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Wine Wars
Writing with wit and verve, Mike Veseth (a.k.a. the Wine Economist) tells the compelling story of the war between the market trends that are redrawing the world wine map and the terroirists who resist them. Wine and the wine business are at a critical crossroad today, transformed by three powerful forces. Veseth begins with the first force, globalization, which is shifting the center of the wine world as global wine markets provide enthusiasts with a rich but overwhelming array of choices. Two Buck Chuck, the second force, symbolizes the rise of branded products like the famous Charles Shaw wines sold in Trader Joe's stores. Branded corporate wines simplify the worldwide wine market and give buyers the confidence they need to make choices, but they also threaten to dumb down wine, sacrificing terroir to achieve marketable McWine reliability. Will globalization and Two Buck Chuck destroy the essence of wine? Perhaps, but not without a fight, Veseth argues. He counts on "the revenge of the terroirists " to save wine's soul. But it won't be easy as wine expands to exotic new markets such as China and the very idea of terroir is attacked by both critics and global climate change. Veseth has "grape expectations" that globalization, Two Buck Chuck, and the revenge of the terroirists will uncork a favorable future for wine in an engaging tour-de-force that will appeal to all lovers of wine, whether it be boxed, bagged, or bottled.
264 pages, Hardcover
First published June 16, 2011
41 people are currently reading
327 people want to read
About the author
Mike Veseth
8 books16 followersWall Street Journal wine columnist Lettie Teague writes that “Of all the wine blogs in the wide, wide blogosphere, one that I look forward to reading the most is Mike Veseth’s Wine Economist. There’s nothing else quite like it—a blend of economic insight … and often irreverent winespeak.”
Economist Mike Veseth (pronounced VEE-seth) is an authority on global wine markets who travels the world studying wine economics and speaking to wine industry groups. He reports his discoveries on this blog, The Wine Economist, and in more than a dozen books including Wine Wars (2011), Extreme Wine (2013) and Money, Taste & Wine: It’s Complicated! (2015). The newest book, Around the World in Eighty Wines, will appear in November, 2017.
The Wine Economist was named 2015 “Best in the World” wine blog by Gourmand International. Money Taste, and Wine received the 2016 Gourmand International award for “Best in the World” wine writing.
Economist Mike Veseth (pronounced VEE-seth) is an authority on global wine markets who travels the world studying wine economics and speaking to wine industry groups. He reports his discoveries on this blog, The Wine Economist, and in more than a dozen books including Wine Wars (2011), Extreme Wine (2013) and Money, Taste & Wine: It’s Complicated! (2015). The newest book, Around the World in Eighty Wines, will appear in November, 2017.
The Wine Economist was named 2015 “Best in the World” wine blog by Gourmand International. Money Taste, and Wine received the 2016 Gourmand International award for “Best in the World” wine writing.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
May 11, 2011
Written by a wine economics expert who lives in Washington, this book provides fascinating history on the globalization of the wine industry - and why that is not necessarily a bad thing. Veseth convincingly makes arguments for why inexpensive wine is not a problem and why the wine world is unlikely to collapse on itself. All in all, it is a comprehensive, well-written and glass-half-full book.
Frankly, I learned a great deal about wine, how it is made and the history of many wine regions. I learned a great deal about the Chinese market, as well as the problems going on in France and Australia. This was a hugely entertaining and valuable read.
Frankly, I learned a great deal about wine, how it is made and the history of many wine regions. I learned a great deal about the Chinese market, as well as the problems going on in France and Australia. This was a hugely entertaining and valuable read.
November 18, 2012
Very interesting read on the economics and future of future wine around the world.
October 9, 2012
I enjoyed learning a bit about the wine business. I don't consider the book a "must read. It's sort of like Freakonomics meets the global wine economy.
September 24, 2017
This book could be used as a more grounded companion or complement to Reading Between the Wines because it tackles some similar topics, such as that of the future of wine and the concept of wine with soul (vs. wines with qualities designed to appeal to a broad set of tastebuds).
This book, however, offers a wealth of information about the wine industry, including about the benefits of corks vs. other types of closure, the way wine is transported, how wine is sold in a shop, and what part big box stores have in making wine available to people who otherwise might not drink wine.
This book, however, offers a wealth of information about the wine industry, including about the benefits of corks vs. other types of closure, the way wine is transported, how wine is sold in a shop, and what part big box stores have in making wine available to people who otherwise might not drink wine.
June 29, 2020
I really enjoyed this book, but I did knock it down a star because some points were heavily repeated through a book that was just over 200 pages long. “Wine Wars” brought together 2 interests of mine: drinking/learning about wine and economics and did not disappoint. I learned a lot about wine regions, marketing, and wine itself. A must read for any wine lover.
October 26, 2021
Great book, easy to read, plenty of well researched accounts of the stories associated with the vintners and their experiences with wine.
I especially enjoyed how they French were able to use the palates, well lack of, against the Germans.
A good read for anyone interested in wine or enjoys a glass of wine was reading about history
I especially enjoyed how they French were able to use the palates, well lack of, against the Germans.
A good read for anyone interested in wine or enjoys a glass of wine was reading about history
June 17, 2021
Fantastic read! An enjoyable way to learn about the history, economics, and trends of the wine industry. Mike Veseth uses a very casual and approachable tone throughout to educate the reader about the ins and outs of the complex wine ecosystem.
April 25, 2018
I really enjoyed this book. My only negative is I wish there was more of it.
August 15, 2018
Interesting, but mostly ok
The author is an expert in his field, but he is not an amazing author. It's great if you want to learn about the international wine trade
The author is an expert in his field, but he is not an amazing author. It's great if you want to learn about the international wine trade
March 7, 2019
Interesting and informative, especially if you love wine.
July 15, 2022
Love reading about wine and economics. Nice to learn how other countries wine industry work. Finished the book after sipping on some Charles Shaw Boom! Boom! Syrah to see what all the fuss is about.
August 28, 2023
Good information but very repetitive.
September 17, 2017
Great book though a little dated now... could do with a revision or an update. I learned lots for the book however about the industry and the globalization of wine.
March 29, 2015
This book is completely fascinating! It will be (or at least should be) of interest to anyone who's ever bought a bottle of wine. Veseth, a "wine economist" combines history, economics, viticulture, and technology in his exploration of the forces that shape wine markets both globally and locally. It is a relentless cascade of completely fascinating facts and observations, written in a light and engaging style. He walks readers through the stratifications of the "wine wall" and the factors that bring certain wines across the world to the shelves in front of you.
As an economist, much discussion is devoted to the difficulty assessing the value of wine - a product he calls the least transparent. Veseth shows that there is no correlation between wine prices and quality, with cheap bottles frequently outscoring their far more expensive competitors. He also relates the finding of interesting studies showing that people rate wine differently when given price information, even if it's completely bogus. It's almost impossible to know whether a wine is "good" or if you will like it ahead of buying and tasting it, making wine purchasing first and foremost a question of a buyer confidence.
Enter the role of the giant supermarkets like Tesco and Costco, and phenomena like Two Buck Chuck, which leverage consumer trust in a store to sell wine and give buyers the confidence to make a purchase (demystifying the "da vino code") instead of simply walking away from the wine wall overwhelmed. Veseth also credits TBC with raising the floor of value wine by setting a certain standard of quality, putting pressure on lower quality labels to up their game.
His discussion of regional tastes and markets is also fascinating, noting the differences between Germans, who drink of lot of very, very cheap wine, and France, where consumption of wine is surprisingly falling (previously the drink of manual laborers, of whom there are now far fewer), leading to a problem of overproduction, "wine lakes" in the Languedoc, and grubbing up of vines. He talks about how America's wine market is still stunted by the effects of Prohibition and lingering regulations treating wine essentially as a controlled substance, making distribution within the U.S. a nightmare few but the largest companies are willing to brave. Brits drink a lot of wine, and have been trying to find replacements for French wine (Australia was to be the vineyard of the empire) ever since they lost Aquitaine. New Zealand's wine industry was born from the three key factors of missionaries, migrants (mostly from Dalmatia) and market reforms (that lifted protectionist policies sheltering bad domestic wine.) The discussion of China's burgeoning wine market is also fascinating, with the center of the wine world slowly shifting from London to Hong Kong. Veseth surmises that the Chinese are so enamored of Bordeaux not just because of the status factor, but because as a tea-drinking culture, strong tannins appeal to their palates. Likewise sweet wines are seen as unsophisticated to palates accustomed to more complex sweet-and-sour combinations.
Throughout, Veseth takes a very even-handed, non-judgmental approach, which is refreshing and unusual in the wine world. He approaches multinational luxury conglomerates and so-called terroirists with the same scrutiny and lack of bias.
This book is completely awesome and can't wait to read his other ones!
As an economist, much discussion is devoted to the difficulty assessing the value of wine - a product he calls the least transparent. Veseth shows that there is no correlation between wine prices and quality, with cheap bottles frequently outscoring their far more expensive competitors. He also relates the finding of interesting studies showing that people rate wine differently when given price information, even if it's completely bogus. It's almost impossible to know whether a wine is "good" or if you will like it ahead of buying and tasting it, making wine purchasing first and foremost a question of a buyer confidence.
Enter the role of the giant supermarkets like Tesco and Costco, and phenomena like Two Buck Chuck, which leverage consumer trust in a store to sell wine and give buyers the confidence to make a purchase (demystifying the "da vino code") instead of simply walking away from the wine wall overwhelmed. Veseth also credits TBC with raising the floor of value wine by setting a certain standard of quality, putting pressure on lower quality labels to up their game.
His discussion of regional tastes and markets is also fascinating, noting the differences between Germans, who drink of lot of very, very cheap wine, and France, where consumption of wine is surprisingly falling (previously the drink of manual laborers, of whom there are now far fewer), leading to a problem of overproduction, "wine lakes" in the Languedoc, and grubbing up of vines. He talks about how America's wine market is still stunted by the effects of Prohibition and lingering regulations treating wine essentially as a controlled substance, making distribution within the U.S. a nightmare few but the largest companies are willing to brave. Brits drink a lot of wine, and have been trying to find replacements for French wine (Australia was to be the vineyard of the empire) ever since they lost Aquitaine. New Zealand's wine industry was born from the three key factors of missionaries, migrants (mostly from Dalmatia) and market reforms (that lifted protectionist policies sheltering bad domestic wine.) The discussion of China's burgeoning wine market is also fascinating, with the center of the wine world slowly shifting from London to Hong Kong. Veseth surmises that the Chinese are so enamored of Bordeaux not just because of the status factor, but because as a tea-drinking culture, strong tannins appeal to their palates. Likewise sweet wines are seen as unsophisticated to palates accustomed to more complex sweet-and-sour combinations.
Throughout, Veseth takes a very even-handed, non-judgmental approach, which is refreshing and unusual in the wine world. He approaches multinational luxury conglomerates and so-called terroirists with the same scrutiny and lack of bias.
This book is completely awesome and can't wait to read his other ones!
March 7, 2014
"Wine Wars" is a fascinating book for those deep into wine, wine economics, and issues pertaining to globalization versus local character. While some of the subject matter can be a bit dry, Veseth infuses his narrative with interesting characters, amusing stories, and a fair amount of wit. I learned a TON from this book; it has deepened my understanding of the global, "glocal," and local wine and food trade immensely.
Do yourself a favor, however, and READ this book -- the audiobook's narration is flat, lifeless, miserable, and soporific, taking a sometimes dry subject and completely ruining it. The narrator lacks expression and his reading marches along like a droning professor -- featureless and bland. The bits of humor in the text pass by in the same awful metronomic cadence as the other content, blending into a soporific drumbeat of expressionless speech.
Adding insult to injury, the narrator's pronunciation of foreign-language words is just pathetic and ruins the flow of the narration like nails on a chalkboard to anyone who has taken half a semester of French or Italian. Thankfully I never took German, so his presumed butcherings of those words passed by unnoticed. Heck, Wade even insists on pronouncing household name Robert Mondavi as "mon-DAH-vay" when even a 30-second visit to Mondavi's (ends with "vee") website would set him straight. Why on earth would the producer of a wine book stand for a narrator who can't pronounce the name of the most famous California winemaker ever and who clearly did no homework on any of the foreign language words in the text (and there are a lot of them, of course)?!?
In sum, this is a fascinating book for the right audience, but the narration absolutely turns the listening session into a nightmare. This is one book that it would be FAR better to read in print (or e-ink)!!!
Do yourself a favor, however, and READ this book -- the audiobook's narration is flat, lifeless, miserable, and soporific, taking a sometimes dry subject and completely ruining it. The narrator lacks expression and his reading marches along like a droning professor -- featureless and bland. The bits of humor in the text pass by in the same awful metronomic cadence as the other content, blending into a soporific drumbeat of expressionless speech.
Adding insult to injury, the narrator's pronunciation of foreign-language words is just pathetic and ruins the flow of the narration like nails on a chalkboard to anyone who has taken half a semester of French or Italian. Thankfully I never took German, so his presumed butcherings of those words passed by unnoticed. Heck, Wade even insists on pronouncing household name Robert Mondavi as "mon-DAH-vay" when even a 30-second visit to Mondavi's (ends with "vee") website would set him straight. Why on earth would the producer of a wine book stand for a narrator who can't pronounce the name of the most famous California winemaker ever and who clearly did no homework on any of the foreign language words in the text (and there are a lot of them, of course)?!?
In sum, this is a fascinating book for the right audience, but the narration absolutely turns the listening session into a nightmare. This is one book that it would be FAR better to read in print (or e-ink)!!!
February 8, 2012
I knew when I was picking this up that it was a book about wine written by a professor of economics...
But I will never, ever, ever be able to underestimate my lack of interest in anything that talks about "market forces." I know economics are important and I know I should care more about it... but I just can't bring myself to do it. I just tune out at best, or react with overt hostility and revulsion at worst. It's an intellectual void that can never be traversed.
The book's not really all that bad... I just have a strong aversion to all things "supply" and "demand." Sometimes I lose track of just how strong an aversion it is. You'd think I would have learned by now that I simply cannot maintain focus on anything even tangentially concerning economics or economic analysis. The book itself has its share of interesting insights, enlightening background information on the history of the wine world and fun anecdotes that illustrate certain points well. It was a fun book to read, if a little repetitive at times. It probably could have stood to be about 50 pages shorter to avoid the loss of momentum I experienced while reading, but he makes his points well and illustrates them in entertaining ways.
The important thing is that the author is genuine in his enthusiasm... both for wine, and for the modern realities of the industry. I get the impression that he's the kind of guy who doesn't understand how other folks don't get as excited as he does when discussing market effects... but he is genuine about it and he wants you to be as excited as he is.
Sometimes he's more successful than others.
But I will never, ever, ever be able to underestimate my lack of interest in anything that talks about "market forces." I know economics are important and I know I should care more about it... but I just can't bring myself to do it. I just tune out at best, or react with overt hostility and revulsion at worst. It's an intellectual void that can never be traversed.
The book's not really all that bad... I just have a strong aversion to all things "supply" and "demand." Sometimes I lose track of just how strong an aversion it is. You'd think I would have learned by now that I simply cannot maintain focus on anything even tangentially concerning economics or economic analysis. The book itself has its share of interesting insights, enlightening background information on the history of the wine world and fun anecdotes that illustrate certain points well. It was a fun book to read, if a little repetitive at times. It probably could have stood to be about 50 pages shorter to avoid the loss of momentum I experienced while reading, but he makes his points well and illustrates them in entertaining ways.
The important thing is that the author is genuine in his enthusiasm... both for wine, and for the modern realities of the industry. I get the impression that he's the kind of guy who doesn't understand how other folks don't get as excited as he does when discussing market effects... but he is genuine about it and he wants you to be as excited as he is.
Sometimes he's more successful than others.
January 5, 2021
Written by an economics professor with a passion for wine, Wine Wars describes the globalization of wine, and the fight between cheap mass produced wine and the traditional terroirists. Veseth explains how the wine section at your local grocery store has become and overwhelming global selection of often more than 1500 products. British supermarkets have actually played one of the earliest roles in bringing the large world of wine to the average consumer but Aldi, and its US based Trader Joe’s, have defined current mass-market wine. This detailed book explores the rise of California wines, the environmental impact of shipping wines worldwide, and the role of history and legacy in the wine making process. A great book for those who want to learn more about the business of wine. I also thought it had great insight into the cultural differences of both wine production and consumption. The book was originally published in 2011, so many exact numbers are now out of date and the book certainly did not predict the natural wine trend that surely pleases terroirists. In particular, the numbers on environmental impact have likely changed, especially on water consumption for wine production (960 liters per 750ml bottle wine in 2011). Climate change will have huge impacts in the wine industry as traditional wine regions will become inhospitable to grape production. This book was very easy to pair with as each section of the book ends with a suggestion of tasting flight. The flight I chose was from the globalization section and he suggests Sauvignon Blanc with an Old World bottle (French), New World (New Zealand), and unique (South Africa).
August 22, 2011
This wine economist (I didn't know there was such a term) leads us through an introduction of three major forces at work that are changing the wine business: 1) globalization, 2) Trader Joe's own Two Buck Chuck, and 3) what he calls the revenge of the 'terroirists' (those who embrace Old World style elements and resist corporate market forces).
It is a well-researched, well-written look into the industry with a touch of humor and an optimistic view on where the wine market is going.
I read this book in advance of heading to Napa and Sonoma (unintentionally, but once I started I intentionally tried to finish it beforehand) and I learned a lot... about the miracle of Two Buck Chuck (he argues that raising the 'floor' of inexpensive wine's quality is a good thing for the whole industry), the growing Chinese market (he argues it could be the biggest winemaker in 50 years), the rise of American wines (I had no idea they didn't really exist until the 70s), superstores like Costco, Carrefour, etc, Olive Garden's importance in the wine market, and more.
I'm no wine expert so I found this book to be super informative and very accessible.
I recommend.
It is a well-researched, well-written look into the industry with a touch of humor and an optimistic view on where the wine market is going.
I read this book in advance of heading to Napa and Sonoma (unintentionally, but once I started I intentionally tried to finish it beforehand) and I learned a lot... about the miracle of Two Buck Chuck (he argues that raising the 'floor' of inexpensive wine's quality is a good thing for the whole industry), the growing Chinese market (he argues it could be the biggest winemaker in 50 years), the rise of American wines (I had no idea they didn't really exist until the 70s), superstores like Costco, Carrefour, etc, Olive Garden's importance in the wine market, and more.
I'm no wine expert so I found this book to be super informative and very accessible.
I recommend.
September 2, 2011
Written like a blog by a blogger.Needs better editing as too many repetitions.Easy to understand nd informative for all levels of experience and knowledge.The section on wine critics needs reworking.As a blogger he hopes the twitterers and bloggers will be the future critics.but he fails to recognize that as in day trading transparency is important.Where's the $.As he reports Wine Enthusiast magazine made a deal with Costco for exclusive rights to review the house brand(Kirkland).Who paid and how much?A good critic is unencumbered by a hidden agenda-if its well known the reader can adjust.Which brings us to the crux of how does one use a critic?A critic is exposed to more wines(in this case)and earlier then the consumer and forms his/her opinions.The user learns through experience how the critic's opinions diverge or converge with his/her own,thus finding a light house in the sea of wine.
March 26, 2014
A very interesting look at some of the many factors that have led to today's diversity of wines on the market shelves. Reading it in occasional chapters may have been the reason I did not notice much repetition, only reinforcement of his premises under different aspects. I especially enjoyed the author's fairly even-handed treatment of the different personalities and divergent aims behind wine production, from terroiristes to mega-multi-nationals. In short, coming from a wine-lover's perspective with a great fondness for small European producers, this book was a broad and very interesting introduction to the bigger picture which opened my eyes and was a thoroughly enjoyable and informative read.
May 30, 2015
A must read for wine lovers. The books subtitle says it all: the curse of the Blue Nun, the miracle of Two Buck Chuck and the revenge of the Terroir-ists. Mike Veseth's book on the world's wine economy is informative, witty and fun. Focused mainly on the evolution of the wine economy in the past 100 years Mike covers where we've come from in terms of wine production & demand, where we are and where we may go in the near future. Full of hard facts and great stories Mike takes you through the rise and fall of quantity and quality wine approaches, who the big players are today and where the trends are leading. I love his witty and straightforward approach and look forward to learning more from his website - The Wine Economist, and upcoming book.
November 20, 2012
This is another book where I wish we could rate in 1/2 star increments. If that were an option, I'd give 3 1/2 stars. The book is informative and entertaining. I learned things about wines and the global wine industry that I didn't know before. I thought the author's analysis was overall excellent and, by the way, applicable to other industries that face the local vs. global transition. I appreciate that the book is written for ordinary people and is not the least bit condescending to those who are not wine experts.
The Goodreads write-up for this book is pretty accurate and complete. I don't have a lot more to add, so I'll end my review here.
The Goodreads write-up for this book is pretty accurate and complete. I don't have a lot more to add, so I'll end my review here.
October 22, 2011
Great read. Veseth doesn't get snobbish about wine or deep into economic theory. It is essentially the story of the global wine market, but the cultural/sociological component of the tale was the most interesting part to me. Learning about grocery giants like Costco and Trader Joe's was fascinating. He writes in a conversational style and suggests wines for you to taste along the way. I learned a lot and I feel a little more confident about approaching the wine wall at the grocery store!
Full disclosure: Veseth is a professor at the college where I work.
Full disclosure: Veseth is a professor at the college where I work.
October 9, 2011
Excellent perspective on the business of wine, and how it's in many ways not different from marketing TVs or clothing. It's a business. Nonetheless, it explains clearly why Two-buck Chuck appeals to some and not others. Great explanation of the stratification of the "wine wall" you'll see in the stores.
March 7, 2013
I loved this book. It is informative, engaging and an easy read. I was reading it for class, but would read it again for pleasure. It really makes you think about the business side of a product that is usually shrouded in such reverence and mystery. And for those out there who only have a vague interest in the concept, you can still find it fascinating.
December 2, 2011
Far too repetitive and amateurish, and normally I dig pop culture references and puns. Mostly, I learned about the origins of Trader Joes and the shocking fact that I drink about three times more wine, per annum, than the average frenchman.
April 23, 2012
This is written by one of my professors from UPS. I saw him speak about this book at the Chateau Ste Michelle winery last night so I'm excited to read it!
I really enjoyed this book and learned a great deal about the global world of wine!
I really enjoyed this book and learned a great deal about the global world of wine!
March 5, 2013
Fundamentally, this is a book about the past, present, and possible futures of wine economics. That should tell you all you need to know about whether you'll like it. I would have preferred a more academic text, but the book's more conversational tone is probably good for the intended audience.
July 11, 2012
Terrific, insightful look at how wine is marketed in the US. Also a fun read - author writes in clever, humorous style.
April 21, 2014
So far it's a tough read because I'm not "in" the wine industry. I just really like the stuff, so it's interesting to read about the industry, the politics, and how things might change in the future.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews