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A Wine-Soaked Journey from Grape to Glass

Edited by Darryl Beeson

This is a wine-doused blend of of the hit books Kitchen Confidential and Sideways. RED, WHITE, AND DRUNK ALL OVER: A Wine-Soaked Journey from Grape to Glass (Bloomsbury, $23.95, hardcover). It is the first book from James Beard and IACP award-winning journalist Natalie MacLean. She admits that herbook may surely drive readers to drink.

For example, MacLean takes a job as undercover sommelier at a five-star French restaurant, we learn how to order wine without fear (and how much to tip when throwing down $500 on a bottle). Another time, she works retail in a high-end wine shop in New York City and at a liquor store in San Francisco, telling readers what to look for when faced with a wall of bottles and a dinner party in an hour. In between, we get a glimpse of the famous feud between Robert Parker and Jancis Robinson, two of the world’s best-known critics. Back at home, Natalie invites friends over for a blind tasting and teaches them how to expectorate (try it in the shower first, please) and extols the screwcap, which provides a better seal than traditional cork and assures buyers no chance of wine contamination with TCA from cork bark.

We asked MacLean what her favorite wine might be? "Any bottle that someone else is paying for. Seriously, my favorite wine at any given time changes depending on who I’m with, what we’re eating and what mood I’m in. So a quaffable California zinfandel is perfect with barbecued steak in the backyard, but there’s nothing better than a mature bordeaux for a rack of lamb in an elegant restaurant."

We asked MacLean what are her ten favorite wines to drink with turkey dinner?
* 2004 Loosen Brothers Dr L Riesling QbA Mosel-Saar-Ruwer, Germany  $14
* 2005 Oyster Bay Marlborough, New Zealand $18
* 2005 Seresin Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough, New Zealand $20
* 2004 Rosenblum Zinfandel, California  $20
* 2004 Ravenswood Zinfandel, Sonoma, California  $20
* 2004 Amity Vineyards Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley, Oregon  $25
* 2004 Mission Hill Five Vineyards Pinot Noir, Okanagan, B.C. $14
* 2003 Graham Beck Shiraz, South Africa  $18
* 2004 Tyrell’s Old Winery Shiraz South Eastern Australia $15
* 2004 Vina Carmen Reserve Merlot, Chile $17

We asked what are your favorite fun food and wine matches, Natalie?
* Popcorn with Chilean chardonnay
* Nachos with California zinfandel
* Potato chips with French champagne
* Pizza with Italian chianti
* Fish and chips with German riesling
* Hamburgers with Australian shiraz
* Smoked salmon with Canadian or Oregon pinot noir
* Quiche with New Zealand sauvignon blanc
* Canned brown beans with tawny port
* TV dinner steak with French or Washington cabernet sauvignon

"Remember to always have fun: we’re talking wine here, not calculus!" concludes MacLean.

Natalie MacLean is an accredited sommelier and has won numerous awards, among them four James Beard Journalism Awards, including the MFK Fisher Distinguished Writing Award; five IACP Bert Greene Awards; four Association of Food Journalists Awards; and four North America Travel Journalists Association Awards; and she has been named the World’s Best Drink Writer. Her work has appeared in Best Food Writing, and she has written for Bon Appetit, Food & Wine, Wine Enthusiast, the San Francisco Chronicle, the Chicago Tribune, the Minneapolis Star Tribune World.

RED, WHITE, AND DRUNK ALL OVER: A Wine-Soaked Journey from Grape to Glass, By Natalie MacLean, $23.95, hardcover, ISBN 1-58234-648-8. Check out the website at www.nataliemaclean.com . Wine can be fun. This book is a perfect holiday gift, perhaps to give to yourself.

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Darryl Beeson searches the world for great wine-related finds. He is American editor for www.wineontheweb.com.

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