"In her newest book, Alice Feiring homes in on how an understanding of soil types can point to through-lines in wines from very different parts of the world. Rather than relying on tasting notes, Feiring attempts to ascertain the ways soil actually transcends a grape, pointing to tangible details like how a specific soil type can lend acidity or power, no matter the region. Limestone, for example: “It is associated with elegance. Limestone is something that you first sense up front in the mouth, on the tip of the tongue, and it betokens a long finish with a linear structure.” Feiring’s sense of humor (as seen in her description of Brettanomyces as smelling like “a small closet stuffed with live sheep”) and cheeky descriptions (“in a wet climate well-drained granite soil saves Albariño’s ass”) are met with a real enthusiasm for the energy that earth can imbue in a wine. What emerges through Feiring’s travels and tastings with her frequent co-conspirator, sommelier Pascaline Lepeltier, is that there’s a way to evaluate wine that goes simply beyond taste."

In her newest book, Alice Feiring homes in on how an understanding of soil types can point to through-lines in wines from very different parts of the world." ---Punch Magazine

In her newest book, Alice Feiring homes in on how an understanding of soil types can point to through-lines in wines from very different parts of the world." —Punch Magazine

At the heart of this practical guide is Alice Feiring’s view that the world’s best wines should be considered not by region, but by the underlying rock and soil type from which their grapes grow. If the listener’s last earth science course was a while ago, it’s no problem, as Feiring makes earnest attempts to keep the geology details accessible. Narrator Callie Beaulieu employs a muted voice to provide an unadorned reading and consistent pacing. Beaulieu’s French pronunciation is spot-on. Sadly, however, this practical primer is quite dry, and the narrator’s lack of enthusiasm does not enliven it. For those who might be amused by such qualities, flashes of snobbishness appear such as the cliché of the “idiot sommelier.’’ Patience will be as essential as earbuds for oenophiles with a distinct interest. W.A.G. © AudioFile 2017, Portland, Maine