The Wine Savant: A Guide to the New Wine Culture

by Michael Steinberger

A savvy and opinionated tour of the contemporary world of wine. Today’s dynamic wine culture calls for a different kind of wine book. The Wine Savant is just that: punchy, polemical, and brimming with insights to educate and entertain beginning wine drinkers and seasoned oenophiles alike. Never has the wine world had so much to offer, and never have smart decisions about value, quality, grape, and season been so difficult to make. In The Wine Savant , Michael Steinberger tramps through the world of contemporary wine―from three-buck Chuck and bucket-list Bordeaux to bottle speculators and biodynamic wineries―to give the inside scoop on the key concerns facing the new generation of wine lovers: • Why is California suddenly cool again?
• What’s really the difference between a 95-point wine and a 94-point wine?
• Why is Burgundy ascendant and Bordeaux suddenly so passé?
• What’s a biodynamic wine, what’s a natural wine, and should you care?
• Do food and wine pairings still matter? Featuring expert buying guides―including the New Kings of California and the World’s Great $25-and-Under Bottles―and tips on tough-to-pair cuisines like Indian and Japanese, The Wine Savant is the perfect guide to today’s often-bewildering realm of choice: ferociously opinionated and committed body and soul to enjoying every glass.

Genres: Wine, Nonfiction

208 pages, Hardcover

First published December 2, 2013

Reviews

[Joseph Thompson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hi yes if you are looking for me I'll just be in this corner screaming frantically about terroir and Burgundy and QPR.

Also l am still not entirely sure who Robert Parker is but dang he gets put on major blast on every other page of this one and I think I'm here for it. 5 Stars

[Casey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of books about wine follow the same path: they talk about terroir, then about the wine-making process. They'll probably pontificate about oak, then explain malolactic fermentation and complain that too many budget wines are unbalanced due to residual sugar. Following a few chapters of that, they say "Cool, so you know about wine now, why don't you go out and buy a Bordeaux first growth," as if we all have an extra thousand bones to just drop on a single bottle.

The Wine Savant is a refreshing respite to these sorts of wine books. Case in point: Steinberger starts out by telling people that it's okay to be a little bit snobby about wine. There's no need to take the super humble route at dinner parties, telling people "Hey, it's just fermented wine juice" because it's not just fermented wine juice, and we all know that. That's not to say that you should be an asshole about things, but there's no reason not to take ownership of your knowledge. After all, music lovers don't dismiss fantastic performances as "just" sound waves.

The short essays in here really are fabulous, especially for those of us who love wine (maybe not for those who don't). Steinberger, like most of us, extolls the virtues of Pinot Noir and Riesling. He talks about the ascendency of Burgundy and the decline of Bordeaux. California, of course, is a complicated subject, but fabulous wineries such as the legendary Ridge get their due. There's also talk about Globalization, Parkerization, and value.

Steinberger's book is quite opinionated, but that doesn't mean you won't learn a thing or two (plus, you'll probably find plenty to disagree with, which is always fun). I'd definitely recommend this for anyone who tastes, quaffs, guzzles, or otherwise imbibes.

[Rob]

A good skim in a cut to the chase style. This book would be perfect for those who are looking for a new direction in wine...drinkers who are stuck on cab or Pinot Noir and trying to branch out.
Also perfect for a server or aspiring sommelier to brush up on some wine knowledge and the current topics of the times.
Published in 2014 the information is a little dated in spots (which speaks more to the rapidly changing wine world) but still maintains the conversations that need to be had by the common wine drinker in 2020.
As a sommelier, I wish people just read this easy book rather than watched the ridiculous “Somm” movie that is so often gushed about.
We’re not all egotistical pontificators speaking in tongues, I promise.
More practical info that serves the consumer and brings them up to speed to chat with their friendly sommelier next time they are out dining.

[Michael · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved Steinberger's Slate columns, and this book is definitely in that vein.

The subtitle is a good one: this book is a good overview of current issues in wine. If you want to know what wine geeks are talking about, this is the book to read. Steinberger is even-handed and does a good job of avoiding the black-or-white mentality that sadly pervades most debate on the internet.

A quick, enjoyable read for anyone who wants to learn more about wine.

[Jesse Dang · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good read

I like steinberger's writing style and I find it akin to Asimov and his work for the nyt. the book tackles topical areas and subjects in wine today.

[J. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book. It wasn't what I thought it would be so I gave it 4 stars. My fault for reading it thinking I would be learning something different! LoL

[Heidi · Rating 2 out of 5]

Appreciate that this was clearly written from one dude's point of view. It was fine, not super informational.

[Oceansword · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brief, enjoyable book that lovers of wine will enjoy.