Questions of Taste: The Philosophy of Wine
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Book Summary Information
Editor: Barry SmithForeword: Jancis Robinson
Edition: Hardcover
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2007-10-01
ISBN: 019533146X
Number of pages: 288
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
Book Reviews of Questions of Taste: The Philosophy of Wine
Book Review: Background in Philosophy and a Love of Wine
Summary: 5 Stars
I wouldn't recommend this book unless you are either philosophically minded (i.e. have a background in philosophy) or enjoy scholarly essays. This book is not an introduction to wine, it is not about families in vineyards, about wine lovers and wine-makers sharing their personal tales about wine and the wine experience (although Chapter 10 does focus on Ridge winemaker, Paul Draper and his opinions about wine and wine culture - if you can pick this book up at the library, just read his interview with wine writer Andrew Jefford. It is the most accessible part of the book, revealing the depth and passion of a widely-read, world traveled California winemaker).
If you took a philosophy class in university and didn't enjoy it, I suggest something else. This book is dry, reminiscent of philosophical journals I had to read as an undergraduate. As much as I loved this book, treasured each individual essay, I know it isn't for everyone. The book doesn't focus on grape varieties, doesn't talk about the history of wine, etc...
But again, I loved it. Ten essays, all of them focusing on the philosophical questions circulating around wine appreciation and apprehension. There is discussion about the science of wine, the science of the brain, subjectivity vs. objectivity. If this gets you going, I recommend this book. I found the reading fascinating but slow going, often pausing, putting the book aside over some of the more difficult to grasp concepts. Each essay is worth several reads, if not to enjoy the prose and the arguments but to further dwell on the questions presented. The one question I still come back to: is wine art? Roger Scruton would argue against it as would Tim Crane in this volume. It is a question I often put to my colleagues in the wine industry and the discussion always comes up with something new.
Again, this is a great read, one of my favourites in the literature of wine (The Judgment of Paris by George Taber another) but not for everybody. If you want the challenge and are prepared for it, I say go for it. Others interested in philosophy of wine, check out 'Wine & Philosophy' edited Frit Allhoff... both are great but the latter is suitable for a larger audience.
Summary of Questions of Taste: The Philosophy of Wine
Interest in wine has steadily increased in recent years, with people far more sophisticated about wine than they used to be, and with more and more books being written about it, not to mention the success of films like Sideways. And, inevitably, those who take a serious interest in wine find themselves asking questions about it that are at heart philosophical.Questions of Taste is the first book to tackle these questions, illuminating the philosophical issues surrounding our love of wine. Featuring lucid essays by top philosophers, a linguist, a biochemist, and a winemaker and wine critic, this book applies their critical and analytical skills to answer--or at least understand--many thorny questions. Does the experience of wine lie in the glass or in our minds? Does the elaborate language we use to describe wine--alluding to the flavors of cheese or fruit, or to a wines suppleness or brawniness--really mean anything at all? Can two people taste one wine in the same way? Does a wine expert enjoy wine more than a novice? How much should we care about what experts say about wine? These questions and others are not just the concern of the wine lover, but go to the heart of how we think about the world around us--and are the province of the philosopher.
With a foreword by leading wine authority Jancis Robinson (editor of the Oxford Companion to Wine), this volume will be of interest to anyone who thinks seriously about the experience of enjoying wine, as well as those interested in seeing philosophy applied to the world of the everyday.
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