Wine Snobbery: An Expose

Barr is a British wine writer known for his spats with the ostensibly genteel wine trade; when the original Wine Snobbery was published in England in 1988, one wine critic sued him for libel11 . In this new version amended for the U.S., Barr opens by explaining precisely why American wine lovers are philistines. They vastly prefer white wine--vastly inferior to red--and a kind of bastard white wine at that, white zinfandel. But no wonder Americans don't know quality--their palates are destroyed by a love for ``sweet, fizzy drinks,''33 which they always drink ice-cold. Wine drinkers aren't the only ones to feel Barr's wrath. He hates most experts (one chapter is entitled ``Wine Tastings Are Bunk''). He claims that many wine reviewers are corrupt, and lists several offenders by name. He writes that wine in restaurants is usually served by staff who are ignorant and stupid43 , and is ``absurdly expensive.'' The casual reader's eyes may glaze over when Barr turns from entertaining harangues to detailed arguments about the technicalities of wine-making (vat elimination, anti-rot sprays). And those looking for a guide to wine appreciation will have to dig hard for concrete, serviceable bits of information. (Sept.)