Order Questions of Taste: The Philosophy of Wine

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. Get more detail about Questions of Taste: The Philosophy of Wine.