Gerald Asher, who served as Gourmet’s wine editor for thirty years, has drawn together this selection of his essays, published in Gourmet and elsewhere, for the collective insight they give into why a wine should always be an expression of a place and a time. Guiding the reader through twenty-seven diverse wine regions in France, Italy, Spain, Germany, and California, he shows how every wine worth drinking is a reflection of its terroir—in the broadest sense of that untranslatable word. In evocative reminiscences of wines, winemakers, and the meals he has had with them, he weaves together climate, terrain, and local history, sharing his knowledge and experience so skillfully that we learn as we are entertained and come to understand, gradually, that the meaning and pleasure of a wine lie always in the context of its origin and in the concurrence of where, how, and with whom we enjoy it.
A Vineyard in My Glass
About the Book
Reviews
“Gerald Asher's name snaps wine types to attention for good reason. The longtime Gourmet wine editor's shimmering, detailed prose can often relay a wine's cultural tale in a single sentence. So if ‘A Vineyard in My Glass’ . . . is a compilation of his previous magazine work, it is also a chance to revisit the beauty of wine writing in pure form. Rather than feel dated, some older pieces retain timelessness.”—San Francisco Chronicle
“Amid a flood of mediocre, silly and pretentious wine writers, Asher stands out as a true craftsman and gentleman journalist who knows wine and can tell a story with wit and insight.”—Sasha Paulsen Napa Valley Register
"Compelling. . . . A thoughtful, provocative journey."—Mary Gorman-McAdams The Kitchn
“A fascinating read.”—Bob Walch Watsonville Register-Pajaronian
“A terrific introduction to one of the greatest wine writers of our times. . . . Complexity [that’s] easy to savor.”—Lara Douglass Wine & Spirits Magazine
“When Gerald Asher talks, I listen—especially when he talks about the very essence of my professional being. There is no writer I revere more than Mr. Asher. He is keenly analytical. He is honest and incisive in his appraisals. And, he is so much more interesting to read than I am that I just held on for dear life as I searched for his article under the title above.”—Connoisseurs’ Guide To California Wine
“Should be on the shelf of any wine lover.”—Laurie Daniel Contra Costa Times
“Gerald Asher, the longtime wine editor of beloved Gourmet Magazine (RIP), offers this inspiring collection of essays for some very inviting (or imbibing) fall reading. . . . By the end, you’ll feel like you not only know a bit more about wine but that you practically know firsthand the places and people that make great wine the world’s most romantic, intoxicating drink.”—Eat Something Sexy
“I cut my teeth as a wine lover reading Gerald Asher's romantic but solidly grounded reports on wine regions in Gourmet, at a time when that magazine was intended for a very sophisticated audience. No one in the field has ever provided more sound information in more elegantly written sentences. His essays truly made you sense the work and traditions that go into making a fine wine. From its takes on whites of the Southern Rhone to a whole chapter on Soave, this book convinces the reader that snobbery is the truest enemy of wine, and like the best, most erudite of teachers, Asher knows how to entertain and enlighten in a way that sends one straight to the vineyards.”—Esquire/Eat Like A Man Blog
“Besides the chronicling and profiling, Asher's work is also stuffed full of an urbane empathy that allows him to spin an honest but always sympathetic portrait of wines or a region, and always doing so with a straight face and not too much fuss. Underneath what are fairly straightforward profiles of regions, the people that populate them and the wines produced there, one finds the prose of a romantic who's love of authenticity and preciseness and, most importantly, pleasure are allowed to seep out, politely and burnished smooth.”—Fermentation: The Daily Wine Blog
“These correspondences are filled with wit and wisdom, an open heart and mind.”—Minneapolis Star Tribune
“Should be on the shelf of any wine lover.”—Laurie Daniel Oakland Tribune
“Should be on the shelf of any wine lover.”—Laurie Daniel San Jose Mercury News
“A Vineyard in My Glass by Gerald Asher is a collection of 27 essays about wine regions - focusing mainly on Europe but also big on North America - written by one of the best senior wordsmiths practicing in wine.”—Huon Hooke Sydney Morning Herald
“Not only will this fascinating read deepen your appreciation of your favorite wine, but it will also lead you to discover other wine regions.”—Anthony Dias Blue The Blue Lifestyle Minute
"While many wine writers take a more self-righteous approach to issues of the grape, Asher's easygoing style reminds us of the fundamental purposes and pleasures of wine."—Times Literary Supplement
“There is timelessness in his writing. . . . His writing [is] a literary pleasure.”—Wall Street Jourbal
“Even the oldest stories have a timeless appeal thanks to the pellucid prose of Mr. Asher, whose metaphors never strain and whose narrative flows like a glass of his beloved Corton. Although he ranges around the world, Mr. Asher is particularly evocative when the subject is France. It's the perfect gift for the connoisseur.”—Wall Street Journal
“Asher’s compilation of insightful essays is as stimulating as fine wine.”—Andrew Hoover Wine Enthusiast
“Some of Asher’s best writing is reprinted in A Carafe of Red and A Vineyard in My Glass (both University of California Press).”—Www.yourcanterbury.co.uk
"A master of wine writing, Asher entertains readers with a deliciously told story enriched by his passion for good food and wine."—Gastronomica“Gerald Asher brought to Gourmet the magazine's most literate, scholarly, and civilized column. For a balanced view, a true feel for wine's values, he has no peer. And he is always a joy to read.”—Hugh Johnson, author of A Life Uncorked and The World Atlas of Wine
"Gerald Asher is amongst the most erudite men I know. With an exceptional palate, he appreciates wines of great elegance, subtlety, and finesse, and his writings capture the essence of many fine wines."—Christian Moueix, Etablissements Jean-Pierre Moueix
“Wine can occasionally be silken textured, as can its prose, especially in Gerald Asher's hands. He is the Maestro, the Doyen, and my inspiration since the 1970s.”—John Livingstone-Learmonth, author of The Wines of the Northern Rhône
"Gerald Asher's eye for telling detail makes for addictively readable prose"—Terry Theise, author of Reading between the Wines
“When it comes to style as well as substance, no one writing about wine in the English language comes close to Gerald Asher. These articles from Gourmet magazine are as fresh and informative as they were when initially published. A Vineyard in My Glass deserves a place on every wine lover’s bookshelf.”—Steve Heimoff, author of A Wine Journey Along the Russian River
In a wine world that is obsessed with points and descriptors, Gerald Asher’s writing is utterly refreshing. No matter his topic, he reminds us that the most interesting things about wine are the place it comes from and the people who make it.—Carole Meredith, Professor Emerita of Enology, UC Davis
Table of Contents
List of Maps
Introduction
Part One. France
Fronsac: Chalk and Clay, Legs and Thighs
Vouvray: Tufa and Temperate Summers
Côte Chalonnaise: Limestone Delicacy
White Wines of the Southern Rhône: A Fresh Look at Old Varieties
Muscadet: Ocean Breezes and Estuary Sands
Saint-Emilion: A Jumble of Soils
Chablis: A French Classic from Ancient Seashells
The Other Médoc: Vines and Windmills
Corton: Burgundy’s Magic Mountain
Roussillon: Sunlight in a Bottle
Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé: Terres Blanches, Caillottes, and Silex
Champagne: Location, Location, Location
Château Montrose: The Essential Saint-Estèphe
Part Two. Other European Wine Regions
Soave: Old Lava and New Politics
Saar and Ruwer: Riesling, Slate, and Long Summer Days
Brunello di Montalcino: Elegance from an Untamed Land
Rias Baixas–Albariño: A Fragrant Wine of the Sea
Vega Sicilia: A Legend at High Altitude
Part Three. California
Dry Creek Valley: An Easy Grace
Clarksburg: The Right Grape in the Right Place
Carneros: Wind, Fog, and Hardpan
Santa Barbara County: A Geological Quirk
Edna Valley: Marine Sediment and Volcanic Debris
Lodi: Where the Pacific Meets the Sierra Nevada
Mount Veeder: Vines among the Redwoods
Anderson Valley: Gravel and Cobblestones in Arcadia
Rutherford: The Heart of Napa Valley
Index
Media
Interview with the author.