Postmodern winemaking : rethinking the modern science of an ancient craft / Clark Smith.

ISBN:

9780520958548

Title:

Author:

Smith, Clark, author.

Personal Author:

Smith, Clark, author.

Edition:

1st ed.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (377 pages)

General Note:

Includes index.

Contents:

Subvention -- Title -- Copyright -- Dedication -- Contents -- Preface -- Acknowledgments -- Introduction -- Part One. Principles -- 1 The Solution Problem -- 2 Creating the Conditions for Graceful Aging -- 3 Building Structure: The Basic Tool Kit -- 4 The Seven Functions of Oak -- 5 Vineyard Enology: The Power of Showing Up -- 6 The Vicinal Diphenol Cascade: Red Wine's Defining Reaction -- 7 Redox Redux: Measuring Wine's Oxygen Uptake Capacity -- 8 Speculations on Minerality -- 9 Winemaking at High pH -- 10 Integrated Brettanomyces Management -- 11 Harmony and Astringency: Nice and Rough -- Part Two. Practices -- 12 Winemaking's Lunatic Heroes -- 13 Gideon Beinstock's Mountain Magic: Handling Extreme Terroir -- 14 Randall Grahm: California Dreamer in Search of the Miraculous -- 15 Bob Wample: Thinking Like a Grape -- Part Three. Technology -- 16 Pressing Matters: A Postmodern Tale -- 17 Some Like It Hot -- 18 The New Filtrations: Winemaking's Power Tools -- 19 Flash Détente: Winemaking Game Changer -- Part Four. Philosophy -- 20 Spoofulated or Artisanal? -- 21 Science and Biodynamics: The Limits of Rationalism -- 22 Natural Wine Nonsense -- 23 Yeast Inoculation: Threat or Menace? -- 24 New World Identity and Judging Reform -- 25 Liquid Music: Resonance in Wine -- Appendix 1. Winemaking Basics -- Appendix 2. Navigating the Postmodern Calendar -- Notes -- Glossary of Postmodern Terminology -- Index -- About the Author.

Local Note:

Electronic reproduction. Ann Arbor, Michigan : ProQuest Ebook Central, 2017. Available via World Wide Web. Access may be limited to ProQuest Ebook Central affiliated libraries.

Subject Term:

Alcoholic beverages.

Wine and wine making.

Format:

Electronic Resources

Electronic Access:

Click here to view book

Publication Date:

2014

Publication Information:

Berkerley :

University of California Press,

2014.

Available:*

Shelf Number	Material Type	Copy	Shelf Location	Status
641.22 SMI	1:E-BOOK	1	1:ONLINE	Searching... Unknown

Bound With These Titles

On Order

Summary

In Postmodern Winemaking , Clark Smith shares the extensive knowledge he has accumulated in engaging, humorous, and erudite essays that convey a new vision of the winemaker's craft--one that credits the crucial roles played by both science and art in the winemaking process. Smith, a leading innovator in red wine production techniques, explains how traditional enological education has led many winemakers astray--enabling them to create competent, consistent wines while putting exceptional wines of structure and mystery beyond their grasp. Great wines, he claims, demand a personal and creative engagement with many elements of the process. His lively exploration of the facets of postmodern winemaking, together with profiles of some of its practitioners, is both entertaining and enlightening.

Author Notes

Smith Clark :

Clark Smith is winemaker for Diamond Ridge Vineyards and his own WineSmith Cellars. He consults with hundreds of winemakers, is an Adjunct Professor at Fresno State University and Florida International University, and lectures widely on wine chemistry fundamentals. His Best-of-Appellation evaluations panel at AppellationAmerica.com explores the emerging wine regions of the United States and Canada, and his column "The Postmodern Winemaker" has appeared since 2009 in Wines & Vines magazine. He was awarded the 2016 Innovator of the Year at the Innovation + Quality (IQ) Forum, presented by Wine Business Monthly.

Reviews (3)

Publisher's Weekly Review

Winemaker Smith releases a heady bouquet of earthy tones and varietal flavors as he guides us carefully through the art of making, drinking, and enjoying the fruits of the vine. Wine, for him, is "like liquid music, for it has the capacity to embody a spectrum of emotional modalities, to exhibit harmony or dissonance, and it has the power to transport us from care and circumstance." Smith delineates the principles of postmodern winemaking: "Vine balance is the economic meeting place for winemakers and growers"; "The rebirth of a simple, inexpensive method shows promise for categorizing a wine's fragility or robustness. Sensory methods remain our best piloting tools." Along the way, Smith profiles "winemaking's lunatic heroes," including Gideon Beinstock, Randall Grahm, and Bob Wample. Enjoying wine, the author points out, is a sensory experience, and he suggests that "music pairing can greatly improve your chances of enjoying a wine." (Aug.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

Choice Review

In art, modernism focused on progress made based on science and rationality. Postmodernism is a theory of personal choice; nothing is fixed and there are no boundaries. This book, based on the author's articles in wine magazines, applies postmodernism to winemaking. Scientists, i.e., those employing the scientific method to conduct focused inquiries ("reductionist science"), will disagree with some of the assertions that Smith, a California winemaker, consultant, and educator, makes. Nonetheless, this is an enjoyable book, although there are some inconsistencies. At times, the author rejects reductionist science, but then lauds the scientific contributions of Vern Singleton, Roger Boulton, and Bob Wample. The author's discussion of Singleton's work is fascinating. But the oscillation between interventions rejected and those desired is very postmodern. Smith slides from the rational to the romantic as he expresses wine as "liquid music." This is an interesting description, as is his suggestion to taste the same wine with different music genres. As a scientist who seeks a rational understanding of winemaking techniques, this reviewer rejects the biodynamics precepts presented. Ultimately, postmodern winemaking will be tested in the marketplace. Superior results per price point will mean a new paradigm in enology. Summing Up: Recommended. All enology and viticulture collections. G. S. Howell emeritus, Michigan State University

Library Journal Review

According to winemaker, columnist, and instructor Smith, modern winemaking reliably delivers a consistent product, but the resulting wines fall short of reaching their potential. Through a series of chapters based on his past columns, Smith outlines a philosophy and deconstructs the science needed to return what might be called soul to wines. His approach has not been without detractors, especially those who believe that as little human intervention as possible should go into wine production. Although the author has revised earlier writings to make them more accessible to the layperson, it is difficult to imagine a broad audience for anything beyond the handful of chapters that profile winemakers. Also, while Smith peppers the book with asides and flashes of humor, championing wine produced in parts of the country less noted than California, the book's level of detail and its vocabulary (despite a helpful glossary) will overwhelm those outside the industry. VERDICT A thoughtful, dense, and intricate work, though with some personality shining through. Recommended for collections that support studies in oenology.---Peter -Hepburn, Coll. of the Canyons Lib., Santa Clarita, CA (c) Copyright 2013. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.