Godforsaken Grapes: The Book and Thoughts about Wine

Most of my readers are aware that I love reading, and while wine drinking hadn't been high on my list, lately I have been very interested in wines. My family already has a deep interest and knowledge base on wines, and perhaps I am just wanting to be a part of their discussions. Whatever the reason, Godforsaken Wines: A Slightly Tipsy Journey through the World of Strange, Obscure, and Underappreciated Wine was a fascinating book about your not-so-normal wines.  Click on the link to purchase the book. If you purchase the book from me, I will make a small commission.  What a great place for me to jump off and start my learning.

This post is a part of a group called #WinePW and they write monthly on wine. This is my first attempt at writing a post for this group. Yes, a bit intimidated but I am one to jump right in. The chat is being hosted by Camilla Mann of Culinary Adventures with Camilla.  Thank you so much for trusting that I will be an asset to the group.

For me, this book is set up like a travel book and I love to travel. You will find grape varietals you haven't heard of, or most of us anyway, and wine areas that aren't getting a lot of attention.  I was fascinated by how some wines become very popular, then slowly die off, to be discovered again in a new generation of wine drinkers.  I found a lot of inspiration in this book, to become more learned in wine and culture, and to seek out different wines. This book will serve as my "bible" to wine exploration.

I love books where the author can tell a great story. This author, Jason Wilson, has the gift of storytelling. Because of his gift, I was riveted to a book that I don't have a lot of background knowledge. It has changed my thinking about wine and how I will buy wine in the future. I have joined a couple of wine groups that focus on smaller producers. I'll let you know how those groups turn out in future posts.

While I didn't find an obscure wine that I wanted to share with you, I did try this pecorino, an Italian varietal that I didn't know much about.  The grape is so old that no one is sure where the name of the grape came from!  The closest Italian word is pecora, meaning sheep. For me, the wine smells full and fruity, very slight sweetness, acidic but not overly so. I found the wine in a group that I joined over Christmas called FirstLeaf.

At the back of the book is a list of 101 varietals that are considered rare. I had only tried three of them and so now the hunt is on!  Come see me next month!

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