Wine Wars: The Curse of the Blue Nun, the Miracle of Two Buck Chuck, and the Revenge of the Terroirists - Hardcover

Veseth, Mike

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0742568199 ISBN 13: 9780742568198

Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, 2011

Synopsis

Writing with wit and verve, Mike Veseth (a.k.a. the Wine Economist) tells the compelling story of the war between the market trends that are redrawing the world wine map and the terroirists who resist them. Wine and the wine business are at a critical crossroad today, transformed by three powerful forces. Veseth begins with the first force, globalization, which is shifting the center of the wine world as global wine markets provide enthusiasts with a rich but overwhelming array of choices. Two Buck Chuck, the second force, symbolizes the rise of branded products like the famous Charles Shaw wines sold in Trader Joe's stores. Branded corporate wines simplify the worldwide wine market and give buyers the confidence they need to make choices, but they also threaten to dumb down wine, sacrificing terroir to achieve marketable McWine reliability. Will globalization and Two Buck Chuck destroy the essence of wine? Perhaps, but not without a fight, Veseth argues. He counts on 'the revenge of the terroirists' to save wine's soul. But it won't be easy as wine expands to exotic new markets such as China and the very idea of terroir is attacked by both critics and global climate change. Veseth has 'grape expectations' that globalization, Two Buck Chuck, and the revenge of the terroirists will uncork a favorable future for wine in an engaging tour-de-force that will appeal to all lovers of wine, whether it be boxed, bagged, or bottled.

About this title

Review:

Wine is, first and foremost, a business, though the nuts and bolts of economic survival rarely make for good reading. Enter Mike Veseth, who brings the mind of a trained academic and the writing talent of a veteran blogger to this fascinating exploration of the macroeconomic forces shaping the global wine industry. He knows his subject inside and out, and after reading Wine Wars you will have a deeper understanding of the major trends that are shaping not only the business of wine but the actual flavors of the wines you drink.--Paul Gregutt, columnist, blogger, and author of Washington Wines & Wineries: The Essential Guide

If we are what we drink, Mike Veseth knows the reasons have as much to do with market forces as mouthfeel. He is as at home with a winery's annual report as a vintner's tasting notes, and this delightfully unstuffy tour of the modern wine industry will fascinate anyone who wants to understand how business works today.--Sasha Issenberg, author of The Sushi Economy: Globalization and the Making of a Modern Delicacy

In the fine tradition of insightful and accessible bestsellers like Freakonomics and The World Is Flat, Wine Wars provides a valuable service to wine enthusiasts everywhere. By combining a clear-eyed economist's point of view with globalization expertise, Veseth offers an insightful and accessible survey that will give readers an understanding not only of what's in the glass, but also how it got there, and what the future may hold as the borders of the global wine village draw closer. This is an important work and a fun read, too.--Jeff Lefevere, writer, Goodgrape.com

From the get-go you just don't want to put this book down, slaloming as it does informatively through economic and social history, the wine industry, the future, and observations setting the scene for the great battle between the market forces redrawing the world wine map and, as Veseth puts it, 'the terroirists who are trying to stop them.' Veseth . . . writes authoritatively and clearly. . . . This is undoubtedly a fascinating read that will be a treat to most tastes and is one of the books of the year.--Paul O'Doherty, JancisRobinson.com

In his insightful and amusing new book, Wine Wars, author Veseth explains the complicated world of wine, analyzing its past and predicting its future. . . . This rich volume with peppery overtones is the perfect match for anyone wanting to know more about the business of wine. Recommended.--Meg Trauner, Ford Library, Fuqua School of Business, Duke University

Fascinating. . . . Political economist and blogger Veseth examines the wine world and analyzes its historical and present-day factors from the small to the large along with their potential impact on wine's future. He structures his overall argument into three major 'flights, ' or selection of wines for tasting, the first being the effects of globalization. Looking at expansionist politics and economics, he examines retailing policies in domestic markets such as England, Germany, and the U.S. Veseth turns to the wine drinking market and its evolution, and the ever-expanding influence of wine criticism on both in the face of the rapid changes in bulk production. The last part of his analysis looks at terroir and the potential effect of climate change. . . . Veseth's analysis is provocative.--Publishers Weekly

Seeking to view the global wine trade through an economist's lens, Veseth (international political economy, Univ. of Puget Sound; Globaloney: Unraveling the Myths of Globalization) takes readers through an engaging examination of international wine markets and the impact of consumers. Veseth carefully explains the construction of stores' wine walls, including the psychological, physiological, and economic impact of the placement of wines on them (think of reaching up for the 'top shelf'). Also included is an analysis and breakdown of the wine consumer market into distinctive groups, such as 'Satisfied Sippers, ' 'Image Seekers, ' and 'Wine Enthusiasts.' Veseth's basic premise is that the modern, globalized market now pits mass-made bargain wines against stuffy, epicurean standbys, creating limitless choices for certain types of consumers and turning the traditional model for what drives industry sales on its head. VERDICT This book will interest not only oenophiles but also general readers following the global economy or market analysis.--Library Journal

Should wine be a beverage for everyone, or should it be an artisanally nurtured nectar, whose pleasures are available only to those with sophisticated noses and the deepest pockets? Veseth documents how these two contradictory approaches dictate what wines appear on shop shelves. The apotheosis of wine-for-all is the famous 'Two Buck Chuck, ' a wine made ubiquitous in America by a German-owned chain of stores. At the same time that a mass market for wine has burgeoned, newly knowledgeable consumers have become increasingly aware of 'terroir, ' the unique characteristics that come from wine grapes grown in specific soils and carefully bottled and aged to bring out their most distinctive and subtle qualities. Nevertheless, outsize profits lure vintners to make their products attractive to consumers of average taste. The appearance of new markets in China and elsewhere challenges small winemakers to expand or disappear entirely.--Booklist

This is a serious book about the future of the wine industry that does not take itself too seriously. The writing of wine experts has long been lampooned for its pretension and incomprehensibility to the layperson. Veseth (economics, Univ. of Puget Sound) avoids these traps, although readers disdaining puns may wish he had not. He has produced an accessible, insightful book that shows he obviously has both intellectual understanding of and emotional attachment to the topic. His main intent is to address the potential benefits and dangers of various developments in the wine industry. Has globalization meant more choices at affordable prices or the homogenization of the choices facing consumers? How will climate change impact the traditional wine centers in Europe and the newly established regions in the New World? Will competition divide the market into a broad base of cheap wine in cardboard boxes for the masses and traditional wines costing thousands of dollars per bottle for a few elites? Veseth maintains his optimism, even if the prevailing mood is more dismal, and his optimism should be infectious for both wine lovers and those simply looking for an informative, entertaining book about the economics of a particular market. Summing Up: Highly recommended. All readership levels.--CHOICE

Veseth expertly presents the economic forces that are shaping wine consumption, and he frets about the beverage's future, particularly with the pushback seen by 'terroirists'--people who are obsessive about a wine's 'terroir, ' that its identity reflect its unique growing conditions and place. The battle for wine's future isn't only about money, he posits, but also about power struggles between vintners, retailers, and governments. . . . In his artful and sometimes amusing analysis of the 'wars' taking place within the wine world as a result of all these skirmishes. Veseth untangles a complicated issue and provides a cogent summary of an industry's challenges. For anyone who appreciates a good glass of wine--or who's been disappointed by a bad one, despite a high sticker price--Veseth's insights will prove tantalizing.--Foreword Reviews

About the Author:

Mike Veseth is professor emeritus of international political economy at the University of Puget Sound. He is editor of the award-winning blog The Wine Economist and author of several books on the business and pleasure of wine, including the best-selling Extreme Wine; Money, Taste, and Wine; and Around the World in Eighty Wines, which received the 2018 Gourmand International award for "Best U.S. Book in Wine and Spirits Tourism." He's currently working on his next book when he isn't traveling around the world with his wife, Sue; speaking to wine industry groups; and looking for great wines and great wine stories.

About this edition

• Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers
• Publication date: 2011
• ISBN 10: 0742568199
• ISBN 13: 9780742568198
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 264