiring describes her adventures with an easy-going inflection. Several of her accounts are quite humorous as well as fascinating…Whether it’s read with a glass of wine or a glass of water, Naked Wine is a compelling read for anyone, and that speaks to Feiring’s talents as a writer.”

Midwest Book Review, October 2011
“Offers a fine survey of the natural wine movement and the author’s own experiences at making wine without additives…A top pick for any wine and food collection!” 

Burlington Free Press, 11/10/11
“There are a handful of wine books that are so well written—so entertaining and informative—that they speak to a wider audience. Alice has written two of them.”
 
BMorrison.com, 11/7/11
“Feiring’s engaging prose makes for a fun read even as she slips in technical explanations in easily digestible sips.”  

Washington Post, 11/30/11
“Feiring writes engagingly…Her talent for setting a scene and ripping off a yarn is as evident as ever.” 

Boston Globe “By the Glass” blog, 12/1/11
“A meditation on the so-called natural wine movement, its history, personalities, and technical (or non-technical, if you prefer) repertoire. [Feiring’s] task is daunting, but it's one she manages with skill and flair.”
 
San Francisco Chronicle, 11/27/11
“The book will spur ever more argument about wine's less-is-more movement.”
 
Booknews.com, December 2011
“[A] delightful story.”
 
TheKitchn.com, 12/1/11
“A provocative narrative, from one of our most prolific natural wine advocates and writers. This book strongly reflects Alice's philosophy about wine, and her quest for the natural, pure, unmanipulated wines…Whether you agree or not with everything Alice says, this book is beautifully written, funny, inspiring, passionate and above all personal and tenacious in its viewpoint. I loved it.”
 
Chicago Tribune, 12/7/11
“Open this up: For its shocking list of more than 200 U.S. government-approved additives for winemaking, none of which needs to be listed on the wine's label; provocative, feisty digs at much of modern winemaking and winemakers; wit, infectious enthusiasm for wine and honesty; another long list of solid ‘natural’ winemakers around the world.”
 
Midwest Book Review, November 2011
“The author’s own winemaking experiments and experiences are detailed in a fine survey of the natural wine movement and changes in the modern wine market.”
The World of Fine Wine, issue 34, 2011
“Part travelogue, part defiant credo, part engaging confessional…This is a refreshingly frank and witty book, unashamedly emotive and outspoken—an almost seamless blend of the professional recounted with great charm, candor, and skill. It’s a compelling read that at once informs, entertains, and challenges its reader—no mean feat for a wine book…Highly recommended.”
 
Portland Oregonian, 12/12/11
“This combination of personal confessional and well-informed opinion is a rollicking-fun read with a serious wine-loving message.”
 
Portland Press Herald, 12/14/11
“[Feiring’s] per...

About the Author

Alice Feiring is an award-winning food and wine journalist, frequent magazine contributor, and author of a previous book on wine. She lives in New York.

Product Details

  • Hardcover: 240 pages
  • Publisher: Da Capo Press (August 30, 2011)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0306819538
  • ISBN-13: 978-0306819537
  • Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 1 x 8.3 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #215,534 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Having survived a Long Island upbringing I ended up as a wine writer. Like many others before me I started out on Carmel Extra Sweet, then onto Lancers and then hit the harder, better, truer stuff. My wine writing career was accidental. My wine education is wholly alternative. I was studying for a Masters in Dance Therapy in Cambridge. My roommate was seriously into wine and we had weekly tastings. My method was to super-taste my way through the line-up so I could spend the evening with the wine I liked best before anyone else got there. A few years down the pike I knew something about wine and there was no going back. Please check out my blog, alicefeiring.com for wine recs, and more of my views on the current trends and tastes in the wine world or random amusements.

Customer Reviews

The author, Alice Feiring, is quite witty, and her writing is quite engrossing. Christopher Barrett  |  3 reviewers made a similar statement
For a wine drinker who is also into natural foods, this book is essential. joyofbooks  |  2 reviewers made a similar statement
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Journey for natural wine August 29, 2011
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
I loved Alice Feiring's first book--The Battle for Wine and Love or How I Saved the World from Parkerization--in which Alice goes in search of the answer to why a wine she loved is no longer the way she remembered it. This book, similarly, is a search for something important to Alice. In this case, it is so-called natural wine and how it developed. In order to describe it more aptly, she has called it "naked wine." It is a story of vignerons, scientists, pioneers in many places, including France, California and Spain. Alice visits these places to delve into what motivates these winemakers to make this kind of wine. Her adventures are always interesting and are written in a descriptive style that helps the reader to picture the setting, the people and how the discussions must have taken place. She also uses similes as further descriptors. I enjoyed this book immensely and found Alice's adventures in searching for the derivation of the modern natural wine "movement" to be fun and captivating.
Comment | 
Was this review helpful to you?
7 of 8 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars This book is a must read October 4, 2011
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
For a wine drinker who is also into natural foods, this book is essential. It is a nonfiction book that reads like a novel, drawing you into the author's passion for unadulterated wines, grapes grown without chemicals, a finished product without additives. Although the book is loaded with information, it also is a good story of the author's hands-on introduction to the wine-making process. The vividly described "characters" in this book are the winemakers and the vineyards themselves. Now that the author has revealed how most commercial wines are produced, I want to go to every wine merchant and demand a good selection of natural wines.
Comment | 
Was this review helpful to you?
5 of 7 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars UNDERSTANDING NATURAL WINE November 10, 2011
Format:Hardcover
Alice Feiring has done it again!! Naked Wine is THE definitive book about natural wine. A must read for anyone who cares about wine, natural food, health, the environment, or is just looking for a good read...

If you ever wondered where all this "natural" wine suddenly came from, see The Battle for Wine and Love: or How I Saved the World from Parkerization. Alice Feiring has played a major role in advocating and popularizing natural wine and the natural wine movement both in the US and the rest of the world.

Starting out as mostly a lone voice, a chorus of voices has risen in support of Alice's ideas about what wine should and can be. Alice has helped inspire a whole trend in wine making people used to say was commercially impossible. Those that were once saying it couldn't be done are now scrambling to pretend like it was their idea all along.

Some questions this book poses:

What is natural wine? Is a B&W definition possible or is it more about using the least invasive approach to making the best wine possible?

Why natural wine?

Does "natural" wine even mean anything or is a term like "naked" a more meaningful term?

Should wine bottles have ingredients labels?

Does natural wine always display the best "terroir"?

Does California have a terroir?

Is there any natural Kosher wine? Any good Kosher wine in general?

Are natural wines and $$$ success compatible?

Looking for a list of great wine makers Alice likes? Finally a printed list!

And most importantly- the book is a very engaging, intimate, fun exploration of Alice's Wine Wonderland.

BUY THIS BOOK!!!
Comment | 
Was this review helpful to you?
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars Good read and experiment
Never thought of the chemicals and processing that goes into making consistand wine. very much like the consistant beer productions of Bud from AB. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Robert A
4.0 out of 5 stars Surprised I liked it.
I was pleasantly surprised to have enjoyed this book. In general I dislike Alice's writing - I can't follow her ramblings on her blog or in some of her articles. Read more
Published 4 months ago by Thomas J Pace III
5.0 out of 5 stars A classic!
Loved this book! I felt like an insider getting to know the world of natural wines along w/ Alice Feiring! Read more
Published 4 months ago by dinamo
5.0 out of 5 stars understand wine making
one of the best book about wine and the people who make it, and why it's vital to keep it natural.
Published 6 months ago by Pierre Georget
2.0 out of 5 stars Not for you if you want to learn anything about wine.
Some other reviewer wrote that this should be thought of as fiction and not a book about wine, and that is exactly how i felt after reading it. This is poorly written fiction.
Published 10 months ago by Snabel Fish
1.0 out of 5 stars Sort under mythology, not non-fiction
This book is an assualt on every responsible winemaker and wine farmer that doesn't have a trust fund. Read more
Published 11 months ago by GHS
5.0 out of 5 stars A good read for those tired of overly manipulated wine !
I recently finished this non-fiction book felt it appropriate to write a few positive notes on this endearing work. Read more
Published 12 months ago by Christopher Barrett
5.0 out of 5 stars Naked Grapes
The book came very quick. It was a gift so I am not going to be reading it. I am sure the recipient will enjoy the book.
Published 16 months ago by Cynthia Deberg
Search Customer Reviews
Only search this product's reviews


Forums

There are no discussions about this product yet.
Be the first to discuss this product with the community.
Start a new discussion
Topic:
First post:
Prompts for sign-in
 



So You'd Like to...


Create a guide


Look for Similar Items by Category