Book Review: Oldman's Brave New World of Wine: Pleasure, Value and Adventure Beyond Wine’s Usual Suspects
I look for value wherever I go. I buy clothes when they’re on sale. When I donate to public radio or charity, I try to do it when there’s a matching offer. Sometimes I decide what I think a fair price is, and I look around until I find it — or something very close to it. So when I notice the word “value” in a book title about wine, I pay attention.
As I did recently when I went to hear Mark Oldman speak at the James Beard Foundation about his new book, Oldman's Brave New World of Wine: Pleasure, Value and Adventure Beyond Wine’s Usual Suspects, published by W.W. Norton; 333 pp.
I knew that Oldman was already an award-winning writer. His first book, Oldman’s Guide to Outsmarting Wine, won the Georges Duboeuf Best Wine Book of the Year Award. It covers the usual suspects and helps you navigate the world of wine with ease. His second book is a spin-off of the Secret Alternatives section in it.
In Oldman's Brave New World of Wine, he explains that you pay a comfort premium for popular, familiar wines, so value is to be found in the less familiar varietals — the also-delicious-but-not-yet-particularly-sexy wines. Oldman calls these wines his Brave New Pours. Many have recently improved, he explains, because "an ambitious new generation of winemakers and improved winemaking technology [have been] revitalizing forgotten grapes and revamping wine regions throughout the world.... The diversity of wines and their quality and affordability has never been greater."
So this is a perfect time to try them. With these Brave New Pours, Oldman may at first take you beyond your comfort zone (although some will, I imagine, already be in your repertoire). Hopefully you won’t stay there long because these are the wines that captivate wine experts. As you become familiar with them, many should please you too. Most average under $20 a bottle, some cost $10 or less. They offer excellent quality for their price.
Among the 43 wines Oldman includes are the crisp, aromatic Moschofilero from Greece; the semi-sparkling white Txakoli from Spain’s Basque country; Aglianico, southern Italy’s most prestigious red; and California’s hearty Petite Sirah. He also recommends reliable producers, suggests food matches and provides pronunciations when necessary. One of my favorite sections is "Enthusiasts Also Like" — "If You Like This, You’ll Also Like That" recommendations. There are other helpful sections that may become your favorites.
BOTTOM LINE: Oldman's Brave New World of Wine is a wonderful book for those eager to escape their Pinot Grigio-Chardonnay-Cabernet Sauvignon-Merlot wine rut. The book speaks to readers with different levels of wine experience and knowledge. It’s just my kind of summer reading. (Of course, it’s de rigueur in fall, winter and spring too.)
©2011 Sharon Kapnick for SeniorWomen.com
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