- Paperback: 272 pages
- Publisher: North Point Press; First paperback Edition edition (14 Feb 2005)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0865477124
- ISBN-13: 978-0865477124
- Product Dimensions: 20.8 x 14 x 1.9 cm
- Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 837,963 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
8 of 9 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
As a voracious reader of wine books, this is one of the finest I have read. The author takes us on a tour of wine regions, meeting wine-makers, critics, drinkers - he is obviously an expert but plays to his audience which makes this a humourous and intelligent read. I read it in one sitting and will read it again soon.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
23 reviews
11 of 11 people found the following review helpful
The Accidental Connoisseur - A Travel Memoir about the Wine World - Worth a Read!
29 Jan 2008
Format:Paperback
This book is really a travel memoir about one man's journey into the wine world, and not necessarily a "wine book." Understand that and you can get a lot of pleasure out of this one. For those who love tongue-in-cheek humor, it's also worth a few laughs.
I'm a reader, but also a wine enthusiast. I don't drink wine often, but I try to read up and stay informed. Imagine my surprise when I was given this book as a gift. You see, I am familiar with Lawrence Osborne's fiction, having read his first novel years ago. Ania Malina (King Penguin) But I had no idea that he wrote about wine.
First and foremost, Mr. Osborne is a very accomplished writer. His fiction has somehow flown under the radar in the states. The flowery writing style he uses in this book differs from his fiction and brings more of his own "voice" to the memoir. While he can be a little wordy, he comes across more as genuine and not at all pompous. He is very honest and openly admits the gaps in his wine knowledge. Yes, he does take a few sarcastic jabs at some of the wine makers, but he does so respectfully. Clearly, he simply disagrees with some of the places the wine world is going, with $1000 bottles and ivory tower ratings.
The book takes you through a dozen or so excursions to wineries in California, Italy and France. By the end of the book, the writer seems tired of the wine world and is comfortable just to enjoy wine for what it is.
Considerations
- This book is not for those seeking wine education. It is a great travel journal about one man's quest to scratch the surface of the wine culture.
- The author's random insertions of historical background throughout his travels seemed at times to be out of place or overdone. It is informative and I definitely learned. A little rearranging and some more edits would have made it better for me.
- I can see how some would criticize the lack of a traditional climax. This memoir still made sense to me as a real experience. I disagreed with some of the author's ideas, but in the end, the author's perspective comes across as genuine.
Overall, I enjoyed this book and plan to read it again in the future. I only wonder why 4 years have passed since the author's last book. I hope you'll give this one a try.
Enjoy!
I'm a reader, but also a wine enthusiast. I don't drink wine often, but I try to read up and stay informed. Imagine my surprise when I was given this book as a gift. You see, I am familiar with Lawrence Osborne's fiction, having read his first novel years ago. Ania Malina (King Penguin) But I had no idea that he wrote about wine.
First and foremost, Mr. Osborne is a very accomplished writer. His fiction has somehow flown under the radar in the states. The flowery writing style he uses in this book differs from his fiction and brings more of his own "voice" to the memoir. While he can be a little wordy, he comes across more as genuine and not at all pompous. He is very honest and openly admits the gaps in his wine knowledge. Yes, he does take a few sarcastic jabs at some of the wine makers, but he does so respectfully. Clearly, he simply disagrees with some of the places the wine world is going, with $1000 bottles and ivory tower ratings.
The book takes you through a dozen or so excursions to wineries in California, Italy and France. By the end of the book, the writer seems tired of the wine world and is comfortable just to enjoy wine for what it is.
Considerations
- This book is not for those seeking wine education. It is a great travel journal about one man's quest to scratch the surface of the wine culture.
- The author's random insertions of historical background throughout his travels seemed at times to be out of place or overdone. It is informative and I definitely learned. A little rearranging and some more edits would have made it better for me.
- I can see how some would criticize the lack of a traditional climax. This memoir still made sense to me as a real experience. I disagreed with some of the author's ideas, but in the end, the author's perspective comes across as genuine.
Overall, I enjoyed this book and plan to read it again in the future. I only wonder why 4 years have passed since the author's last book. I hope you'll give this one a try.
Enjoy!
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful
An irreverent and humorous approach to wine
20 July 2005
Format:Paperback
This book is easy to read--a common-sense book that looks at the puffery of the wine scene. I bought additional copies and gave them to a couple of wine-loving friends. Wish I could read a book of this caliber each month.
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful
A gem of a book
15 Jun 2005
Format:Hardcover
Under the quixotic travelogue disguise lurks a gently insightful, open minded and intelligent assessment of how we think about wine. For those who care about wine, this is a gem of a book.
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