Sonoma County Wine Library

New Food & Drink Book Club

Jon Haupt — Tue, 26 Feb 2013 20:57:22 +0000

Polymer clay sweets, by Xoulone on Flickr

Come to the Sebastopol Regional Library tomorrow evening at 6 PM for the unveiling of a new book club! We are co-sponsoring a budding Foodie Book Group with the Sebastopol Library. The topics will include all kinds of food and drink, fiction and nonfiction. We hope to combine food and drinks with the discussion, possibly including occasional presentations.

Sebastopol Regional Library
7140 Bodega Ave
Sebastopol, CA 95472
707-723-7691

February 27, 2013
6:00 PM ~ No charge!

This particular event is going to be an opportunity to talk about the best plans for the club–brainstorming about ideas, talking about how to make the book club a successful venture–and we'll have something to eat while we're at it. Come and be a part of it!

We're excited about this venture because it's a great opportunity to collaborate with another library and get us out of our comfort zone for a spell–we do love Healdsburg, of course, but the Wine Library is a county-wide resource! Hope to see you there.

New titles – January 2013

Jon Haupt — Wed, 06 Feb 2013 20:01:47 +0000

Here are a few interesting new titles that have come to the Wine Library over the last few months:

The Diner's Dictionary: Word Origins of Food and Drink, by John Ayto. 2nd ed.

While there are plenty of food and drink dictionaries offering basic definitions, this dictionary is useful because of its etymological detail. One can find out about the origins and development of the word "julep," for example, or the difference between the terms "beerenauslese" and "trockenbeerenauslese," or the relative acceptance across the Atlantic of the terms "offal," "variety meat" and "organ meats."

Wine grapes: a complete guide to 1,368 vine varieties, including their origins and flavors, by Jancis Robinson, Julia Harding, and Jose Vouillamoz.

This reference work is the most significant volume published on ampelography in recent years. The stunning work details history and origins of grape varieties, including detailed DNA analyses, and also includes full-color plates from the revered Ampélographie of Viala and Vermorel.

Evening Wine, drawings by Glen G. Greenwalt.

Representing another side of our collection, this is a book of drawings by Seattle artist Glen Greenwalt; it is the third book in a series, also including Morning Coffee and Afternoon Tea. The book includes a short introduction by Marvin Shanken of Wine Spectator and each drawing is paired with an engaging wine-related quote.

The Art of Distilling Whiskey and Other Spirits, by Bill Owens and Alan Diktey.

The Wine Library receives a lot of questions about beer and spirits in addition to wine! We have several resources on distillation, including this new book. This is a basic overview of the topic, including a short history of distilling, an explanation of the distillation process, and chapters detailing specific distilled spirits (whiskey, vodka, gin, brandy, etc.) and principal varieties and producers of each. Finally, the book features a "resources" section with a bibliography, a glossary, and a directory of distillers.

Atlantic Seaboard Wine: A Talk and Tasting

Jon Haupt — Tue, 15 Jan 2013 20:10:33 +0000

Join the Wine Library Associates of Sonoma County and the Atlantic Seaboard Wine Association (ASWA) for the chance to taste some award-winning wines from the Eastern seaboard and hear from David Barber, ASWA Vice President.

Atlantic Seaboard Wine
Friday, February 1, 7-9 PM
Sonoma County Wine Library
139 Piper Street
Healdsburg, CA 95448

NOTE 1/31: This event is sold out! Sorry!

Admission: $20 Public; $15 Members of Wine Library Associates of Sonoma County; $10 Special Student Price (Show ID)

Reservations: 707-433-1660

The evening will include a guided tasting of 6 Atlantic Seaboard wines conducted by Mr. Barber, followed by an open tasting of 24 additional wines. Hors d'oeuvres will also be served.

An Evening With Thomas Pinney: Wine Library Event December 3

Jon Haupt — Fri, 16 Nov 2012 22:30:09 +0000

Join the Wine Library Associates of Sonoma County at the Sonoma County Wine Library for a book signing and talk by Thomas Pinney. Pick up a few books at our wine book sale as well!

An Evening with Thomas Pinney
December 3, 6 PM
Sonoma County Wine Library
139 Piper Street
Healdsburg, CA 95448

Admission: $25 Public; $20 for members of Wine Library Associates of Sonoma County

Reservations: 707-433-1660

Sonoma County wine and appetizers will be served. While you're here, pick up a few books as holiday gifts for your friends and family!

Thomas Pinney, professor emeritus at Pomona College, has authored several important books on wine history, including two definitive volumes of A History of Wine in America, The Vineyards and Wine Cellars of California, and his most recently published work, The Makers of American Wine: a Record of Two Hundred Years. His next project, a book on wine in Southern California, will be featured in his talk at this event: "Los Angeles: The City of Vines."

Please come and welcome Dr. Pinney to Sonoma County!

The continuing emergence of China in the wine industry

Jon Haupt — Tue, 16 Oct 2012 19:11:12 +0000

China's presence in the wine world has been a busy subject in wine journals and magazines lately. The articles cover a large range of wine-related aspects and all indicate that the Asian market is on the rise.

This month's Chinese presence in wine publications is no exception. In terms of wine production, a Chinese bordeaux blend was (for the second year in a row) selected as an international trophy winner in the Decanter World Wine Awards; this year, for "Red Bordeaux varietal under £10" (Decanter 38:1, October 2012: 46).

In this month's Australian Journal of Grape and Wine Research (vol. 18, no. 3), Williamson, Robichaud and Francis's article "Comparison of Chinese and Australian consumers' liking responses for red wines" (p. 256-267) is an extensive study of consumer preferences; Australian and Chinese wine consumers evaluated 14 wines with the intended aim of establishing potential sensory preference differences across cultures. This study is related to a long-term project the Australian Wine Research Institute (AWRI) is conducting on wine quality and consumer preferences.

In terms of the region as a whole, this month's Wine & Viticulture Journal (vol. 27, no. 5) includes an article, "Emerging Asian markets" (p. 78-79), examining the export market (from Australia) to nine emerging Asian markets, excluding China and Japan. Among other insights, Singapore is a very fast-growing market and South Korea currently appears to be the market with the best potential return on investment.

New titles – September 2012

Jon Haupt — Sat, 29 Sep 2012 18:36:32 +0000

Here are a few interesting new titles that came to the Wine Library over the summer:

The Organic Backyard Vineyard: A Step-by-Step Guide to Growing Your Own Grapes, by Tom Powers. WL 634.8 POWERS

This book provides the basics of planning, installing, harvesting, and maintaining a small vineyard. The book includes important information about grape variety hardiness, vine and row spacing, building trellis and irrigation systems, pest control, and various harvesting and crushing topics, and features a useful simple glossary.

Wine, by André Dominé. WL 663.2 WINE

The sixth "updated" edition of this comprehensive resource on wine is a beautiful and extensive book useful to anyone from lifelong oenophiles to those completely new to wine. In the first couple of chapters, there are long and detailed sections in available on enjoying wine; grapes, vines, and terroir; vineyard and winery operations; and barrel and bottle making. The bulk of the book details regions of the winemaking world, with detailed maps, numerous photographs, and extra side information.

The update contains significant new information about wine regions and grape varieties around the world as well as a plethora of new images.

The Drops of God, written by Tadashi Agi; Illustrated by Shu Okimoto. WL G AGI

This set of Manga novels chronicles the story of Shizuku Kanzaki, son of a world-famous wine critic. He has deliberately snubbed his father's business for years, working sales for Taiyo Beer, and has never tasted wine–but now that his father has died, his inheritance hangs on his ability to win a year-long competition with a famous young critic, identifying fabulous wines described carefully by his father.

Winery and vineyard transitions

Jon Haupt — Sat, 15 Sep 2012 22:45:34 +0000

This is the first in a series of posts called "Wine News" highlighting articles and trends in recent journals and magazines of interest, both to those in the wine industry and those interested in winemaking…not to mention the consumption of wine and food!

This month in Vineyard & Winery Management (v. 38, no. 5, Sept–Oct 2012), one finds a couple of articles related to beginnings and endings of winery ownership. "Preparing for an Ownership Change" by Rob Morris is directed at winery owners at any stage of the ownership process, intended to provide advice for making future transitions smooth. "How to Get a Business Loan — in Good Times and Bad" by Adam Beak provides sound advice for anyone looking to find a boost in funding, and informs the reader about trends in commercial lending by banks and about the building blocks for a successful business model. Finally, "Selecting and Training Your Company's Next Leader" by Greg Scott lays out successful methods of planning a succession of leadership, both long-term and short-term.

In Wines & Vines (v. 93, no. 9, September 2012), there are a few other articles of use to new owners and grapegrowers as well. "Special Report: Wine Industry Finance" by Ben Narasin explores the top 20 lenders specializing in wine industry lending on the West Coast, offering perspectives on the market, services offered, types of credit available, and some useful financing scenarios for assessing a situation. "Leasing Meets Cash-Flow Demands" by Andrew Adams further explores the different ways of acquiring assets.

You can access these articles and more at the Wine Library. Contact us for more information!

From Peasants to Entrepreneurs: Wine Library event September 22

Jon Haupt — Wed, 12 Sep 2012 19:45:16 +0000

Join the Wine Library Associates of Sonoma County and Pedroncelli Winery at an event highlighting the Italian-American immigrant experience on the North Coast. Experience good food, good wine, and an interesting talk by Paola Sensi-Isolani.

September 22, 2012
5-8 PM
Tickets: $50 ($40 for members)

Find out more!

New Directions at the Wine Library

Wine Library — Fri, 10 Aug 2012 23:36:04 +0000

Join us on Friday, August 17, 2012 at 6 PM at the Healdsburg Regional Library for "New Directions at the Wine Library," an opportunity to meet the new Wine Librarian, throw around a few new ideas and enjoy wine and hors d'oeuvres.

This event is for those who have been using the library for a long time, those who had no idea there even was a wine library, and everyone in between. If you're interested in finding out about the library, its collections and new directions, please come on by.

For more information about this opportunity, please visit the Wine Library Web site.