One Thousand Vines: A New Way to Understand Wine by Pascaline Lepeltier is an avant-garde exploration of wine, distinctively rich in depth and complexity. It’s a read that demands patience and dedication due to its intricate syntax and overwhelming informational density. Lepeltier, a sommelier with accolades as the Meilleur Sommelier de France and Meilleur Ouvrier de France, seeks to unify specialized wine knowledge with broader understanding, bridging diverse fields such as ampelography, botany, and anthropology.
The book stretches over 352 pages adorned with colorful charts and text boxes that enrich its narrative. These visuals offer a dynamic layer to the text, frequently touching on subjects ranging from natural wine to the science behind vineyard management. Lepeltier approaches wine from a multi-dimensional standpoint, emphasizing the interplay between science and philosophy while critically examining vineyard practices and the concept of terroir.
Chapters labeled “Reading Vines” delve into the biology and ecology of vines, proposing radical views such as hybridization as a remedy for genetic depletion and considering plants as colonies rather than singular entities. Lepeltier also challenges the notion of optimal vine maturity and raises provocative questions about vine intelligence and institutional roles in vine stock quality.
In “Reading Landscapes,” she traverses meteorological and geological terrain, focusing on the nuances that terroir brings to wine. Despite the book’s thoroughness, some arguments lack supporting evidence, especially regarding the supposed benefits of cool nights on grape quality—an assertion not backed by scientific citations within the text.
Lepeltier’s explications on terroir prioritize cultural and socioeconomic contexts over purely geological ones. She advocates for the consideration of a broader definition of terroir that might encompass factors that lead to outstanding wines from unremarkable regions and vice versa.
Her concise yet detailed narratives tackle additional topics, such as wine tasting and evaluation, and offer insights into the intersection of sensory perceptions with scientific underpinnings. However, certain explanations—like the complexities of icewine production—highlight occasional gaps in accuracy.
In essence, One Thousand Vines is crafted with the intent of sparking curiosity and appreciation for wine’s multifaceted nature. Although it may present challenges, the journey through its pages is designed to inspire wonder and a more profound connection to the world of wine.
One Thousand Vines: A New Way to Understand Wine
Pascaline Lepeltier
Published by Mitchell Beazley; 352 pages; hardback; US$55 / £45 / €57
Related Links:
Wine Books
Reading Vines
Tasting Notes
Terroir
Minerality in Wine
Natural Wine and Funky Future