"Learning how to taste wine is a bit like sex … while it’s all a bit awkward at first, the more you practice the better at it you’re likely to
become." So writes Matt Skinner in his new book Heard It Through the Grapevine-Things You Should Know to Enjoy Wine.
Since I periodically receive books about wine and/or food to review, over the next couple of weeks I’m going to share a few of the titles that have recently caught my attention for one reason or another. This one, penned by a tousle-headed surfer dude from Down Under, strives to present wine in an amiable, engaging, informal yet informative way, and for the most part he succeeds. The book offers a huge amount of advice about all the gadgetry associated with wine–corkscrews, decanters, glassware and so on–but the real strength of Things You Should Know lies in its good natured guidance along the sometimes bewildering world of wine. While much of the content is geared to young adults who are relatively new to the particulars of wine, Skinner offers plenty of advice we might all benefit from. In the chapter Love What You Drink he writes: “I don’t just want you to know that you like what you’re drinking. That’s not enough. I want you to know what you like about it and why.” Maybe that sounds obvious, but those of us who still feel we have a lot to learn about wine (by which I mean everyone) could profit by being nudged into a more honest examination of what we’re tasting rather than experiencing a merely visceral reaction to it.
Skinner refers to wine’s basic characteristics as “tools.” For example, he writes that acidity helps cut through oily textures in food: “It is a naturally good tool for cleaning and refreshing your palate.” Tannin, which “is great at working to get through major obstacles such as protein and fat,” is another critical tool. “In the grand scheme of things, finding a wine with the right tools is just as important as finding a wine with the right flavors and texture,” he writes.
There are perhaps no big surprises in the food and wine pairing section of his book, but Skinner’s enthusiasm can rev up the reader’s own desire to rush out and put together even traditional partners such as Fino sherry and green olives. (“Fino and Manzanilla sherry are two of the greatest food-friendly wines produced anywhere in the world,” he reminds us). Duck and Pinot Noir, according to Skinner, “share an almost spiritual relationship,” while Sauvignon Blanc and goat cheese make “an incredible marriage. Two ingredients, one crisp and angular, the other pasty and chalklike, yet together they seem to disarm one another, smoothing out the hard edges as they go.”
You may not always appreciate Matt Skinner’s super-relaxed style, and some of the material he presents–“the difference between good years and bad years comes down to Mother Nature”–can be, well, elemental, but overall there is plenty to like about this basic guide to wine appreciation. It isn’t going to replace the tried and true tomes found on any true oenophile’s bookshelf, but it certainly would make a good gift, especially for a wine newbie who might be put off by some of the more straight-laced books of wine education, for this one is both hip and helpful. “Step outside your comfort zone and open your mind to trying new things,” advises Matt Skinner. This book just might be one of them.
Matt Skinner, 2009, published by Mitchell Beazley/Octopus Books USA, $24.99 hardcover
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