Here’s part two of our Q & A with wine writer Alice Feiring…
What inspired you to become a writer?
Like dancing, writing was what I did. I always wrote. First novel at 7 (all three pages of it.) It is more that after I got my masters degree I had the courage to go for it. I know this will sound absurd but it never occurred to me I could actually be a writer. It seemed way too impossible.
If you could give one piece of advice to aspiring writers (especially wine writers!), what would it be?
Learn how to tell when you should heed advice or ignore it. That’s tricky, but important if you’re ever going to develop a voice for yourself.
Do you have a particular ritual which you adhere to when you’re writing?
I don’t leave the house before I get at least 1000 words down. If that means I have to get up dawn, that’s what has to happen.
How do you relax when you’re not writing?
Hah! That’s funny. Me, relax? Dance class, contra-dancing, other dancing, biking. Reading has actually become a luxury.
What books are you reading at the moment and what made you pick them up?
Roth, My Life as a Man because it’s one that I’ve never read. I also just got Ancient Agriculture which is a translation of a 1500’s Spanish book on farming. I know. Odd mix. I’m also rereading Bukoswski’s Women.
Could you introduce an author you think people should read, and suggest a good book to start with?
That’s a hard one. Rosamond Lehmann, The Echoing Grove. Love those British Ladies. Then it comes down to favorite books from favorite authors, and those I read once a year: Letting Go and Sabbath’s Theater from Philip Roth. Shadows on the Hudson, I.B Singer and Hudson River Bracketed by Edith Wharton.
Will you be writing anything about Canadian wines any time soon?
I would love to. Just waiting for that assignment to roll in. I keep on hearing about the ones that don’t make it Stateside and am incredibly eager to discover them.
Thanks Alice!
THE BATTLE FOR WINE AND LOVE is available now.
The blurb to Alice Feiring’s wonderful new book, THE BATTLE FOR WINE AND LOVE, will tell you that she “is a James Beard Foundation Award-winning journalist whose blog, In Vino Veritas, was named one of the seven best by Food & Wine.”
The blurb also mentions that she was a wine and travel columnist for Time, and that she now writes for the New York Times, the San Francisco Chronicle and Gourmet, among many others.
All of which I believe is absolutely true. She is a wonderful writer.
However, the blurb doesn’t mention that Feiring is witty, irreverent, provocative and very, very passionate about her wine.
She was also gracious enough to supply her cheeky Canadian publicist (who shall remain nameless) with an impromptu wine recommendation for an unexpected dinner party last night. And who wouldn’t be charmed by that?
In THE BATTLE FOR WINE AND LOVE, Alice reveals just what goes in to an average bottle of wine (sawdust and oak chips anyone?) to score points with influential wine critics such as Robert Parker, and takes readers on a journey to find the self-confessed ‘Last of the Mohicans’: rebel winemakers who are making old-fashioned wines with new individuality and flair.
Alice lives in Manhattan, and we chatted over email.
What was the inspiration for THE BATTLE OF WINE AND LOVE?
I was so frustrated that getting a good glass of wine was so difficult. I was really frustrated that wines I loved were getting “modernized.” I felt like---there is another nail in that coffin. But the moment of inspiration was when I was coming back from Spain with Skinny, (chapter four) I was telling her how upset I was about Spanish wines at the tasting portion of Madrid Fusion and she said, that was it. I had to write this book. After she fell asleep listening to opera, I spent the next hour or two crying over another kind of lost love. When I landed at JFK I knit the two themes together.
What exactly is ‘Parkerization’?
(And if you could also explain the wonderful term “spoofulated” that would be great!)
I’m viewing Parkerization as the reduction of wines to suit one ‘mass’ palate. It is different than spoofulated. Quite. Spoof wines are tricked up with chemistry and process to look like the real thing, but it’s not.
How are the kinds of wine that Robert Parker rates highly different from the kinds of wine you prefer?
Of course there’s so overlap. For example, he and I both like Chave and Clape from the N. Rhone and Domaine Romanee Conti from Burgundy. But the wines that seem to get his highest accolades are massive with an overemphasis on fruit and wood.
What is it exactly that you look for in wine?
Kind of like love, when you see it you know it? But I do look for a sense of life and expression as well as good winemaking! Excellent wine comes in all weights as well as price points.
You often talk of a ‘sense of place’. Why is this important to wine?
Without it wine would be another beverage, a soft drink, something you could flick a switch and come out of a faucet. The place gives the wine the difference; the technology gives wine a sameness.
Why are terms like ‘natural’, ‘traditional’, ‘authentic’ so difficult with regard to wine production?
Because they are meaningless. There are no definitions. But I’m not sure there should be. There should be all sorts of wines, but one thing that I know, wines made as was made before technology should be taught as an alternative and not feared.
What’s the problem with using new technology in the wine-making process? Isn’t it introducing more consistency and reducing the risk of wine becoming vinegar?
If you view consistency as an ideal, there is nothing the matter with it. If you view wine as being a different being every year, and the best the winemaker can do, it is a problem. Every year I look forward to the winemakers I adore to see what they did. There is excitement. With controlling technology that is diminished.
Do you think there needs to be more transparency in the wine industry?
And yes, less marketing and more information, please!
Should wine makers include lists of ingredients and additives on their labels like food?
I recently got some samples from Oregon, Cooper Mountain that had ingredients, organic Grapes and So2. Because so few wineries can actually say that, I think it’s a great idea.
Researching the book, did you visit any vineyards or detect any trends that make you optimistic about the future?
Absolutely! There are plenty of them out there. True, mostly in France where there is a strong back to natural movement, but it is actually starting grassroots on this side of the Atlantic as well.
Read Part Two Tomorrow!
The next best thing to a plane ticket, here are some books for the travel bugged…
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THE AFRICA BOOK: A Journey through Every Country in the Continent (Lonely Planet).
From Cape Town’s gleaming shopping arcades to the remote tribes living on Lake Turkana’s shores to the dire realities of war and famine, this is the most comprehensive and beautiful coffee-table book on Africa ever published. Packed with amazing photos, THE AFRICA BOOK also includes stimulating essays, plus facts and figures for each country.
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THE ASIA BOOK: A Journey through Every Country in the Continent (Lonely Planet).
THE ASIA BOOK is a comprehensive exploration of this captivating continent of contrasts, from the tropical beaches of Bali to the frozen slopes of Everest. Hugely ambitious and stunningly beautiful, it covers Southeast Asia, Northeast Asia, the Indian Subcontinent and the Himalayas, Central Asia and the Middle East.
* * *
LONELY PLANET BLUELIST 2008: The World’s Hottest Trends, Destinations, Journeys and Experiences (Lonely Planet).
Want to know where to find the eeriest places to sleep behind bars, or where to view the most volatile volcanoes? The greatest film festivals around the globe? Leading travel authority Lonely Planet compiles all the world’s hottest trends, destinations, journeys and experiences into BLUELIST 2008.
For more info on BLUELIST 2008, visit lonelyplanet.com/bluelist.
* * *
SIGNSPOTTING 2: More Absurd & Amazing Signs from around the World compiled by Doug Lansky (Lonely Planet).
A great stocking stuffer for travel fiends, SIGNSPOTTING 2 is a hilarious collection of inadvertently entertaining (real!) signs. Click here for a peek inside the book.
Also check out the original SIGNSPOTTING.
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PSYCHOGEOGRAPHY by Will Self, illustrated by Ralph Steadman (Bloomsbury UK).
And for the most quirky travel book on the list, PSYCHOGEOGRAPHY is a collaboration between award-winning writer Will Self and legendary gonzo illustrator Ralph Steadman that explores the effects that the physical environment has on the emotions and behaviours of individuals. Will Self went swimming in the Ganges and surfing on a tsunami. On a recent trip to Toronto this Fall, he also walked from the airport to downtown. Yes, walked.
* * *
Still searching the globe for the perfect present? Check out our other Raincoast Gift Guides.
The Knack, a blog about new products, people, places and other exciting stuff, has just posted a review of The Smart Traveler’s Passport: 399 Tips from Seasoned Travelers by Erik Torkells and the Readers of Budget Travel:
Filled with actual helpful tips, this little guide will get you safely around anywhere you need to go.
The help comes the way from Torkells and readers of Budget Travel, so they are what I would call “tried and true.” Jim Citron, of West Lebanon, New Hampshire writes that “If you arrive in a foreign city after hours (and you can’t use an ATM), convert only the money you’ll need for the night. Some exchange booths offer a less favourable rate after banks close and then switch back to competitive rates when banks reopen.”
Now that’s news I can use.
The Knack’s, new side project Pan Magazine also launched last week. An online journal written for Canadians who are passionate about their food, Pan is going look at the recipes, ingredients, people and experiences that make our mouths water. The next issue will be out in June, and - for all the budding writers out there - they are looking for submissions.
In the meantime, I should mention that the Pan Magazine Blog is featuring some hot titles from our friends Gibbs Smith, including a personal favourite Faster! I’m Starving: 100 Dishes in 25 Minutes or Less. NOW THAT’S NEWS I CAN USE.
Lonely Planet is running a video competition. The prize is a $7500 USD ($10,000 AUS) journey around the world, plus the opportunity to check out Lonely Planet Television in action in Melbourne, Australia. There are monthly prizes too.
View videos and enter online at lonelyplanet.com/lessthanthree
Competition ends January 15, 2007.
As family vacations are in full swing, road trips planned and taken, and fall travel upon us, I’d like to point out the Lonely Planet Responsible Travel section.
Lonely Planet Responsible Travel
Lonely Planet Responsible Travel is about encouraging travellers to think about things like carbon emisions before they travel.
Lonely Planet, for example, recently launched a carbon emissions scheme for offsetting staff and authors flights, and they’ve included a Climate Change blurb in all Lonely Planet guidebooks. Code Green is another example of Lonely Planet’s commitment to responsible travel.
Here’s the keyword term to learn for 2006: START (Sustainable Travel And Responsible Tourism), Lonely Planet’s name for these activities.
Check out the Lonely Planet website to read more about START, Lonely Planet founders Tony and Maureen Wheeler’s thoughts on responsible travel, as well as travel tips, the real cost of your next flight, what Lonely Planet is doing to reduce waste in the production and distribution of their books, and The Lonely Planet Foundation, through which Lonely Planet commits 5% of their annual profit to charity partners around the globe.
Nancy from North Saanich (Victoria), BC has kindly allowed Raincoast to reproduce her letter regarding the 5th edition of the Canadian Traveller’s Diary.
Nancy had this to say:
“I just want to let you know how much I appreciate the Travel Diary. I just purchased my third copy and was delighted to do so. I have bought them as gifts and recommended them to others who are also happy with them.
“I was told by a bookstore last year that you had stopped printing the diary. As we are planning a trip this spring, I began shopping around for another journal that would meet my now, high standards. I searched the internet and found nothing even close. I looked in a few other places as well and last weekend, stopped at Tanner’s Books in Sidney to see what they had. I could not believe it when they produced edition 5 of your diary.
“I love the Canadianess of them; the radio Canada listings, the Canadian embassies, the Canada Direct phone numbers. I love the paperback and plastic cover, the packing lists, the time zone map, the do-it-yourself calendar (better than the pre-printed ones that became out of date), the perforated note paper, everything.
“In future editions, you might consider reducing the pages for rolls of film and travelers cheques as not many use them anymore.
“A couple of lines to enter the phone number to call if you lose your credit card would be useful, perhaps under the generic title of ‘other emergency numbers’ or something similar.
“Thank you, thank you for a most useable travel tool."
Thank you Nancy. Raincoast welcomes feedback and reader reviews of all its publications. If you would like your book review posted on this site, email your review to or post a comment on this blog.
Below is the January 30 press release from canada.com and Lonely Planet (distributed in Canada by Raincoast Books).
canada.com Partners with Lonely Planet to Provide New Travel Content Tool
Detailed information on over 157 destinations worldwide
(OAKLAND, CA – January 30, 2006) CanWest Interactive, a division of CanWest MediaWorks Publications Inc. and operator of canada.com announced today that it has entered into a partnership with Lonely Planet, the world’s premier independent travel publisher. The partnership will provide canada.com with detailed information on over 157 destinations around the world while offering Lonely Planet access to canada.com’s extensive reach across the country.
“canada.com’s almost three million unique visitors monthly provides a perfect online audience for Lonely Planet’s award-winning guidebooks as we grow our brand in the Canadian marketplace,” said Blake Hutchison, Business Development Manager for Lonely Planet. "Our WorldGuide content, which is the cornerstone of our own website, provides succinct, punchy and inspirational information which will resonate well with Canadians who we believe represent the quintessential Lonely Planet traveler,” said Hutchison.
The new section is featured under canada.com travel and contains a map of the world that users can click on to find information about their upcoming destinations or to do research on potential destinations. Canada’s most recognizable web address, combined with Lonely Planet travel content further expands its value as Canada’s leading online destination for news, entertainment, and lifestyle information.
“This partnership with Lonely Planet is another example of our commitment to provide the most compelling and reliable content possible to our audience,” said Arturo Duran, President, CanWest Interactive. “Lonely Planet is a market leader in providing independent, unbiased travel information, and the accuracy and depth of its content is a perfect fit for canada.com’s users to help them at the pre-travel stages as well as the booking stage.”
About canada.com
canada.com is owned by CanWest MediaWorks Publications Inc., which is 74% indirectly owned by CanWest Global Communications Corp, (CanWest) (NYSE: CWG; TSX: CGS.SV and CGS.NV, http://www.canwestglobal.com) and 24% indirectly owned by the CanWest MediaWorks Income Fund (http://www.canwest.com/incomefund). CanWest, an international media company, is Canada’s largest media company. In addition to owning the Global Television Network, CanWest is Canada’s largest publisher of daily newspapers, and also owns, operates and/or holds substantial interests in conventional television, out-of-home advertising, specialty cable channels, Web sites and radio networks in Canada, New Zealand, Australia, Ireland and the United Kingdom.
About Lonely Planet
Lonely Planet is the world’s leading independent global travel information provider and publisher headquartered in Melbourne, Australia, with regional offices in the US and UK. Founded in 1973 by husband and wife team Tony and Maureen Wheeler, the company publishes over 600 titles in English and sells more than 6.5 million books a year in 118 countries. Lonely Planet has an award-winning website and online digital image library. Each year, more than 200 authors from over 20 countries research the world over and provide expert information. Lonely Planet’s Business Services Unit is dedicated to leveraging this travel expertise to create travel content for new distribution channels and business clients. Visit http://www.lonelyplanet.biz.
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Media contacts:
Cindy Cohen
Lonely Planet
510-893-8556 ext. 221
Katherine Raso
CanWest MediaWorks
416 442-2177
Lonely Planet Bluelist
618 Things To Do And Places To Go. 06-07.
Looking for a travel destination or something to do in 2006? Check out the Lonely Planet Bluelist for “Things” such as Most History per Square Mile, Best Places to See Wildlife, Most Awesome Treks, Best Road Trips, Most Gruelling Events and Dodgiest Scams.
Looking for “Places”, Bluelist has got the best places to go in the Americas, Asia, Australasia & Pacific, Europe, Middle East & North Africa, and Sub-Saharan Africa.
Don’t see your favourite list in Bluelist? Create your own and enter the contest to be a Lonely Planet writer.
See contest details (ends Feb. 28).
Win on-the-road training with a Lonely Planet author and be published in next year’s Lonely Planet Bluelist.
Enter the Lonely Planet contest by creating a Bluelist on a topic of your choice.
What is Lonely Planet Bluelist?
A book that captures the world’s hottest trends, destinations, journeys and experiences for the year 2006-2007.
For example, visit the Lonely Planet website for the Best Places to Get Naked, a list from the Lonely Planet Bluelist 06-07.
Lonely Planet Bluelist. It’s the next big thing.
(blu, list) v. to recommend a travel experience
Places that BLUE you away. Vacations your friends took that made you GREEN with envy. RED-hot destinations. ORANGE you glad Lonely Planet BLUELIST is coming soon? 618 Things to Do & Places to Go.
Bluelist tells all.
Launching December 13, Lonely Planet Bluelist is a ground-breaking annual travel guide that will seek to answer three essential questions: “what’s hot?” “what’s not?” and “what’s next?”
Capturing the world’s hottest trends, destinations and experiences with authority and attitude, Lonely Planet Bluelist will set the agenda for the year ahead. Packed with inspirational travel ideas, Bluelist is Lonely Planet’s view of the world for 2006, as voted for by the extended travel community of authors, staff, readers and travellers.
Start thinking of your top 10 lists and see if they compare.
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