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

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.

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 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.

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.