Red, White, and Drunk All Over: A Wine-Soaked Journey from Grape to Glass [Hardcover]

Natalie MacLean (Author)

Book Description

Release date: September 19, 2006

After three years of sipping, spitting, and slogging her way through bushy vine leaves and cellar cobwebs, award-winning writer Natalie MacLean takes readers behind the scenes of the international wine world, exploring its history, visiting its most evocative places, and meeting some of its most charismatic personalities.
 
In Red, White, and Drunk All Over, Natalie travels to the ancient vineyards of Burgundy to uncover the secrets of the pinot noir, the "heartbreak grape" from which some of the most coveted and expensive wines in the world are made. She visits the labyrinthine cellars of Champagne to examine the myths and the mystique of luxury bubbly and the grandes dames who made it the drink of celebration the world over. She pulls on sturdy boots to help with the harvest at the vineyards of iconoclastic Californian winemaker Randall Grahm and goes undercover as sommelier for a night in a five-star restaurant with a wine list the thickness of a phone book. She looks at the influence of powerful critics, notably Robert Parker and Jancis Robinson, invites readers into her dining room for an informal wine tasting, and compares collecting notes at a bacchanalian dinner with novelist Jay McInerney.
 
As funny and engaging as she is knowledgeable, Natalie has an unconventional wit, curiosity, and obsession with all things related to wine that make for a tour both amusing and informative, from grape to bottle to glass.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

MacLean's enthusiasm for wine is contagious. For the winner of the prestigious MFK Fisher Distinguished Writing Award, each glass represents a personal history, "a secret cellar in our minds where we collect our empty bottles filled with memories." Her passionate desire to learn about all aspects of wine increases its sensual pleasure, and her goal "to demystify an intimidating world" succeeds. MacLean interviews everyone from grape growers in Burgundy to upstart zinfandel producers in Sonoma Valley. Every encounter incorporates vivid descriptions of tastings and colorful personalities. Randall Grahm of Bonny Doon Vineyards in Santa Cruz, Calif., bucks the trend of his California competitors, insisting a "great wine is... not a confection of the laboratory, but a subtle expression of the soil from which it sprang." For casual wine lovers, MacLean deciphers the perplexing dilemmas of appropriate wine aging without pedantry. For the purist, however, "life is too short to drink good wine out of bad glasses." That observation leads to the explanation for 103 different shapes of glassware. Solid research, a breezy style and commonsense advice prove invaluable for the novice, while her good humor will delight the connoisseur. (Oct.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review

"Natalie MacLean deepens one's appreciation of wine as if she were beside you. Her adventures in wine tasting are as accessible as your favorite pop song."--Kermit Lynch, wine merchant and author of Adventures on the Wine Route

 

"A galloping read, which educates, entertains, and amuses…[Natalie] is the George Plimpton of wine writers…."--Ann Noble, professor of viticulture, University of California, Davis.
 
 "There's everything here: old stories and new, an inquiring mind and bags of enthusiasm."--Hugh Johnson, author of The World Atlas of Wine
 
"Teetotalers, beware! This is…bound to make a wine lover out of everyone who picks it up."--Andrew Dornenburg and Karen Page, James Beard Award-winning authors of Becoming a Chef
 
"Abandon your inhibitions as [Natalie MacLean] takes you through the wonderful world of wine."--Louisa Thomas Hargrave, director, Stony Brook University Center for Wine, Food and Culture
 
"[I]mpossible to resist. I thoroughly enjoyed this book."--Michael Ruhlman, author of The Reach of a Chef and coauthor of The French Laundry Cookbook
 

"Many have walked down the path of vinous storytelling before Natalie MacLean, but until Red, White, and Drunk All Over, I'm not sure I've ever seen someone so sensibly or surreptitiously provide a starch-free education in wine.  In the guise of a heart- and body-warming memoir, we get to learn what she learns while she's learning it. Why, you'd almost be under the impression that she wasn't actually teaching! And beyond being a terrific writer, she's fun company." --Danny Meyer, coauthor of The Union Square Cafe Cookbook and author of Setting the Table

 

"Unlike so many wine guides, this one is an adventure story.  Natalie MacLean takes us along as she navigates the sometimes treacherous wine landscape, from vineyard to wine store to restaurant to her own kitchen, putting it all in perspective and even putting a wine snob or two in their place.  We finish the journey far more confident--and with a craving for great wine." --Edward Deitch, Wine Critic, NBC and MSNBC.com

 

"Red, White and Drunk All Over is an engaging and very accessible guide to the world of wine. Natalie MacLean takes on the dual role of drinking companion and advisor as we travel with her to individual vineyards and wineries in France and California.  Along the way we meet, and then quickly develop personal feelings for, the growers, the wine-makers, the vines themselves, and the wines they produce." --Naomi Duguid, co-author of Mangoes & Curry Leaves, Home Baking, and Hot Sour Salty Sweet

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 288 pages
• Publisher: Bloomsbury USA; 1st U.S ed. ; first printing (full number line) edition (September 19, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1582346488
• ISBN-13: 978-1582346489
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (30 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,252,813 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Natalie's free wine e-newsletter at www.nataliemaclean.com offers wine picks, articles and humor. Some 50,000 wine lovers in 36 countries subscribe and it was twice named one of the three best food and wine newsletters at the James Beard awards.

At the 2003 World Food Media Awards in Australia, Natalie was named the World's Best Drink Writer. The competition received more than 1,000 entries. An international and independent panel of 47 food and wine experts selected her from a short-list of 14 nominees from the U.S., Canada, U.K., New Zealand and Australia. Natalie has also won four James Beard Foundation Journalism Awards for her writing about drinks, including the MFK Fisher Distinguished Writing Award, in memory of one of America's greatest food writers. This award was given out at the end of the ceremony for work of literary merit. She was also nominated for this award in 2005. Natalie has also won an unprecedented five Bert Greene Awards for excellence in food journalism, presented by the International Association of Culinary Professionals, four awards from the American Association of Food Journalists, four from the North American Travel Writers Association and three honorable mentions at the National Magazine Awards.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars An Interesting and Enjoyable Read August 19, 2007

By monkuboy VINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover

Marketing books will tell you that the way to captivate a customer for your product is to tell a story, rather than recite a bunch of dry facts. The majority of books about wine focus on facts - about the grapes, vintages, food matches, how-to's, etc., and there's certainly nothing wrong with that except for when you've read one, the others get kind of repetitive.

What is refreshing about Ms. MacLean's book is that you learn via her telling you stories, relating her various wine world experiences. Her writing style is personable and easy to read, and makes you feel like you are accompanying her on her journeys. Reading her book is sort of like listening to Forrest Gump while most other wine books are like listening to a lecture. She's also got a great sense of humor - very entertaining.

The book is similar in style to Kermit Lynch's Adventures on the Wine Route; both educate the reader via tales of wine encounters. The difference is Mr. Lynch focuses on his visits to the various producers he imports (and thus writes from the point of view of a merchant and wine lover), whereas Ms. MacLean has a broader scope of topics (and it is obvious she has a passion for wine). What they do have very much in common is a talent for making you thirsty for the subject matter. Consider them both great ambassadors for wine.

One other thing I'd like to add is I admire how the author got started in her career. She came across something that really interested her, she pursued it, and her passion is obvious. We should all find something we love so much!

11 of 13 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Urgent Warning: December 18, 2006

By Lael Atkinson

Format:Hardcover

This book will make you thirsty. It is highly recommended that you have a ready supply of wine on hand before you start reading. Natalie MacLean makes you feel as if you are right by her side on her fascinating journey through the world of wine and encounters with its engaging inhabitants. And since she's in the driver's seat, you should relax, uncork and enjoy the ride.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Education and Entertainment April 29, 2007

By Dwavle

Format:Hardcover

This book was absolutely the best resource I've read on wine. I use the word "resource" purposely because, while Ms. MacLean has a gift for storytelling, in the end, this book is quite enlightening and educational for folks like myself that are just beginning to appreciate good wine. I've been a wine drinker for 15 years, but couldn't ever keep my interest in any particular book or magazine. However, I couldn't put this book down. I highly recommend it. I have also very much enjoyed her free newsletters.