Authentic Wine - by Jamie Goode & Sam Harrop (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

"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.

From the Back Cover

"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

Review Quotes

"A very good book. . . . One of the more balanced and detailed accounts dealing with the issue of sustainable winemaking."- Robert M. Parker, Jr.--Robert M. Parker, Jr. "The Wine Advocate" (11/22/2011 12:00:00 AM)

"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" (12/1/2011 12:00:00 AM)

"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."-- "San Francisco Chronicle" (8/14/2011 12:00:00 AM)

"'Authentic Wine' performs the invaluable service of raising crucial questions and explaining complicated issues coherently."--Eric Asimov "New York Times" (12/13/2011 12:00:00 AM)

"A compelling manifesto for natural wine . . . the understandable, everyday terms used make this a genuine guide to wine science for the citizen."--Brian Elliott "Scotland On Sunday" (11/30/2011 12:00:00 AM)

"Ambitiously comprehensive. . . . Illuminating."--Beverley Blanning "Decanter" (4/1/2012 12:00:00 AM)

"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" (12/6/2011 12:00:00 AM)

About the Author

Jamie Goode, a former scientific editor, is wine writer for the Sunday Express and a contributor to magazines including The World of Fine Wine and Wines & Vines. His website, www.wineanorak.com, is one of the world's most visited wine sites. His first book, The Science of Wine: From Vine to Glass (UC Press) won the Glenfiddich Drink Book of the Year Award. Sam Harrop is a Master of Wine, qualified winemaker, and independent winemaking consultant. He co-founded Domaine Matassa and Litmus Wines, and is a co-chairman of the International Wine Challenge.