Cheese and Wine Book Reviews
Good reading to go with your wine and cheese!
By Kristina Sepetys
The New California Wine:
A Guide to the Producers and Wines Behind a Revolution in Taste
by Jon Bonné
(Ten Speed Press, 2013).
On many favorites lists for 2013, this book by Bonné, the much-respected wine editor at the San Francisco Chronicle, presents a comprehensive narrative on the California wine industry and its young, innovative producers who are challenging the rules of traditional winemaking.
The Green Vine:
A Guide to West Coast Sustainable, Organic, and Biodynamic Wineries
by Shannon Borg
(Skipstone/Mountaineers Books, 2013).
Borg explains what’s involved with sustainable wine-making and looks at the West Coast vintners relying upon such practices. Wine Spectator calls it “a book for eco-minded foodies who want to learn more about wine, or for wine lovers who’ve decided it’s time to know more about sustainable, organic, and biodynamic winegrowing.”
Launched in the fall of 2014, PUNCH is an online magazine devoted to wine, cocktails, and spirits. In a publishing collaboration with Berkeley’s Ten Speed Press, Brooklyn-based Talia Baiocchi (editor in chief) and Leslie Pariseau (deputy editor) bring stories and photos about alcoholic drinks together with dispatches from places around the globe where intriguing drinks are being produced, mixed, and consumed.
It’s Not You, It’s Brie:
Unwrapping America’s Unique Culture of Cheese
by Kirstin Jackson
(Perigee Trade, 2012).
A light, humorous survey of some of the country’s most creative artisan cheesemakers with many palate-enticing recipes and suggested wine pairings. Jackson, a Bay Area writer, contributor to Edible East Bay, and consultant about all things cheese and wine, also writes an entertaining and information-filled blog,itsnotyouitsbrie.com.
The Cheesemaker’s Apprentice
by Sasha Davies
(Quarry Books, 2012).
For DIY types, a beautiful, well-designed book about making specialty cheese. Written by an Oregonian cheesemonger, the book includes instruction that can help you master the fundamentals of cheesemaking, plus suggestions for wine and food pairings, helpful tips, and loads of handsome photographs.
The Life of Cheese:
Crafting Food and Value in America
by Heather Paxson
(University of California Press, 2012).
Paxson, an associate professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, pens a rich, detailed anthropological study of artisan cheesemaking in the United States and its importance to building a sustainable food system.
The Cheesy Vegan:
More than 125 Plant-Based Recipes for
Indulging in the World’s Ultimate Comfort Food
by John Schlimm
(De Capo Lifelong Books, 2013).
Schlimm, who hails from one of the oldest beer producing families in the U.S., Straub Brewery, knows the pleasures of a good cheese paired with an alcoholic drink. As a vegan, he also knows the challenges of indulging, since most cheeses include animal products. In this new book, Schlimm serves up 125 recipes to satisfy every cheese craving, beginning with vegan cheeses you can make at home to create everything from macaroni and cheese to fondue. He devotes an entire chapter to “Vegan Cheese Pairings: Wine, Beer & Cocktails.”
