Mise en Place

Wine, Food, and Other Vital Things

Category: What I’m Reading

Jimmy Carter was a winemaker.

What I’m Reading: Jimmy Carter the Winemaker, Sekt, and an Oxford Riot

February 16, 2026 / / 0 Comments

The news never stops coming, and keeping up with everything is an impossible task. Regrettably, there are often too few hours in a day that one can devote to reading, and though I attempt to stay on top of as much as I can, my stacks of newspapers, magazines, and books are always beckoning (and expanding). There’s wine and food, of course, but there’s so much more, from literature and cinema to essays and profiles. Here’s a look at a few things that caught my eye this week.

I begin this week with another winery closing in California. Margins Wine will cease operations at the end of the cruelest month. “Do you want to be liable for this type of financial pressure for the next 10 years?” That’s what Megan Bell, winemaker and owner of Margins, asked herself. Read this piece by Esther Mobley here.

Megan Bell at her winery. (Margins Wine)

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Oxford, St. Scholastica’s Day, 1355. Edward III was on the throne, and not all was to be well on February 10 and 11 on that fine year. It appears that a few clergymen did not like the wine they were served at Swindlestock Tavern, convinced that the tavern’s owner, John de Croyden, was serving them inferior juice. All hell broke loose, and when things quieted down on the 11th the death toll had reached 62. Click here to read about the mayhem.

Wine can stir things up in deadly manner. (Oxford Pageant)

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Andrew Jefford received the Masters of Wine Lifetime Achievement Award from none other than Kylie Minogue earlier this month during ceremonies in Paris. Jefford, author of one of my favorite books, “Drinking With the Valkyries,” was humbled. Here’s a recap of the evening.

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Jimmy Carter, one of my heroes, made wine, as did his grandfather and father before him, from grapes grown on the family’s 15 acres of vines. Back in 2005, Carter sat for an interview with “Wine Spectator.” As today is Presidents’ Day, I reread this lovely piece about a lovely man.

Jimmy Carter holds a bottle of his white wine. (The Carter Center)

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Jackson Family Wines and Constellation Brands are getting new leaders. Tim Brown, formerly of Upfield and Nestlé, is replacing Rick Tigner at Jackson. Tigner has been with the brand since 1991. At Constellation, Nick Fink will be taking over from Bill Newlands.

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Do you drink many wines from Central and Eastern Europe? When I first started drinking wine I was often found with bottles from Bulgaria. Not so often lately, however. But, that could change, as trade groups and governmental agencies hit the road. Look for more wines from Romania, Albania, and other countries showing up on wine lists and merchant shelves.

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Andy Goldsworthy’s work has long fascinated me, since the time I first wandered along his Storm King Wall one autumn afternoon in upstate New York. The artist, now approaching 70, is pondering his legacy; I predict it will be long and lasting. Here’s a profile of Goldsworthy by Rebecca Mead.

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Samuel Johnson is never a boring read. “You put it in new words, but it is an old thought. This is one of the disadvantages of wine, it makes a man mistake words for thoughts.” Here he is holding forth on wine and its utility in life.

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Another writer whose work I admire greatly is Peter Matthiessen. He was recruited by the CIA and plied his trade for the agency in Paris in the early 1950s. And he wrote gorgeously. “When you’re 23, it seems pretty romantic to go to Paris with yr beautiful young wife to serve as an intelligence agent and write the Great American Novel into the bargain,” Matthiessen wrote to his friend Ben Bradlee. Read more about his life and work here.

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Sekt. I love it, and have been drinking it since I was introduced to it as a high school student living in the Pfalz. It presents a great bargain compared to Champagne, and you overlook it at your peril. Here’s Eric Asimov on 10 bottles to consider.

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Frederick Wiseman was a genius storyteller.

To close this week’s edition of What I’m Reading, an appreciation of the life and work of a great director. Fredrick Wiseman died, aged 96, on Monday. “Titicut Follies,” “In Jackson Heights,” “Ex Libris: The New York Public Library,” and “Menus-Plaisirs — Les Troisgros” are my favorite Wiseman’s films, and you should see them if you have not. Here’s an obituary, and here’s a piece on the man in “The Film Stage.”

What I’m Reading: How to Drink Responsibly, Cathiard Passes, and Death to the Wine Snob

January 30, 2026 / / 2 Comments

The news never stops coming, and keeping up with everything is an impossible task. Regrettably, there are too few hours in a day that one can devote to reading, and though I attempt to stay on top of as much as I can, my stacks of newspapers, magazines, and books are always beckoning (and expanding). There’s wine and food, of course, but there’s so much more, from literature and cinema to essays and profiles. Here’s a look at a few things that caught my eye this week.

Esther Mobley has written a piece about the “doom loop” in which Republic National Distributing Co. finds itself. The company quit doing business in California last year, leaving more than 1,700 employees (and retailers and producers) in limbo. The worst appears yet to come for the organization. Read it here.

From bad to worse: Michel Bettane, writing in “World of Fine Wine,” says that “the wine world is on the brink of the biggest struggle for its survival since the phylloxera era.” Bettane is retiring after 20 years of working with the magazine, and he’s not, shall we say, overly optimistic about wine’s future. Here’s his missive.

The wine industry is facing many vexing issues, including consumers who are drinking less.

Pete Wells, who was the chief restaurant critic of “The New York Times” for more than a decade, has recently been writing about how he developed healthier eating habits, and while he says he had little trouble cutting “some of the idiocy” from the way he ate (no more duck skin or sticky buns) and found it easy to come up with substitutions for white rice and and other starchy food, recalibrating the way he drank was a hurdle. Here’s Wells on his beverage journey.

Wine snobs need to go away, says Dusan Jelic.

No one likes a wine snob. They might provide amusement, but I’ve never enjoyed the pleasure of the company of one. However, do they deserve the death penalty? If you believe Dusan Jelic they do. He proclaims here that “we’ve let the Wine Snob hijack the industry for too long.”

Daniel Cathiard, from grocery store owner to competitive skier to Smith-Haut-Lafitte owner.

Daniel Cathiard passed away on Wednesday; he was 81. Cathiard was the co-owner of Bordeaux’s Château Smith-Haut-Lafitte and Napa’s Cathiard Vineyard, among other properties. His life was a grand adventure.

I meant to include this dialogue between Terry Theise, a man I’ve admired for a long time, and Meg Maker in a previous “What I’m Reading,” but here it is now. A wonderful discussion about wine writing. (Here’s a Wine Talk featuring Theise.)

George Saunders has published a new novel, “Vigil,” which came out this week. He once thought he was going to die while traveling in a jet that was hit by geese, but he did not. Here is a fun read about the author.

Thomas Bernhard’s literary output is prodigious. (Still from ‘Thomas Bernhard: Three Days’ by Ferry Radax)

Thomas Bernhard is one of my favorite writers. He was perhaps not the most pleasant man to spend time with, but his writing is magical, moving, profound, and honest. He has influenced many writers, as Oscar Dorr explains in this piece.

A famed pinot noir producer, Arista Winery, will soon be no more. Brothers Ben and Mark McWilliams told Esther Mobley that it was time to exit. If you want to purchase some of the winery’s remaining stock act fast.

Arnaldo Caprai loved Montefalco.

What I’m Reading: An Umbrian Legend Passes, Asimov’s Picks, and Wine and Dementia

January 13, 2026 / / 0 Comments

The news never stops coming, and keeping up with everything is an impossible task. Regrettably, there are too few hours in a day that one can devote to reading, and though I attempt to stay on top of as much as I can, my stacks of newspapers, magazines, and books are always beckoning (and expanding). There’s wine and food, of course, but there’s so much more, from literature and cinema to essays and profiles. Here’s a look at a few things that caught my eye this week.

Wine and its relationship with human health is a topic that has produced words aplenty. Morley Safer’s episode on “60 Minutes” in 1991 has long been cited in this discussion, and more recently the WHO has weighed in, stating in a widely read proclamation that “no level of alcohol consumption is safe for our health.” Dr. Erik Skovenborg, a Danish family medicine doctor who specializes in the health implications of drinking, has weighed in about wine and dementia, and his words make for good reading.

Morley Safer and ’60 Minutes’ convinced Americans to increase their consumption of red wine.

Speaking of wine and health, the CEO of the U.S. Alcohol Policy Alliance, Mike Marshall, says the guidelines issued this month by the U.S. government are “a win for the alcohol industry” (and, I add, its lobbyists). Gone are serving-size regulations; instead, the government advises, “consume less alcohol for better health.” Here is one look at the report.

This year, some of the wines Eric Asimov wants you to drink have “been the victims of stereotypes.” Others have “fallen by the wayside because of evolving tastes, changing attitudes about health, and busier lives.” His 10 genres of wines in this piece , which highlights the “unfashionable, ignored, or dismissed,” includes selections from Bordeaux and Napa, bottles of port and Madeira and sherry, and sweet Rieslings. I approve of his directive.

Don’t forget the vinyl.

Natural wine. Should I stop here? I’ve long grown tired of the phrase and all of the accessories and (often) misguided performances that have come to be associated with it. I like good wine, wine that appeals to my palate and makes my food better. I suspect you share my method, though dictated by your palate. Well, no matter. Natural wine has made its impact, and here’s one take on just that.

When’s the last time you opened a bottle of wine hailing from the Snake River Valley AVA? How about the Lewis-Clark Valley AVA or the Eagle Foothills AVA? Idaho’s winemakers want you to get to know their products, and here’s a primer on the state’s viticultural universe.

Jean-Charles Boisset is a busy man. His Boisset Collection oversees Raymond Vineyards, DeLoach, and Buena Vista, not to mention Oakville Grocery. Two actions the Frenchman recently took might free up some of his time: He closed two of his Napa Valley tasting rooms. Mon dieu.

The always dapper Jean-Charles Boisset strikes a pose in one of this establishments.

A writers’ festival in Australia has come asunder after its organizers disinvited a Palestinian-Australian author, a decision that writers including Zadie Smith and Percival Everett reacted to by disinviting themselves from Adelaide Writers’ Week. Words matter.

I’ve become a fan of “The Pitt,” and I would wager that many of you are also watching Noah Wyle as Dr. Robby. It is a moving and fast-paced drama full of heart and trauma and personalities; it is great television. Sam Anderson visited the show’s set in Los Angeles for this captivating article.

Staying in Hollywood, Matthew Deller writes that the drinks business could learn a thing or two from cinema. “Wine’s opportunity is to reclaim its place at the center of the table by restoring the social clarity that once defined it,” Deller says. Read the piece here.

Arnaldo Caprai, who passed away on Jan. 4, was a vital ambassador of Sagrantino. (Arnaldo Caprai image)

I spent the winter holidays in Umbria one year, and fell in love with the land, wines, and cuisine there. A visit to Arnaldo Caprai was for me one of the highlights of the sojourn, and news that the founder of the winery passed away on Jan. 4 saddened me. He was a kind man, and Montefalco and Sagrantino owe him much. Here’s one appreciation of the vintner.

Finally this week, forget Dry January, proclaims Robert Camuto. Instead, “years, loves, and glasses of wine should never be counted.” Here’s Camuto making a grand case for the Italian way of life.

Oliver Sacks and his patients: A new article delves into those illuminating and groundbreaking relationships. (Oliver Sacks Foundation)

What I’m Reading: A Southern Rhône Legend Passes, a DRC Heist, and a New Book on California Wine

December 10, 2025 / / 0 Comments

The news never stops coming, and keeping up with everything is an impossible task. Regrettably, there are too few hours in a day that one can devote to reading, and though I attempt to stay on top of as much as I can, my stacks of newspapers, magazines, and books are always beckoning (and expanding). There’s wine and food, of course, but there’s so much more, from literature and cinema to essays and profiles. Here’s a look at a few things that caught my eye this week.

Kermit Lynch is one of my favorite wine-world personalities. He’s a legend, and his classic book, Kermit Lynch’s Adventure on the Wine Route – A Wine Buyer’s Tour of France, is a must-have. His Berkeley-based wine store, Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant, founded 53 years ago, is expanding for the first time. Larkspur, California, is the lucky place. Here are the details.

DRC. Those three letters attract a lot of attention in the world of wine, including the unwanted kind, as Christian Borel, wine director at L’ Auberge Provençale, knows too well. Two miscreants made off with six bottles of wine worth around $42,000 last month after Borel gave them a tour of the cellar at his family’s restaurant. “They’re stealing Romanée-Conti!”

Emmanuel Reynaud in one of his vineyards.

We’ll long remember Emmanuel Reynaud, the man who ascended to the proprietorship of Château Rayas in 1997 upon the death of his uncle Jacques. Reynaud’s wines are southern Rhône luminaries — he was also winemaker at Château des Tours, where his career began, and at Château de Fonsalette — and fetch high prices at auction. Rest in peace, Monsieur Reynaud.

Ste. Michelle Wine Estates has been purchased by a Yakima Valley family for an undisclosed sum. The Wyckoffs now own the state’s “first premium wine company,” which was founded in 1933. A private equity firm was the previous owner of Ste. Michelle; it paid $1.2 billion to Altria Group for the asset in 2021. The Woodinville, Washingon-based property keeps chugging on.

I have fond memories of my first year in New York City, quiveringly alive with excitement and eager to immerse myself in restaurants and music and theater, which I did with abandon. It was a grand time, full of luxury and semi-squalor in equal parts. Robert Sietsema also experienced a memorable headlong affair with the city, albeit years earlier than mine. Here, his Memories of East Village restaurants, circa 1977.

Martin Parr was a great photographer. His work may not suit your sensibilities, but his artistry and eye for exquisite detail are indisputable. He died last week at 73, and man, did he care for people, in all their inglorious excesses and self-delusional foibles. An image-rich life is over.

Elaine Chukan Brown has published a new book, one I look forward to reviewing. Its title is “The Wines of California” and here is Elin McCoy’s take on it.

Oliver Sacks left behind groundbreaking work, and his life was one lived to the fullest. (Oliver Sacks Foundation)

The life and work of Oliver Sacks have long fascinated me. He was a tortured genius who abused his body and mind, a writer of grace and care whose humanity and love and demons illuminated much about the mind and spirit. Rachel Aviv has written an important article about how the doctor put his self, in all of its complexity, into his case studies.

John Updike, the man and his work, might have fallen out of favor in the literary world, but he’s still in my personal canon. He was a prolific writer, and Penguin Random House recently published “Selected Letters of John Updike,” a 912-page volume sure to please all Updike fans.

I’d be remiss if I did not close this segment of “What I’m Reading” with an appreciation of Tom Stoppard, the world-creating playwright of astounding works including “Arcadia,” “Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead,” and “Leopoldstadt.” The man was physically attractive, possessed a heat-producing intellect, and made a mark on the drama world that puts him in company with the likes of Shakespeare, Beckett, Kushner, Brecht, and O’Neill. Much has been written since his death, which occurred on November 29, and I urge you to read all of the remembrances. Here, Mark Damazer gives us a place to start.

Marty Mathis and his mother, Kathryn Kennedy, in 1979. (Kathryn Kennedy Winery)

What I’m Reading: An Acre of Sylvaner, William Kennedy at 97, and a Wine Bar in Cleveland

November 21, 2025 / / 2 Comments

The news never stops coming, and keeping up with everything is an impossible task. Regrettably, there are too few hours in a day that one can devote to reading, and though I attempt to stay on top of as much as I can, my stacks of newspapers, magazines, and books are always beckoning (and expanding). There’s wine and food, of course, but there’s so much more, from literature and cinema to essays and profiles. Here’s a look at a few things that caught my eye this week.

I like Sylvaner. I first drank it years ago when I lived in Germany, and though it is not overly popular in the United States, I always try keep a few bottles on hand at home and am delighted when I find it at wine bars or restaurants. Marty Mathis, owner of Kathryn Kennedy Winery, is planting an acre of the variety on a hilltop in Santa Cruz County. He calls it “the last planting project of my life.” Esther Mobley has written a fine profile of the 67-year-old Mathis here. I look forward to tasting his Sylvaner.

Marty Mathis and his mother, Kathryn Kennedy, in 1979. (Kathryn Kennedy Winery)

We’ve all heard far too much about the woeful state of the wine industry. Health warning, the habits of younger generations, restaurant pricing … on and on it goes. According to Jeff Bitter, president of Allied Grape Growers, 2024 was not an easy one for growers. Read more here.

Haiti has long had more than its fair share of troubles, and a dinner that took place last month in Manhattan at The Bazaar did its part to help some people in that beleaguered country. Grapes for Humanity teamed with José Andrés and a number of wine-world luminaries to raise money for Hôpital Albert Schweitzer Haiti, which is the only remaining hospital in a region of 850,000 citizens. Wine to the rescue.

Kash Patel, the director of the FBI, is on a crusade to avenge a slight he received from a judge in Houston. He’s also the man carrying out Donald Trump’s scorched-earth campaign to fire everyone who ever attempted to hold the president accountable. Reading this made me ill.

Eric Texier, a vigneron based in Northern Rhône, is on a mission he calls “a post-modern, global warming compatible dream,” and we might be able to taste the fruit of his efforts in four or five years. He’s attempting to propagate four forgotten grape varieties — Exbrayat, Pougnet, Ribier Gris, and Bourrisquou — from specimens in the Conservatoire de Vassal, a repository based in France. The past, he hopes, is never truly dead.

La Cave du Vin is part of the Cleveland wine scene. (La Cave du Vin)

Headed to Cleveland? If so, here’s a good read about the city’s food and wine scene. La Cave du Vin is on my list of places to visit.

Long ago on a winter morning I was on a train bound for New Haven, “The Stories of John Cheever” in my hands. It was snowing outside and I was lost in Cheever’s imagination. When I looked up I saw a woman sitting in the seat across the aisle. It was Susan Cheever, the author’s daughter. We chatted for a bit, and then went back to our books. Fathers and daughters share a special bond.

William Kennedy as a young reporter in the 1950s, top, and with New York State Senator Pat Fahy this month at ADCo Bar & Bottle Shop in Albany. (Paul Grondahl / NYS Writers Institute)

William Kennedy, The Bard of Albany, will turn 98 on Jan. 16. But as seen, really seen, in this profile by Dan Barry, he is still the talk of the town. This piece is beautiful.

Considering moving to Portugal? You are not alone. Here’s the tale of one woman who did so. She has no regrets.

Jancis Robinson has a lot to say. (Wikipedia)

What I’m Reading: Cabernet SauvignJohn, Canadian Woes, and Cringe ‘Foodies’

November 3, 2025 / / 0 Comments

The news never stops coming, and keeping up with everything is an impossible task. There are only so many hours in a day that one can devote to reading, and though I attempt to be on top of as much as I can, my stacks of newspapers and books are always beckoning (and expanding). There’s wine and food, of course, but there’s so much more. Here’s a look at a few things that caught my eye this week.

I admire the work John Oliver does on a weekly basis on his HBO show. He’s funny, he’s serious, and he and his team offer up an entertaining mix of well-researched and cogent episodes on everything from Trump’s latest moves to consumer-protection shortcomings to beaver cakes. And now, he’s selling Cabernet SauvignJohn and donating “a total of $50,000 to 16 food banks in California.” What a mensch.

John Oliver: A funny, and serious, man. (Wikipedia)

Oh, Canada. Losing a thriller to the Dodgers on Saturday wasn’t enough, it seems. On top of that defeat, some wine grape farmers in British Columbia are stuck with tons of fruit they are unable to sell, thanks in part to a program that allows the importation of grapes from, you guessed it, America. Talk about grapes of wrath …

It’s been too long since I’ve been to ProWein, something I need to rectify. It’s a great fair in a great city. Here’s a look at the future of the Düsseldorf-based wine and spirits extravaganza, as relayed from the horse’s mouth, director Frank Schindler.

What would you do if you fell into a ravine while cycling home from the market and were stuck there for three days? Well, you might do what a French senior citizen did and survive on the wine you had purchased at the store.

John Ash was a culinary legend in Napa Valley, known as “the father of wine country cuisine.” He passed away on Aug. 7, and on Saturday a crowd of his admirers gathered in Santa Rosa to remember the man and chef. The tributes were moving.

The roster of American Viticulture Areas gained a new member recently when the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau gave the go-ahead for North Carolina’s Tryon Foothills AVA. The area encompasses 176 square miles and has more than 77 acres of vines.

I’ve never like the word “foodie,” and cringe when I hear it uttered. And while I am an admirer of “The Bear,” I am over the spoiled, performative, overly demanding restaurant diner who eats for the spectacle. This chef is as well. No, your emotional support boa constrictor cannot be seated.

Jancis Robinson (Wikipedia)

Jancis Robinson needs no introduction. The grande dame of of wine writing has been on the beat for half a century, and her words matter. She sat down recently with Esther Mobley and discussed her career, which has taken her across the globe, and the changing world of California wine, among other topics. Here’s Jancis (unlocked gift article).

Have you seen “One Battle After Another”? I have not yet, but it’s on my screening list. I have a friend who has seen it three times, and, needless to say, he likes it. Paul Thomas Anderson has directed a number of films I love, most notably “There Will Be Blood” and “Phantom Thread.” (Yes, Daniel Day-Lewis is my favorite actor.) Great cinema, and great criticism … here from Jonathan Lethem, who has a lot to sat about the latest film starring DiCaprio and del Toro.

“Man Reading” by John Singer Sargent

Sad but true: Americans spend about 17 minutes a day reading (not including incessant scrolling and watching videos on a mobile phone). That fact has a lot to do with the dire and distressing political issues the United States is facing. Noah McCormack posits that the history of literacy is the history of class. Read it and weep.

Thomas Pynchon at 16, in 1953.

What I’m Reading: California Wine Duo Break Up, Stoumen Gets a Tasting Room, and a New Pynchon Novel

October 7, 2025 / / 0 Comments

The news never stops coming, and keeping up with everything is an impossible task. There are only so many hours in a day that one can devote to reading, and though I attempt to be on top of as much as I can, my stacks of newspapers and books are always beckoning (and expanding). There’s wine and food, of course, but there’s so much more. Here’s a look at a few things that caught my eye this week.

Rajat Parr and Sashi Moorman have split. The pair worked on some great projects together — you likely have heard of Domaine de la Côte, Sandhi, and Evening Land — but almost all good things must come to an end, no? Here’s what happened, and what lies ahead for the two gentlemen. 

Martha Stoumen gets a tasting room of her own. The much-admired maker of natural wines is taking advantage of capital made available as a result of her partnership with the Overshine Collective. The space, located in downtown Healdsburg, will offer food and, of course, wine.

A buyer for Albertsons allegedly took bribes, including trips to Hawaii and luxury watches, in exchange for favorable shelf placement in stores. Patrick Briones faces charges of commercial bribery and conspiracy to defraud the United States.

The Sonoma County Wine Celebration raised $1.6M for children’s literacy initiatives. The Sonoma County Vintners Foundation sponsored the event, which took place at Cline Cellars.

Thomas Pynchon has been writing for decades, and the 88-year-old has just published his ninth novel, “Shadow Ticket.” It’s full of the author’s enthralling wordplay and fast-moving plot lines, and it’s producing a lot of buzz. I’ve added it to my reading list. Here’s Andrew Katzenstein’s look at the timely work.

Have you ever had wine with your breakfast? I have, and while it might not be advisable to do so on a daily basis, here’s a fascinating look at the practice, whose adherents included Cleopatra and Churchill.

Dame Jilly Cooper passed away this week. She was better known on the other side of the pond, but I’ve long admired her reportage and style. Here’s a piece on her that makes for good reading.

It seems that wine and fraud too often intersect. In a case involving nearly $100 million, James Wellesley, a 59-year-old British citizen, pled guilty this week in Brooklyn to wire fraud conspiracy. He and a partner lied to investors about a scheme involving high-value wine collections. Due diligence, everyone?

Babbo, an old favorite of mine, is getting a new chef. (Photo by Heath Brandon)

What I’m Reading: Fake Champagne, Pesticide Dangers, and Henry Louis Gates Jr. on Jamaica Kincaid

September 3, 2025 / / 0 Comments

Didier Chopin’s life has been a touch hectic during the past several years. The winemaker was sent to jail this week for 18 months after being found guilty of selling hundreds of thousands of bottles of fake Champagne — or should I write “champagne”? He’s also facing sexual assault charges. He was sentenced in a court in Reims. Fake bubbles are not cool.

It was, for a long while, my favorite restaurant in New York. Wedding anniversaries and birthdays were all celebrated there, and I never had a bad time at the Waverly Place Italian destination, no matter if dining at the bar (where on one evening I had a long and pleasant conversation with Jay McInerney), upstairs in the former hay loft, or at “my” table at the far end (on the right) of the downstairs dining room. Babbo was the place — is the place. I sadly had my first awful experience at the restaurant back in 2019, the last time I was there for dinner, so am looking forward to seeing how Mark Ladner transforms the place. He knows it and its creator, Mario Batali, quite well, after all. I hope the Mint Love Letters are on his menu.

A new owner and chef for an old favorite of mine. (Photo by Heath Brandon)

Jess Lander has written a downright dystopian article in the San Francisco Chronicle about the 2025 harvest in California. “Tens of thousands of acres of vineyards have been ripped out across the state, and despite mostly ideal weather conditions this growing season, more than 100,000 tons of California wine grapes will likely be left on the vines to rot — for the second consecutive year,” Lander writes. Brutal, indeed.

To continue in the less-than-good-news category, proposed federal legislation that seeks to bar states from regulating pesticides and insecticides is in danger of being passed into law. A provision in the legislation, section 453, prohibits the EPA and adjacent agencies from updating production warning labels from original conclusions under the 1947 Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act. According to WineBusiness.com, in an article written by Michelle Williams, section 453 would “grant immunity to all foreign and domestic manufacturers” of these products for failure to “warn about product hazards.” It does appear to be as bad as it seems. Want more glyphosate and paraquat on your vines?

In better news, the Texas Wine Month Passport 2025 is available for purchase now. It gives you access to tastings, discounts, events, and other good things going on at more than 45 Texas Hill Country wineries from October 1 through October 31. A portion of the proceeds from passport sales goes toward the Texas Hill Country Wine Industry Scholarship Fund, so your pleasure will also help others.

Jamaica Kincaid in 2029. (Jamaica Kincaid på Bokmässan 2019. Foto: Niklas Maupoix” by Bokmässan, CC BY-NC 2.0)

There is, of course, more to this world than wine. Mise en Place, my site, is subtitled “Wine, Food, and Other Vital Things,” and literature and books are two of those vital things in my life. Henry Louis Gates Jr. has written a wonderful piece on Jamaica Kincaid’s work and life in the current issue of The New York Review of Books, and I recommend it wholeheartedly, whether you are familiar with Kincaid or not. Gardening, writing, Black literature, a moving, tempestuous relationship with a mother, and a woman whose early years in Manhattan have long enthralled me. Kincaid is the real thing, and has been for decades.

This week’s reading roster ends on a book, one that should, I strongly posit, be in the library of anyone who respects French wine, its history and place in the world, and its present and future. Get yourself a copy of Jon Bonné’s The New French Wine and revel in Chablis, Pinot Noir, insightful and moving profiles of producers and winemakers, and maps and impressions and opinions. It’s a great book, and will provide you with a lot of reading pleasure. You’ll learn some good things, too.

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