IN THE WINE LIBRARY
(Books Reviewed in Our Oct-Nov 1999 Issue)
by Bob Foster

The History of the Sonoma Viticultural District - Comprising Sonoma, Marin, Lake, Mendocino, Humbolt, Trinity, Del Norte and Siskiyou Counties, Ernest P. Peninou, Nomis Press, 149 Gray Court, Santa Rosa, CA 95404. 456 pages, hardback, $60. Ernest Peninou is among the very most respected wine historians of our generation. For over fifty years he has labored on this book-and the massive effort shows. The work is a triumph carefully covering the history of the Sonoma Viticultural District from the 1800s to the present.
    The geographic scope of this book may seem a bit odd as modern wine lovers do not normally think of Lake or Mendocino counties as linked to Sonoma. But in the late 1800s the state was divided into seven major viticultural districts in order to promote the struggling industry. The Sonoma District included eight counties and stretched from Marin County along the coast to the Oregon border. This is the definition Peninou uses for this fine work.
      It is amazing to read the diversity of enterprises that flourished in the region. The author gives a fascinating, detailed overview of each county. He begins with material on the source of the county's name. For example, although the common interpretation of the name Sonoma is the "Valley of the Moon," Peninou links it to the Wintun (a local indian tribe) word for nose. The name came from a nickname the early Spanish explorers had for a local Indian chief. Follow-ing this introductory material he presents, in meticulous detail, information on every producer who ever existed in the region.
     Within Sonoma County. the author breaks the area into twenty two subregions and develops the history of winegrow-ing and winemaking in each. Peninou covers the other seven counties in separate chapters.
    The well written text is highlighted by reproductions of advertisements and photographs from the early portion of this century. Additionally, many photos taken by the author show the current remains of many of the ghost wineries. It makes for fascinating reading of a history far more complex and involved than many modern wine lovers can imagine.
      One of the prime sources for historians seeking to research the late 1800s in California winemaking has always been the "California Viticulture Commission Reports." But they were scarce and normally found only in major library collections. Peninou reproduces the surveys of 1888, 1891 and 1893 in the back of the book and provides a separate index for them.
      No region in California has ever had such detailed, thorough analysis of its history. This book has a wealth of information that every wine buff with a penchant for history will want in his or her wine book library. Very highly recommended.

The Wrath of Grapes: The Coming Wine Industry Shakeout and How to Take Advantage of It, Lewis Perdue, Spike Trade paperbacks (Avon Books) New York, 1999, 253 pages, softback, $13.50. Lew Perdue has been in the wine industry for decades. He was the founder of Wine Business Monthly which has chronicled the financial side of the wine industry for years. From this vantage point Perdue gained special insights into the complex world of winemaking and marketing. His central thesis in this book is that a major industry shakeout is rapidly approaching. The basis of his theory is that there will soon be an oversupply of grapes as new or replanted acreage comes to maturity. As these new sources hit the marketplace, consumption is declining (or at least stagnant) and the anti-alcohol forces are on the rise. He sees drops in wine prices, especially at the lower end of the market.
      Perdue analyzes each of the factors contributing to the problem. He hammers the industry for failing to ever achieve a unified marketing program that could convince Americans that wine is not an elitist beverage only for special occasions. He notes the success of the milk producers with their "Got Milk?" campaign and demonstrates how the fractionalized California wine industry has failed time and again to mount any kind of effective marketing campaign.
     He discusses all of the warning signs that should have warned the industry of the coming phyloxera epidemic. He talks about the wealth of medical studies that could have been used to promote wine's health benefits. He also covers the growing prohibitionist movement and the failure of large portions of the wine industry to adequately respond to this challenge.
      One of the most interesting features of the book comes when the author reviews all of the stocks in wine companies that are on the market and rates them as investments. Interest-ingly, he takes into account the benefits offered by the companies to their shareholders. Calculated into his analysis is his premise that there is a coming glut.
      But three aspects of the book give me pause. First the author continually paints with a very broad brush. For example, he dismisses outright the results of all wine compe-titions because one wine director starts his competition with an exhortation to the judges to give medals, primarily gold medals. While this report is true (I've personally heard the pitch from this person at his competition) it is hardly a basis to condemn the entire industry. Secondly, and most frustrat-ingly, there is no index to the work. Why in a book filled with so much unique material on so many diverse topics would the publisher omit an index? It seriously diminishes the work's value as a reference tool. Third, some of the material is dated. For example, the author presents a list of five wineries on the way down. On the list are BV and Sterling. While these two certainly deserved to be on the list a few years ago, both have made amazing improvements in the last year.
      In any event, this is a book sure to stir controversy and discussion. I just wish its contents were easier to access. Highly recommended.

Wineries of the Eastern States, Third Edition-Fully Re-vised, Marguerite Thomas, Berkshire House Publishers, Lee, Massachusetts, 1999, 224 pages, $17.95. Bad news. While the earlier editions of this book were top notch, the new edition changes its format-and not for the better. Originally the book covered not only the wineries of the eastern states but also places to dine and places to stay. In a single book the winelover had all he or she needed to plan a delightful trip.
      The restaurant and accommodations suggestions are gone. This is now just a book on wineries. The author states that there are so many places in the region serving local wines that a guide is no longer needed. Huh? Seems to me that if almost all of the local establishments are serving the wines there is even more need for a guide to separate the good from the bad. In Napa and Sonoma all of the eateries serve local wines, but the Berkshire House guidebook for that region does a super job of critiquing these places. This is a change that is for the worse.
     The rest of the work follows the prior format. Rather than going state by state, she breaks the area into three major divisions: the Benchlands, the Atlantic Uplands, and the Mountains. For each winery there is a lengthy entry covering all of the basics (address, phone number, hours of operation, etc.). There is a brief history of the producer, a description of the tour and some comments about the wines themselves. In the back of the book are several very helpful chapters including one giving several suggested itineraries (including reasonably detailed maps) for touring the region, and one giving the author's list of her favorite wines (but sadly lacking in vintage dates). This book will help the wine lover explore these emerging regions. It is not as helpful as earlier editions and one can only hope that future editions will return to that excellence. Recommended.