Customer Reviews

Oldman's Brave New World of Wine: Pleasure, Value, and Adventure Beyond Wine's Usual Suspects

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The last time I saw Mark Oldman was at a wine tasting he hosted. He was wearing a blazer with wide red piping on the cuffs and lapels --- if he'd had a whip, he would have made a great lion tamer. Overkill? For Oldman, par for the course.

Mark Oldman is not like other wine experts. He may be 40 now, but he's eternally young --- and he has the best qualities of youth. He's a rule breaker: "Anything you can't pronounce is a good value." A truth teller: "Only 29% of the wines on sale will get better with age." An attention-getter: He drives "one of 500 `Grabber Orange,' 400-horsepower street-legal racecars made by Saleen, a boutique manufacturer-modifier of high-performance Mustangs."

Above all, Mark Oldman --- who was, once upon a time, a Serious Person, picking up a Phi Beta Kappa Key from Stanford, where he earned a B.A. and M.A. in English and a J.D. from Stanford Law School --- is a showman. Just watch him talk about rosé. It's the color of "a socialite's purse" or "Donald Trump's hairline." But note how, after he grabs your attention, he imparts knowledge and enthusiasm in equal parts, leaving you extremely eager to crack upon a bottle.

When last we met Mark Oldman in print, we were reading his immodestly titled Oldman's Guide to Outsmarting Wine. It was a smart, practical book with international flair --- in these pages, the Stanford grad leaves Napa far behind. I wasn't surprised that it was named Georges Duboeuf Wine Book of the Year. Or that it led to appearances at food festivals and wine seminars.

Now he's back. This time, he assumes you have some knowledge of wine --- what? you didn't read his first book? --- and are now ready to venture into unknown territory: wines that don't come from California or France. These are, he says, tasty wines that insiders cherish. And because they're not so well-known, they're better values; as he points out, "The more popular a wine is, the more likely customers must pay extra for that demand."

You're drinking Pinot Grigio? Cabernet Sauvignon? Merlot?

You, especially, will cherish this book.

Oldman discusses 34 wines, six bubblies and three dessert wines. And he peppers the pages with wine commentary from 144 insiders, from Hollywood actresses to professional basketball players. "What kind of wine do I like?" asks satirist P.J. O'Rourke. "Other people's." Especially if they just happen to have a case of Lafite Rothschild Paulliac 1982.

Riesling from Austria? Sure. But also from Australia. Sauvignon Blanc? Yes, but from New Zealand. Vinho Verde, the fizzy white wine from Portugal. Pinot Noir from Oregon. Bargain Bordeaux. Cahors that's had hours to breathe. Washington State Merlot. Petite Sirah, "dark and intense as a dominatrix's boot." Lambrusco (yes, Lambrusco).

No one will read this book and want to reach for a beer.

Just when you think every possible nook and cranny of the wine 101 book category has been explored, out comes a book that takes a unique and valuable spin on the beginner to intermediate wine genre.

Oldman's Brave New World of Wine is an evolution of sorts from Mark Oldman's first title published in 2004. That book, Oldman's Guide to Outsmarting Wine, is THE benchmark book for a wine introduction and a book I've recommended to friends over and over again. This time around, Oldman, a judge on the wine TV reality show The Winemakers, focuses on 46 under-appreciated varietals and puts his trademark accessibility spin on the varietals, hoping to expose the quirky to a wider audience.

The premise of the book originated at professional tastings that Oldman attended where fellow wine insiders would get excitable and passionate about an off-the-beaten path varietal. Taking this cue, Oldman's book is focused on bringing these niche wines to larger awareness.

From the introduction:

"... Now you can trot the globe from the comfort of your own dinner table, sampling a new region or grape every night of the
month if you so desire. The diversity of wines and their quality and affordability has never been greater ... so my mandate crystallized: it was time to build a bridge of knowledge from the insiders to everyone else, revealing wines that so electrify me and my fellow wine pros - opening the curtain on what I call the `Brave New Pours' ...

For beginners and the experienced alike, "Brave New Pours" ... provides escape hatches for enthusiasts caught in a Stockholm-Syndrome-like dependence on mainstream wine types."

Mostly, Oldman nails it again. His writing voice is warm, down-to-earth and accessible and the book itself is peppered with short chapters on varietals like Txakoli, Moschofilero and Lambrusco - varietals that are widely available at good wine shops, but also mostly sitting under a layer of dust based on non-familiarity and our own ruts of wine drinking with the familiar.

With quotes from notable wine aficionados, tables and taste profile comparisons, the book is very thoughtfully laid out and a valuable read as a primer on varietals that even the most ardent wine enthusiast likely isn't familiar with.

There are, however, some questionable inclusions in the book - is New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc and Gewürztraminer that under-appreciated? Overall, the book lives up to its promise and over delivers in a breezy way while also including some nuggets that careful readers will notice, as in a quote from Master of Wine and Master Sommelier Doug Frost who says, "Left Foot Charley Pinot Blanc from Michigan is so compelling. I honestly can't think of another Pinot Blanc that has gotten me this excited."

Highly Recommend reading for beginner, intermediate and other wine enthusiasts who don't take themselves too seriously!

We're all creatures of habit, my spouse and I guilty as charged. What this book does with such great success is that it gives a roadmap out of the boring old standbys and into new and easy to find flavor sensations, the ones that the insiders know to drink like Rueda and Priorat and even (Good) Merlot. Mark Oldman is a wonderful communicator. Mark's stories and writing style makes him someone you'd want to hang out with. I loved his first book - Outsmarting Wine - and this one just as witty and friendly and helpful and fun.

Oldman approaches the otherwise intimidating level of material covered in 'Brave New World' with a very relatable, entertaining touch of personality. Versed in the intricacies of up-and-coming, lesser-known gems, Oldman delivers his perspective with anecdotes and explanations that are enjoyable for wine fans of any expertise.

Stylistically, the book is structured in a way that allows one to read the prose as an entertaining narrative and also use it as a quick reference guide when choosing new wines to explore. I particularly appreciated the fact sheets included in every section. Concise and easy to read, they are particularly helpful for the cost-conscious connoisseur who wants an idea of what they can expect when making sizable purchases.

This book is a great selection for anyone interested in learning more about the modern wine landscape. Oldman is enlightening in this text, making the reader feel as if they are conversing with a passionate enthusiast while they learn about this fascinating field.

Perfect for anyone interested in learning about wine. Two things set it apart from other wine books: 1) The writing style is very lively, funny and easy to read, rather than stuffy or overly scientific like you might find in other wine books. 2) Oldman is a great teacher and naturally makes the material accessible to novices, like me. I only drink wine casually at restaurants and at home, but I have a greater appreciation of it based on what I learned in Oldman's books. I give this book an A+, really a must-have for anyone who likes drinking wine.

In a world where oenophiles can (or claim to be able to) find hints of vanilla, blackberry, cinnamon and charcoal in a given wine, my altogether undistinguishing palate has been the source of profound embarrassment; I've literally taken home the booby prize from wine-tasting parties. But Oldman's book makes me feel like an expert! After reading his typically funny and never off-putting prose, I have not just clever nuggets to share at parties, but some real, grounded knowledge. I still can't detect turmeric in an Oregon Pinot, but at least I don't sound like a Philistine when talking about wine.

Highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys wine and wants to know more- Mark Oldman provides interesting "factoids" and wonderful insight on his journey through wine. It's also a great reference book for planning parties/pairings and makes for a wonderful host/hostess gift right in time for the holidays!

I usually don't review items. But after buying this book 3 months ago, I still have nothing but LOVE, LOVE, LOVE for it. It makes wine so easy and fun with humor and sparkle. It really increases your options. One of my favorite books ever. At least 3 of my friends have gotten hooked on wine using it.

My wife and I never miss Mark Oldman's highly entertaining seminars at the Aspen Food & Wine Classic and this book is overflowing with the same kind of energy and insights. Mark has an almost intuitive ability to give his readers and audiences just the right kind of information to expand their grasps on grapes and make them feel good about exploring with wine. His writing really does make you WANT to explore and try the grapes just beyond our comfort zones. We're currently using the book chapter by chapter in our wine club and are having great fun with Oldman's highly original explanations, witticisms, lists, and charts, all which make learning about insider grapes fun and easily knowable.

Mark Oldman is pretty much responsible for my interest in wine. I've been hooked on Mark's writing and "Drink Bravely videos" since the first time I saw him speak at the Aspen Food and Wine Classic. This book is threaded with Mark's trademark wit and wisdom and sense of fun and adventure. The information smartly organized and easy to access, and chapters like "Beaujolais: Serious Side of the Gulpstream," Txakoli: Zingy Like a Downed Power Line," and "Sparkling Shiraz: Purple Fizz, All in Your Head" make wine exciting and full of potential. Like nobody else, Mark turns leaning about wine into an illuminating romp.