The best cook and wine books?

[Gruto]

Please enlighten me: what makes Hugh Johnson's wine books so influential? Does he simply have a superior experience and taste?

I'm no expert in wine, but it has always seemed odd to me that such a subjective field like wine can be dominated so much by one single person. We would never accept that in the field of style

In addition to seconding NJS's excellent reply to this, Gruto, I'd just point out that Johnson has an easy, elegant writing style, sound facts, wide experience, evident curiosity that has led to some innovations (such as the atlas) and an infectious enthusiasm. This makes him, like Dickens or Tolstoy, both substantive and popular with a wide audience.

Couch, sorry, I confused Hugh Johnson and Robert B. Parker.

[couch]

This man is to be held in charge for promoting unified taste, full bodied wines that cannot be stored and will not mature in a cellar. Many subtle wines have become an endangered species, thanks to this man's efforts.

Indeed. For instance, there are still a few producers left who make my beloved traditional Riojas, those claretes with their light to medium body, brickish rim, and evanescent balance of dusty oxidized tannin, light acid, and ghostly fruit--full of complex secondary aromas and flavors. Some of the great luncheon wines of the world, and at their gran reserva best, of fowl and hung feathered game at dinner. But most of the producers now also or exclusively make "new style" (i.e., Parkerized international) Riojas which are bigger, more generic wines that one would be challenged to assign a provenance to in a blind tasting. It's not just the fattening of the wines within a genre that's to be deplored, but the risk of losing such distinctive and idiosyncratic local winemaking traditions and styles--a kind of dwindling biodiversity in the vinous ecosystem. Let us hope that the backlash picks up enough steam to carry the day.

Who remembers pre Parker America, when a tiny fraction of the country drank wine at all? And who remembers when the great Bordeauxs and Burgandies cost a handful of dollars? Not anymore.

I earned $15,000 a year working at the Ransom Center research library at the University of Texas in the early 1980s, and was able to begin my small vertical collection of Pichon Lalande (1981 to 1989 vintages) with a $50 monthly budget. The great 1982 cost under $40 a bottle at futures price. I still have one bottle left. Back in the '90s I ran across two well-stored bottles of 1972 Vega Sicilia Unico for about $30 apiece. I decanted those at a bespoke dinner a few years ago prepared by José Garces in honor of some academic colleagues and our recent book publications. One of the true highlights of my gustatory life (the others being a 1961 Latour and the aforementioned 82 P-L). I bought '83 Hermitage La Chapelle on release for about $32 each (one bottle left). But I also remember with fondness the astounding 1971 German wines that I bought for $5-8 each when I was an undergraduate in the mid-'70s. At the time I knew nothing about German wine, but wanted a refreshing summer drink. I thought that's what all German wines tasted like! This is the world you refer to, Michael, when exploration and education were easily accessible to impecunious but avid students of wine and food. Now, alas, it's not just Parker, but the exploding demand from China and other 'developing' countries that puts the great ones nearly out of reach. As with bespoke trends, one now has to look for 'out of fashion' but classic wines if one wants to acquire high quality with a responsible deployment of resources. And those are fewer every day.

[NJS]

Couch - All very true. The sad thing is that great wines are, increasingly, seen as investments (heartily encouraged by the vintners and the auction houses), rather than as enjoyments and the key to acquiring them is the possesion of great wealth; which may not be equalled by the purchaser's desire actually to drink the wine, let alone to appreciate it if he did. Sometimes, purchasers buy wine; keep it in a vintner's cellars, and never even open the cases, until they sell them on. A similar sort of thing has happened to 'sports' such as: various forms of football, baseball, soccer, cricket and rugby, and they have become not simple enjoyments, for participants and spectators, but big businesses, in which the players are traded as though they were stocks and shares. I often wonder what the Ancients would make of these aspects of modern living. I expect that they would be astonished and appalled by it all.

[Costi]

True, but isn't that what happened to shells? And then gold?...
I may have written about that before here - a rich lady who once bought a Picasso from the painter himself for 50000 francs asked him afterwards what the painting represented, to which the artist replied: "to me, it's 50000 francs; to you, it's s Picasso"...

[NJS]

True, but isn't that what happened to shells? And then gold?...
I may have written about that before here - a rich lady who once bought a Picasso from the painter himself for 50000 francs asked him afterwards what the painting represented, to which the artist replied: "to me, it's 50000 francs; to you, it's s Picasso"...

There may be something in this but shells and gold (which aren't particularly comestible), may be wholly enjoyed for what they are, even while they might also be valuable and, as for Picasso, even if comestible, his art isn't especially digestible but, again, while these things represent investment, they may be fully enjoyed in the period of their ownership, for what they are (e.g. as art); wine, on the other hand, when it represents mere financial investment, certainly cannot be enjoyed for what it was meant at all: its main reason for being (certainly so far as developing nations, such as China, are concerned) has largely been Shanghai'd - and even negated. I remain convinced that the Ancients would think that Moderns are developing loose screws in their heads.
NJS

[Costi]

But with time, wine becomes (g)old. So does cheese, or prosciutto. In fact, they all become something else - so they don't get MORE valuable (like a vintage car), the aged product is different from the young one and simply has a different value. I guess it was the same in ancient times - old wine was better valued. At least that's how I understand it... It doesn't sound to me like a speculation, as in buying today for 2 and selling tomorrow THE SAME thing for 10. But I may be wrong, I don't know much about it, just thinking "out loud".
As for ancient "sports", gladiators were slaves... Astonishing and appalling cruelty for a Modern - a few loose screws there, too. (I know, I know, there were other sports, real sports, but nothing beat gladiators for popularity, right?).

[NJS]

But with time, wine becomes (g)old. So does cheese, or prosciutto. In fact, they all become something else - so they don't get MORE valuable (like a vintage car), the aged product is different from the young one and simply has a different value. I guess it was the same in ancient times - old wine was better valued. At least that's how I understand it... It doesn't sound to me like a speculation, as in buying today for 2 and selling tomorrow THE SAME thing for 10. But I may be wrong, I don't know much about it, just thinking "out loud".
As for ancient "sports", gladiators were slaves... Astonishing and appalling cruelty for a Modern - a few loose screws there, too. (I know, I know, there were other sports, real sports, but nothing beat gladiators for popularity, right?).

Gosh, there's an awful lot to address in this: first of all, gold is valued so much because it is: rare; it is beautiful; it is relatively unaffected by the elements; it is dense and, therefore, you can condense money in it and stash it away in small caches (or model it and wear it), and it is honoured virtually everywhere on earth, according to a fairly standard value.

Old wine or cheese might have matured into a better condition than that at its origination but, despite the existence of wines with extraordinary longevity, these things will always tend towards a point of corruption which, in comparison with gold, is going to be sooner, rather than later. A vintage car might retain its value, nearly endlessly, if it were well kept.

Wine and cheese were made to be consumed and enjoyed (maybe at a future date, depending on maturation) - and an end on it. There are, even now, buffoons touting (for equal buffoons), wines past their very best as investments and creating a false market in expensive, bottled vinegar.

Vintage cars were made to be driven and enjoyed when they were made and, if well kept, may be still. I am sure that, in ancient times, better wine (whether old or not), was higher priced but it was expected to be drunk and enjoyed; not stashed endlessly away, as a mere stay against hard times. Certainly, wine now may be bought and sold as a mere investment but it seems to me that those who go for wine purchases, just for that, have a screw loose. And it is a sign of our times.

As for Ancient sports: gladiatorial combat (and the slavery upon which it largely depended), were concomitants of the 'democratic' civilizations upon which the modern west says that it is based, and now proudly boasts that it is exporting, in a spirit of 'liberation' (recently - and Ho! Ho! Ho!), to: Iraq; Afghanistan and now Libya! So far as ordinary sports were concerned: crowns of laurels served them very well for their victors: no cash; no medals; no other national decorations. I am not suggesting that the Ancients were perfect but I do believe that they saw things for what they should be and should be used for. The fact that they saw slavery as a natural state of vanquished peoples is not something unknown to the 'great western civilizations' in reasonably recent history. For Goodness' sake, the USA was founded upon slavery (thanks, admittedly, to the British) and even after the Civil War, had social and educational segregation between blacks and whites down to the middle of the 20th Century! And social segregation even beyond that. South Africa, another offshoot of great western democracy, was imprisoning men for protesting that they were being treated as inferoior, on grounds of colour, well within living memory.

The fact of the matter is that the convenient (and ugly) perversion of 'Ancient democracy' which still seduces the morons, is on its knees and is, socially and economically, about to be dealt the death blow: because it can no longer sustain itself in any sense. The false values that it has generated (e.g. in seeing wine as an investment opportunity for fat men behind oak desks, pace Betjeman) will, sadly, live on in the emerging economies, which have been affected (adversely affected at that), by the increasingly false values of our age.

But few see these things.

[Costi]

Wine and cheese were made to be consumed and enjoyed (maybe at a future date, depending on maturation) - and an end on it. There are, even now, buffoons touting (for equal buffoons), wines past their very best as investments and creating a false market in expensive, bottled vinegar.

Yes, good timing, not timelesness...

The fact that they saw slavery as a natural state of vanquished peoples is not something unknown to the 'great western civilizations' in reasonably recent history.

At least they dealt with it honestly... unlike the Moderns.

[NJS]

The fact that they saw slavery as a natural state of vanquished peoples is not something unknown to the 'great western civilizations' in reasonably recent history.

At least they dealt with it honestly... unlike the Moderns.

If we are honest, that is very true. Some of them also had legal processes which enabled manumission. I am just saying that I think that, in certain respects, modern civilization has got out of control. Now there's an oxymoron. Maybe the Ancients saw things in simpler terms: wine and cheese are, primarily, to consume. Sometimes this simplicity led to brutality and cruelty (they didn't always have much regard for the disabled). On the other hand, those who lead the thinking on modern living seem to insist that we live so carefully that we grind on to the age of ninety, wrapped up in incontinence pads. There's a kind of reckless cruelty in this which, to me, is utterly wretched. Didn't Chekov say: "Whatever, else, let me not lose my mind."
NJS

[alden]

It's not just the fattening of the wines within a genre that's to be deplored, but the risk of losing such distinctive and idiosyncratic local winemaking traditions and styles--a kind of dwindling biodiversity in the vinous ecosystem. Let us hope that the backlash picks up enough steam to carry the day.

Couch, you hit the nail on the head. And the natural wine movement is that backlash that is defending and celebrating biodiversity and terroir. The LL members who have spent any time with yours truly have been introduced to "real" wine and most have been converted.

Its a lot like natural clothing and natural women...once you've tasted the real thing its hard to go back. No artificial flavorings, preservatives, sulphur, padding, and Nasa space age materials for me please!

The great 1982 cost under $40 a bottle at futures price.

I can remember buying cases of 1982 St. Emilions (Cheval Blanc, L'Arrosee, Ausone) for 15 dollars a bottle in Switzerland. Those were the days!

Increased International demand has had a huge impact. And unfortunately possessing a huge wine cellar has become a sign of having "made it" for the newly rich. And there are so many newly rich and they are so rich that hundreds of thousands of bottles are hidden away to become, as NJS says, "vinegar!"

I can remember visiting a friend in CH who took me on a tour of his father's wine collection. The cellar contained tens of thousands of bottles of Grand Crus of every shape, form and color. When I remarked that his father must be quite an expert, his son replied, "Oh he doesn't drink, he just likes to buy things."


It reminds me of the old days in California when we used to see the spectacle of the great cars of the past being used everyday by commuters. It was a fantastic display. Now all those cars are locked up in some private collection never to be seen again in use. Nuts like Ralph L want to corner the market on Gullwings and lock them away. Another "collector" is stocking all the Porsche "Speedsters" somewhere, take them off the bloody road!...its a bit of insanity.

Cheers

[alden]

Now it appears that researchers in Burgandy have proven that a glass of their red wine contains the stuff of longer life.

http://www.lemonde.fr/societe/article/2 ... _3224.html

Researchers in Bordeaux claim the same but have proven that a half a glass of claret is sufficient. And that makes sense, since it costs twice as much.

From the white coats in Beaujolais we learn that gamay contains enough antioxidants to make a man look like Cary Grant.

And in Alsace a glass of good pinot noir improves health and students’ math scores.

Scientists in Champagne claim this red wine news is a lot of bunk. They maintain that their local bubbly has no positive effect on health except that it makes one happy. The logic is that if you experience concentrated happiness every day, you may not live longer, but you will certainly live better. As ever, there is a catch. The dosage required is more than a glassful. “A Magnum a day, keeps the doctor away!”

Of much greater scientific value, coming from an unlikely source (Edinburgh, Scotland), is the study which proves that regular (daily or hourly) sexual activity slows the effects of aging and combats disease.

But we knew that, didn’t we?

http://www.lemonde.fr/aujourd-hui/artic ... _3238.html

Cheers!

[Costi]

Finally science put to good use: the pursuit of happiness

[NJS]

One of the most pathetic hoarding collectors was convinced that they had built only nineteen Rolls Royce equivalents of the first Bentley 'Flying Spur' and set about buying all nineteen; only to discover (once he had nearly nineteen) that they had made many more. Discovering this, he frantically sold them all off: what a nitwit!
NJS

[cathach]

Robert Parker had two major achievements. He democraticized wine. And he created a vast market for a new alcoholic beverage based on grape juice.

The democratization led to the explosion of prices on wine. Who remembers pre Parker America, when a tiny fraction of the country drank wine at all? And who remembers when the great Bordeauxs and Burgandies cost a handful of dollars? Not anymore.

I think the creation of the new beverage did little harm to those who know what wine is, and the people who imbibe the concoctions of artificial flavorings, sulphur with a little grape juice don't know better.

Ahh but they soon know the next day. Whatever about the democratization of wine by Parker, I think something that really opened Irish and British and other eyes (mouths?) to local wines was Ryanair and cheap air fares. Finally after decades of ridiculously overpriced Blue Nun the people were able to taste local wines in their prime. And of course due to the minimal levels of processing in many cases the effects of over-indulgence were almost unnoticeable!

[All over the world]

I just received my new cookbooks however I am pretty desperate, everything is in cups and ounces and inches... I have no idea what this corresponds to in european measurements. Do I have to convert everything or can I just keep the measurements and throw away the value as in doing as if one cup was 100 grams?