Customer Reviews

The Wine Wars: The Mondavi Affair, Globalization and Terroir

5 star:		(0)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

This book is first of all horribly translated. Chapter 5 is entitled "Things Hot Up." An online machine translation would have been better than this very frustrating butchering of the English language. Obviously no one proofread this and it shows up in the breakdowns of meaning that frequently occur throughout the text. Secondly, it serves as nothing but an excuse for Torrès to rail against French protectionism, ignoring several other larger issues brought up by the Mondavi Affair. He comes up with one interesting idea: "torportism," but it's foundation and expansion is ideologically rather than fact motivated. In short, you might be interested in this book if you care about Torrès opinion--because here you won't find careful scholarly research--but wait for a less expensive edition that is more carefully translated.

I did not rate this book because I have not read it, and I probably will not buy it.
I suspect that author of the book, like a lot of French wine makers, is obsessed with the his self-importance and is convinced that others ought to "pay the price I ask, and just shut up." If the book were a reasonable price I might consider buying it. Try the "Rise and Fall of Mondavi", as I am going to do.
The struggle between globalization and local terrior in France is set forth in the "Mondovino" DVD, which won an award as a documentary film at Cannes.
Who is right and wrong is not as important as the way the French and the Americans (and the Italians and others) look at wine.

John E. Thomson, Ph.D.
El Dorado Hills, California