Questions of Taste The Philosophy of Wine

Interest in wine has steadily increased in recent years, with people far more sophisticated about wine than they used to be, and with more and more books being written about it, not to mention the success of films like Sideways. And, inevitably, those who take a serious interest in wine find themselves asking questions about it that are at heart philosophical.

Questions of Taste is the first book to tackle these questions, illuminating the philosophical issues surrounding our love of wine. Featuring lucid essays by top philosophers, a linguist, a biochemist, and a winemaker and wine critic, this book applies their critical and analytical skills to answer--or at least understand--many thorny questions. Does the experience of wine lie in the glass or in our minds? Does the elaborate language we use to describe wine--alluding to the flavors of cheese or fruit, or to a wines suppleness or brawniness--really mean anything at all? Can two people taste one wine in the same way? Does a wine expert enjoy wine more than a novice? How much should we care about what experts say about wine? These questions and others are not just the concern of the wine lover, but go to the heart of how we think about the world around us--and are the province of the philosopher.

With a foreword by leading wine authority Jancis Robinson (editor of the Oxford Companion to Wine), this volume will be of interest to anyone who thinks seriously about the experience of enjoying wine, as well as those interested in seeing philosophy applied to the world of the everyday.

"The serious wine drinker seeking deeper knowledge and a more meticulous appreciation of his favorite beverage will take from these essays a glimpse into deep and subtle structures of the human mind."--Booklist

"Questions of Taste is enjoyable to read and clearly written with references at the end of several essays."--L.E. Erickson, CHOICE

"This is a book best read with a glass of wine in hand The wine will also be a good study aid, allowing you to read test the ideas the moment they are presented."--New York Times

"The serious wine drinker seeking deeper knowledge and a more meticulous appreciation of his favorite beverage will take from these essays a glimpse into deep and subtle structures of the human mind."--Booklist

"The net effect is of an enjoyably thought-provoking curiosity."--Wine and Spirit

"The questions it wrestles with intoxicate the mind."--The Times Higher Education Supplement

"[The contributors] prove themselves well up to the task of situating wine-centred questions within a larger framework of questions about taste and perception, subjectivity and objectivity, and aesthetic appraisal more generally."--The Times Literary Supplement

"This collection adds an engaging set of voices to the conversation with ten nicely matched essays on wine.... The potential readership of this book is wide.... this book is both a serious and an enjoyable contribution to the philosophical study of a subject that is itself both serious and enjoyable: wine."--Christine Korsmeyer, British Journal of Aesthetics

"This collection of essays is a gem, covering topics such as what we mean by 'fine wine', how we translate flavours on to the page, and the interaction between wine and the brain."--Tim Atkin, The Observer

"This collection of insightful essays addresses the experience, the language, taste, art, more. Drink and think."--Newsday.com

"This compilation of lucid essays by top philosophers, a linguist, a biochemist, a winemaker and wine critic addresses such questions as: Does the experience of wine lie in the glass or in the mind? Does a wine expert enjoy wine more than a novice? How much should we care what experts say about a wine?"--Pittsburgh Post-Gazzette

Interest in wine has steadily increased in recent years, with people far more sophisticated about wine than they used to be, and with more and more books being written about it, not to mention the success of films like Sideways. And, inevitably, those who take a serious interest in wine find themselves asking questions about it that are at heart philosophical.

Questions of Taste is the first book to tackle these questions, illuminating the philosophical issues surrounding our love of wine. Featuring lucid essays by top philosophers, a linguist, a biochemist, and a winemaker and wine critic, this book applies their critical and analytical skills to answer--or at least understand--many thorny questions. Does the experience of wine lie in the glass or in our minds? Does the elaborate language we use to describe wine--alluding to the flavors of cheese or fruit, or to a wines suppleness or brawniness--really mean anything at all? Can two people taste one wine in the same way? Does a wine expert enjoy wine more than a novice? How much should we care about what experts say about wine? These questions and others are not just the concern of the wine lover, but go to the heart of how we think about the world around us--and are the province of the philosopher.

With a foreword by leading wine authority Jancis Robinson (editor of the Oxford Companion to Wine), this volume will be of interest to anyone who thinks seriously about the experience of enjoying wine, as well as those interested in seeing philosophy applied to the world of the everyday.

Barry Smith is Professor of Philosophy at the University of London.

Foreword Jancis Robinson

Introduction Barry Smith

1. The Philosophy of Wine, Roger Scruton

2. Knowledge, Wine, and Taste: What Good is Knowledge in Enjoying Wine?, Kent Bach

3. The Subjectivity of Tasting: The Objectivity of Tastes, Barry Smith

4. The Power of Tastes, Ophelia Deroy

5. Wine and the Brain, Jamie Goode

6. Can Wines be Brawny?, Adrienne Lehrer

7. Wine as an Aesthetic Object, Tim Crane

8. On the Evaluation of Wine Quality, Steven Charters

9. Wine Epistemology: The Role of Reputational and Ranking Systems in the World of Wine, Gloria Origgi

10. The Art and Craft of Wine, Paul Draper and Andrew Jefford