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University of California Press

About the Book

This pocket guide to Jamie Goode’s philosophy divulges what you need to know (and what you don’t) about the world of wine.

Who will have the last word on wine, if not Jamie Goode? Over the last decade, Goode has embarked on almost nonstop travel through the world’s vineyards in an effort to understand the beautifully diverse and complicated world of wine. His hard-nosed pursuit of the most interesting stories to tell about wine has led us here, to The Goode Guide to Wine.

This book—a sort of manifesto—distills many of the observations, lessons, and opinions that have made Jamie Goode a renowned voice within the wine world. In a series of short, pithy, and often rather blunt chapters, he celebrates what is exciting and interesting about wine, asks how we could do things better, and points out some of the absurdities of wine culture. Jamie Goode has a distinct philosophy when it comes to wine, and he knows you may disagree; if you do, that means it’s working. The Goode Guide to Wine is a book designed to provoke and inspire in equal measure, encouraging the reader to be critical and to see the world of wine through fresh eyes.

About the Author

Jamie Goode is a wine writer and lecturer. He has a national newspaper column, writes for many publications, and authors wineanorak.com, one of the top wine websites. His previous books include The Science of Wine, Flawless, and I Taste Red. He is based in London, UK.

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Table of Contents

preface 

1. the heart of authenticity
2. the skill of winegrowing 
3. soils matter
4. the art of interpretation
5. some wines are just wine
6. the wine is a whole
7. wine resists the proud
8. the taste is not in the wine
9. buildings, people, fabrics
10. framing: how words can get in the way
11. mouthfeel matters
12. just because I’m learning doesn’t mean I’m stupid 
13 wine as an aesthetic system 
14. beauty is not the absence of flaws
15. we drink wine for many reasons: flavor is just one of them
16. a virtuous intoxicant 
17. there is always another wine
18. tasting transforms us
19. we are not programmed to like certain wines
20. scores can be useful, but mostly they are stupid 
21. wine, be yourself
22. the sadness of spoofulation
23. too many commercial palates 
24. monsters aren’t serious 
25. the evil of overripeness
26. express the vintage
27. stay critical, but remember: there is room for everyone
28. a mystical transformation
29. don’t expect others to pick up your tab
30. true to origins
31. no new clothes
32. bright side story 
33. no one drinks wine blind
34. you don’t drink the same wine at home
35. beer is better than wine 
36. escape the small oak rut
37. segment or be damned 
38. balance is not always in the middle 
39. we are on a journey; this is mine
40. don’t expect the fish to come to you
41. lead with your best
42. beware the wine consumer champions
43. winemaking is not chemistry. it is biology
44. stop trying so hard and just be yourself
45. don’t be an all-rounder; be a specialist
46. beware the time lag 
47. first impressions matter
48. play the long game
49. for most wines, glass bottles make no sense 
50. fewer follies
51. celebrity wines, no thanks 
52. all can play
53. how to succeed at wine writing by writing boring articles
54. the importance of stories
55. why it matters

acknowledgments 
index

Reviews

"Original, sensory-fused titles. . . frame the book’s short and easy-reading chapters. Goode is open and assertive with his opinions, including of the need for a holistic approach to wine, but his tone is humorous, even facetious at times. . . . An entertaining and deep industry text."
Foreword Reviews
“Oenophiles and vintners alike will find provocations, lessons, and pleasures in these smartly opinionated pages.”
Kirkus Reviews, STARRED
“Good reading from an author who writes, ‘Personally, I’d rather drink beer than suffer these dull, dishonest, trick-about wines.’"
Appellation Beer
“A peek into the mind of this fascinating fellow as he travels the wine world, seeking out questions, weighing evidence, making up his mind. . . . It’s really good. Highly recommended."
Wine Economist
"This new manifesto will reveal Goode's personal take on the wine industry, drawing on his travels and experiences throughout the wine world and promises to be as enjoyable to read as it is thought-provoking."
 
Wine Review Online
“Eminently readable. . . . Never less than engaging, entertaining and – yes – thought-provoking."

 
Club Oenologique Online
“Never has a wine book had a subtitle that so accurately describes its contents. . . . Somehow, despite a premise that could easily have devolved into arrogant mansplaining, and a penchant for utilizing sentences so short that it suggests a phobia against punctuation, this book manages to come off as friendly, informed, and useful.”
 
1 Wine Dude
"He has travelled the world, dipping in and out of vineyards to better understand the diverse and complicated world of wine. . . . A very entertaining read."
Irish Sun
"Fun polemical primer to wine appreciation."
Guardian
“A delightful book that is like a jumble sale: rummage around and you’ll find some really awful, trite, clichéd stuff; you’ll find some well-used but useful bits and bobs that are a little bit mundane, certainly not original, but solidly made; and then there are the absolute gems. These are the kind of treasures you want to hug to your chest and not tell the seller how freaking thrilled you are in case they up the price. This is Jamie’s car boot – packed to the rooftop with all three categories. . . . Get the book. Rummage around. You’ll find something."
JancisRobinson.com

“A great book for the knowledgeable wine lover who has almost everything.”

Gothic Epicures VinCuisine
“A fabulous read, very unique in its form and structure, entertaining, thoughtful and quite easily one of the best wine books released this year. I also disagree with much of what is in it, yet I can’t seem to stop picking it up and re-reading it. . . . Goode is honest, complete, and responsible to himself and his readers. The beauty of this little book is that it motivates the reader to stop after each and every entry and think, consider their response to his positions and hone their own. In this respect, Goode’s manifesto is a gift.?"
Fermentation
"'A manifesto of sorts'? More like a sacred manuscript for the ages. Chock-full of the kind of fascinating insight and ideology that only 25 years of dedicated travel, study, and reflection can yield. The Goode Guide to Wine transports readers into the mind of one of the most forward-thinking wine writers of our time. And they won’t be disappointed."—Sam Harrop, Master of Wine, qualified winemaker, and independent winemaking consultant

"Jamie Goode knows a lot about wine and he is not afraid to tell you what he thinks. Agree or disagree as you wish, but Goode will make you think about what you drink and why. A revealing peek inside the complicated mind of one of the world's most respected wine experts."—Mike Veseth, author of Around the World in Eighty Wines

"Jamie Goode has written a highly original book that will open up wine discussions in new and necessary directions."—Felicity Carter, Editor-in-Chief, Meininger's Wine Business International

"An admirably forthright, lucid, rare, indeed unique, statement of values in wine. Highly personal but with the credibility of a respected professional wine writer who has the rare combination of a developed aesthetic sensibility and a scientific background, and who has tasted and traveled widely. Many of the contemporary and progressive ideas here will be familiar to many professionals in the wine world, but this may be the first time that so many of them have been brought together in this way, which is badly needed and long overdue."—Neil Beckett, editor of The World of Fine Wine

Praise for Flawless: Understanding Faults in Wine

"Mr. Goode is succinct and clear about how . . . various flaws are expressed in wines. This can be helpful to any wine lover who knows when a wine is not right, but doesn’t know exactly what is wrong."—Eric Asimov New York Times

"In Flawless Dr. Jamie Goode flips this paradigm on its head with his trademark rigor, transforming 'scary' scientific equations into highly accessible concepts to elucidate one of the most overlooked and misunderstood areas of wine quality. Flawless should be on the bookshelf of all ambitious and passionately curious wine professionals."—Sam Harrop MW, winemaker and coauthor of Authentic Wine: Toward Natural and Sustainable Winemaking

"A great contribution to wine knowledge.”—Dr. Brian Croser AO, winemaker and owner of Tapanappa Wines

Praise for I Taste Red: The Science of Tasting Wine

"Our five favorite liquor and wine books from 2016: An engaging read."—San Francisco Chronicle

"It's not often you read a book on wine that calls into question your grip on reality, your authenticity, your judgement, a whole lot of things that you believe about yourself, and then tells you that mostly your brain is trying to disregard information—including that of the wine you're trying to assess—rather than assimilate it. . . .This book is controversial, anti-establishment, ground-breaking."—JancisRobinson.com

"Copious and often complex scientific subjects are handled with Goode’s characteristic lightness of touch. Illustrative thought experiments and helpful summations aid the reader through the more difficult material. All that means that I Taste Red will amply reward both professionals and amateurs alike."—Decanter

"The book is superb. The topics covered are complex and, while presented in depth, are explained well for laypersons. This book should be read by every individual who tastes wine critically, produces wine, or simply enjoys wine's pleasures."—CHOICE

"The scientific understanding of the joy we experience in a great glass of wine is still in its infancy. But by the end of his fascinating book, a reader may well see, smell, and taste the world with a completely different perspective." —2016 Book of the Year—Wine & Spirits

Media

Jamie Goode offers a sneak peek of his wine manifesto