| Title | The World in a Wine Glass – The Insider’s Guide to Artisanal, Sustainable, Extraordinary Wines to Drink Now |
| Author | Ray Isle |
| Publisher | Scribner (Simon and Schuster) |
| Date | November 14, 2023 |
| ISBN | 9781982182786 (Hardcover) |
| Pages | 720 |
| Summary | Too much of today’s wine is mass-produced, industrially farmed, corporate-owned, and essentially, ordinary. In The World in a Wineglass, I make the argument that the way a wine is made, and who made it, can make a huge difference in your glass—and why that information matters much more than knowing that a wine scored 90 points. Or that it tastes like blueberries. Or “hints of violets and black pepper.” – rayisle.com/the-book |
| Preview | www.simonandschuster.com/books/The-World-in-a-Wineglass/Ray-Isle/9781982182786 |
| Shop | www.simonandschuster.com/books/The-World-in-a-Wineglass/Ray-Isle/9781982182786 |
Ray Isle’s insider guide to artisanal, sustainable and extraordinary wines (to drink now) is “not a typical wine guide (…) more as a collection of stories” of “Independent wine producers around the world who farm sustainably, organically, or biodynamically and who make great wines that express the places they come from”. Isle covers France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Austria, Germany, Slovenia, Georgia, and Lebanon; California, Oregon, and Washington; Australia, New Zealand, Argentina, Chile, and South Africa. In total 262 wineries, listing additional producers to look out for.
The audio book is read by the author. Always a good idea.
Recommended.
About the Author
Ray Isle studied English Literature at Rice University (B.A.) and Boston University (M.A.). He has been writing full-time about wine since 2000 (Wine & Spirits); Food & Wine since 2005.
Ray has published 100s of articles about wine. For a few of his favorites, see
Ray Isle is the wine editor for Food & Wine as well as the wine and spirits editor for Travel + Leisure.
Socials
About the Book
It took Ray Isle “three years to write the book and a whole career to put it together” (Author Series | Ray Isle | The World in a Wineglass). Four chapters briefly (60 pages) introduce the world of wine, organic viticulture and winemaking, sense of place (terroir), how to drink wine, and who is in the book. The main section profiles a selection of wineries, all of which Isle has visited or talked to the producers. No icon wines, all wines mentioned are affordable.
Book Reviews
- Book review – Tamlyn Currin (Jancis Robinson, 8 November 2023 | subscription)
- A Wine Guide for a Changing World (for Better and for Worse) – Dwight Garner (New York Times, November 21, 2023 | subscription)
- Food & Wine’s Ray Isle Just Wants To Help You Drink Better Wine – New Wine Review (December 19, 2023)
- The Wine Writer – Julie Case (Rice Magazine, December 2023)
- Book Review – Journal of Wine Economics (November 2024)
For quotes, see Raves and Reviews, Simon and Schuster.
Bonus
- Ray Isle’s Greatest Wine Tips (and Some Shenanigans, Too)
- Author Series | Ray Isle | The World in a Wineglass, Hudson Library & Historical Society, Feb 20, 2024
- Wine Expert Teaches Wine Idiot about French Wine | Wine School, Food & Wine, Nov 20, 2019
Quote Chapter One – There’s a World in Your Wine Glass
“The vine and the wine it produces are two great mysteries. Alone in the vegetable kingdom, the vine makes the true savor of the earth intelligible to man. With what fidelity it makes the translation! It senses, then expresses, in its clusters of fruit the secrets of the soil.”
—Colette, Prisons et Paradis, 1932”
“La vigne, le vin sont de grands mystères. Seule, dans le règne végétal, la vigne nous rend intelligible ce qu’est la véritable saveur de la terre. Quelle fidélité dans la traduction ! Elle ressent, exprime par la grappe les secrets du sol.”
—Colette, Prisons et Paradis, 1932
