Great piece. Loved this history. When I was a teenager in the late '60s and early '70s, my father had a decent wine cellar with racks that I built. (He was the opposite of handy, while I loved saws and power tools.) Most of the wines were from Burgundy, and he always let me have a glass when he opened them. All the great wines from Côte De Nuits and Côte De Beaune were my starter wines 55 years ago, which is maybe why I became so unimpressed with them as an adult. But my father also had a passion for California wines long before the Judgment of Paris.
If serving "Champagne," it was always Schramsberg. For reds, he particularly liked Louis Martini. When I was in my 30s, he regularly bought cases from Heitz, and sometimes gave me a case or two. He became a big follower of Frank J. Prial, who championed American wines that other critics thumbed their noses at. Prial's dictum is something I firmly believe in: "Shorn of their carefully constructed mystiques, their beautiful labels and clever marketing, many expensive wines are really not that much superior to their less expensive rivals."
This is so great. I love finding old Italian wine books, especially from the 60s and 70s. The writing hasn't been sommelierfied, it's not trying to impress anyone, and I've find some real wine gems that have been forgotten about today in my own area of Lazio. They are also a good source of learning about regional food that's been lost.
It's definitely an adventure to read! lol. More than Renault was covered in Egg Harbor... I'll check my book when I am home and send those along. The Eastern region coverage was some of the most interesting to me!
Great piece. Loved this history. When I was a teenager in the late '60s and early '70s, my father had a decent wine cellar with racks that I built. (He was the opposite of handy, while I loved saws and power tools.) Most of the wines were from Burgundy, and he always let me have a glass when he opened them. All the great wines from Côte De Nuits and Côte De Beaune were my starter wines 55 years ago, which is maybe why I became so unimpressed with them as an adult. But my father also had a passion for California wines long before the Judgment of Paris.
If serving "Champagne," it was always Schramsberg. For reds, he particularly liked Louis Martini. When I was in my 30s, he regularly bought cases from Heitz, and sometimes gave me a case or two. He became a big follower of Frank J. Prial, who championed American wines that other critics thumbed their noses at. Prial's dictum is something I firmly believe in: "Shorn of their carefully constructed mystiques, their beautiful labels and clever marketing, many expensive wines are really not that much superior to their less expensive rivals."
Sounds like Dad had good taste.
This is so great. I love finding old Italian wine books, especially from the 60s and 70s. The writing hasn't been sommelierfied, it's not trying to impress anyone, and I've find some real wine gems that have been forgotten about today in my own area of Lazio. They are also a good source of learning about regional food that's been lost.
Love that
How fun! Now I must find this book. Egg Harbor... was he speaking about Renault?
ooooh! I found it!!! Thanks so much for writing about this!
It's definitely an adventure to read! lol. More than Renault was covered in Egg Harbor... I'll check my book when I am home and send those along. The Eastern region coverage was some of the most interesting to me!
Yes, Renault!
Very informative piece. Thanks!
Glad to hear it!
Loved this piece. It reminded me of the one you wrote about the book of wine labels you found in NJ.