“A great primer. . . . If you're new to the natural/organic/biodynamic wine debates, Authentic Wine is the place to start.”—Huffington Post
“This is one of the most engaging, thoughtful and enlightening books on contemporary wine. . . . A manifesto for an industry looking to shape its future.”—Wine And Spirits
Naturalness is a hot topic in the wine world. But what exactly is a “natural wine”? For this pioneering book, best-selling wine writer Jamie Goode teams up with winemaker and Master of Wine Sam Harrop to explore the wide range of issues surrounding authenticity in wine. They begin by emphasizing that wine’s diversity, one of its strengths, is currently under threat from increasingly homogenized commercial wines that lack a sense of place. Drawing on a global array of examples and anecdotes, Goode and Harrop examine complex concepts—terroir, biodynamics, and sustainability—in clear language. They also discuss topics including cultured and wild yeasts, wine “faults,” the carbon footprint of the wine industry, “natural” as a marketing concept, and more. Authentic Wine illuminates a subject of great interest to wine producers, consumers, and anyone wondering where the wine industry is headed.
Authentic Wine Toward Natural and Sustainable Winemaking
About the Book
Reviews
"A very good book. . . . One of the more balanced and detailed accounts dealing with the issue of sustainable winemaking."—Robert M. Parker, Jr. The Wine Advocate
“An ocean's worth of savvy detail about both the more (organic farming, the endless shades of sustainability) and less (reverse osmosis, acidification) happy nuances of making wine. This isn't the stuff of lush fields and cellar romps, but it is a rare chance to look under the hood of winemaking, considering all the pieces the industry would rather we not think about.”—San Francisco Chronicle
“A compelling manifesto for natural wine. . . . As with Goode’s earlier book, The Science of Wine, the understandable, everyday terms used make this a genuine guide to wine science for the citizen.”—Brian Elliott Scotland On Sunday
“‘Authentic Wine’ performs the invaluable service of raising crucial questions and explaining complicated issues coherently.”—Eric Asimov New York Times
“It may have been a wet and dodgy year for wine but it's been a good year for wine books. The most compelling new book is undoubtedly Authentic Wine by Jamie Goode and Sam Harrop.”—Huon Hooke Sydney Morning Herald
"A very well written and useful book with a long shelf life. Once read, it is one to dip in and out of regularly."—Mary Gorman-McAdams The Kitchn
“Ambitiously comprehensive. . . . Illuminating.”—Beverley Blanning Decanter
"A veritable encyclopedia on modern winemaking and viticulture that addresses a number of technical issues in considerable depth."—Don Winkler I-Winereview Blog
“Author Jamie Goode examines one of the foremost issues in the wine world: organic/sustainable growing and intervention, or lack of it, in the winemaking process. It's not as geeky as it sounds; Goode is a scientist, but he deftly writes in layman's terms.”—Minneapolis Star Tribune
“The book does a masterful job of examining an entire spectrum of issues related to the natural wine movement. It takes care to look at many sides of each issue and does so rationally and thoughtfully.”—Palate Press
“You may not be sure exactly where you draw the line on the terroir and authenticity versus technologically manipulated ‘industrial’ wine spectrum. A look at the scientific take on biodynamics and terroir in ‘Authentic Wine’ may help you decide.”—SF Chronicle -Businessreport: The Chronicle With Bloomberg
“Rich with history, case studies and scientific explanations, this is essential text for anyone in the wine industry.” ‘—The Oregonian
“Thought-provoking.”—The Times
“Overall, the book is quite pragmatic, realistic, balanced and informative. It's not a polemic; indeed, Goode and Harrop criticize the more ardent naturalistas at several points for adopting a hard ideological tone that simply drives most of the industry away. The authors are perfectly passionate about the fate of wine, but more interested in what kinds of improvements can be made than in some set of doctrines that have to be followed.”—Vinography
“This is one of the most engaging, thoughtful and enlightening books on contemporary wine. . . . A manifesto for an industry looking to shape its future.”—Joshua Greene Wine And Spirit
“Embraces the broadest discussion of wines of place within a treatise around the various environmental issues affecting viticulture and winemaking, as the authors draw together current thinking on how a sense of place in wine is achieved, including the place natural wine has in that tapestry. . . . This book has me nodding my head in agreement and shaking it occasionally in latent debate all the way through – which probably means it’s hit the mark for the authors. It’s a persuasive read in a calm, eminently readable style which makes the complex subjects hugely approachable and comprehensible. Given the importance of these subjects, that is great work. I can envisage readily-thumbed volumes of this sitting on the bookshelves of wine enthusiasts and professionals alike.”—Wine Wisdom
“’What is meant by the term natural? Is wine different from other alcoholic beverages, and why? Is there such a thing as ‘fake’ wine? What is the appropriate use of technology in winemaking? What additions to wine should be allowed, and who gets to decide? And, practically, how can winemakers adjust their methods to make more honest, expressive, and interesting wines?’ These are the questions the authors post at the outset. With clear language, varied examples, and wide-ranging thinking, the authors not only answer the questions but, in my case, helped me formulate some answers of my own. Highly recommended as a balanced look at the sometimes contentious world of “natural wine.”—50statesofwine
“Authentic Wine seems to address a walk towards natural, or at least the paths that are developing to lead us away from highly confabulated wine. So, that's great. Work the pages, read and learn many trade secrets. The chapter on manipulations is particularly nifty and covers most of the techniques and ingredients that can twist wine.”—Alice Feiring, The Feiring Line
“You may not be sure exactly where you draw the line on the terroir and authenticity versus technologically manipulated ‘industrial’ wine spectrum. A look at the scientific take on biodynamics and terroir in ‘Authentic Wine’ may help you decide.”—Bloomberg News
"Wine enthusiasts who would like to know just how much the average commercial wine is treated to technical intervention will find this work a treasure trove."—Michael Fridjhon, author of The Penguin Book of South African Wine Business Day (South Africa)
“Offers an admirably cool and authoritative analysis. . . . It's a serious book covering serious technical issues (Goode is a former science editor and Harrop a Kiwi winemaker) but it does so in a way that is very accessible without being patronising.”—Evening Standard
“A great primer that goes beyond organic, biodynamic and natural ‘labels’ and delves into the many practices winemakers use, and the benefits and drawbacks of each. Clear, straightforward explanations of everything from sulfur dioxide use to wild vs. cultured yeast fermentation. If you're new to the natural/organic/biodynamic wine debates, Authentic Wine is the place to start.”—Huffington Post"Goode and Harrop are terroirists determined to protect and preserve wine as a unique part of civilized life. Authentic Wine is both stirring manifesto and a reasoned, practical guide. Vive les terroirists!"—Mike Veseth, author of Wine Wars: The Curse of the Blue Nun, the Miracle of Two Buck Chuck and the Revenge of the Terroirists
“Jamie Goode is a rarity in the wine world: a trained scientist who can explain complicated subjects without dumbing them down or coming over like a pointy head. It also helps that he’s a terrific writer with a real passion for his subject.”—Tim Atkin MW
“It is not surprising that wine often stimulates the flow of bile - often exchanged between highly opinionated groups of wine writers, drinkers and kibbitzers, each with a different aesthetic and ideology. This book by Jamie Goode and Sam Harrop mounts a passionate defense of "natural wine" from an utterly rational perspective. They make the case that we must choose to grow grapes and make wines in a natural way, allowing the wines to achieve the greatest expression of individuality, lest we drown in an a wine-dark (possibly over-extracted) sea of sameness.”--Randall Grahm, author of Been Doon So Long
"Praise for Jamie Goode's The Science of Wine":
“Mr. Goode has written one of the most enlightening and clearheaded wine books to appear in years. This is a wine book you’ll actually read and reread.”--Matt Kramer, New York Sun
“Lively and provocative.”--Eric Asimov, New York Times
“Goode’s readable prose makes even the most technical subjects accessible. For anyone interested in more than just drinking wine, this is a must read.”Wine Enthusiast
Table of Contents
Preface
1 Introduction
2 The diversity of wine: how a natural approach can help preserve wine’s interest
3 Terroir
4 Grafted vines
5 Biodynamics and organics
6 Sustainable winegrowing
7 When winemakers intervene: the chemical and physical manipulation of wine
8 The natural wine movement
9 Yeasts, wild and cultured
10 Ripeness and high alcohol
11 Wine faults
12 The carbon footprint of wine
13 Marketing authentic wine
14 Conclusions
Awards
- U.S. Wine Book of the Year, Gourmand World Cookbook Awards