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Thirsty Reads: Corkscrewed (plus reading-tasting events)

By Robert Lauriston in Books, Events, Lauriston, Wine

Thursday, Feb. 12 2009 @ 12:40PM

"Wine should smell and taste like the variety of grapes and the place it was produced from, and that is all!" says Gilles Barge, one of a dozen neo-traditionalist winemakers profiled in Robert Camuto's Corkscrewed: Adventures in the New French Wine Country. Much like Kermit Lynch's Adventures on the Wine Route, Camuto focuses mainly on the third essential ingredient: the often eccentric people who grow the grapes and make the wine.

Barge's place and grapes--Côte-Rôtie, made from Syrah with a splash of Viognier--are mainstream compared with some of those the author visits and tastes. As the book goes on, the grapes get more esoteric: Cabernet Sauvignon in St.-Émilion, Carignan in Corbières, Chenin Blanc in Savennières, Sciaccarello in Corsica, Ondenc in Gaillac, Chatus in the Ardèche--that last virtually unknown outside of its own neighborhood. The otherwise diverse group of people behind these wines is united by a common rejection of modern technology and international style in favor of traditional practices and local flavors.

The level-headed Barge is one of the more staid characters in the book. The most out-there has to be biodyamics guru Nicholas Joly of Coulée de Serrant, a single-estate appellation within Savennières, who states the common cause in the strongest terms: "all technological wines taste the same." Joly sprays his vines with seaweed tea to offset the effects of the degradation of the ozone layer, lets sheep graze in his vineyards, sprinkles the ashes of cremated rabbit skin to keep away pests, and believes that supermarket scanners "break" wine. At one point, Joly describes his experiment with aging his wine in a clay amphora, which he considers "an antenna pointing straight down to Dionysus." Unfortunately, he says, the experiment failed because the amphora wasn't waterproof, so the wine (which sells for over $50 a bottle) all leaked out. "Amphorae, Dionysus, and ash of hare!" thinks Camuto, lamenting the wasted wine. "All of it might be dismissed except for the fact that Joly makes beautiful wines beyond reproach."

The main drawback to this enjoyable book is that it's likely to leave you thirsting for wines that for the most part are unavailable in these parts. K&L has the 2005 Ch. Soutard St.-Émilion, one of the last vintages winemaker François des Ligneris worked on before, as detailed in the book, he sold the winery and switched to making Corbières. Terroir has the 2006 Plageoles Gaillac Doux Muscadelle and a half-dozen dessert wines from Joly, and is sold out of a few others until the next vintages arrive.

Next week offers two additional tasting opportunities. On Wednesday, 2/18, at 7:30, Camuto will be signing books and pouring tastes at the Marina branch of Books Inc. (2251 Chestnut). On Thursday, 2/19, at 7pm, he will be reading from the book and leading a tasting of wines from Joly, Didier Barral (Faugères), and Jean-Michel Stephan (Côte-Rôtie) at 18 Reasons (593 Guerrero); $15 includes snacks (advance tickets here).