Questioning Authority: The Alice Feiring Edition
Insight and education and entertainment does result from exploring the expertise of authorities in any given field. But sometimes, simply questioning the authority on more mundane matters can also deliver insight…and surprises. The "Questioning Authority" interview series on FERMENTATION is meant to do just that: Provide insight and surprises…and maybe entertain a little.
Questioning Authority: The Alice Feiring Edition
Job Description?
Person
Profession other than current you'd like to claim?
Best selling novelist. Competitive tangoer.
First Act as The Queen of Wine?
Taxi Driving dancer.
Last book read?
The Last of the Live Nude Girls. Authentic Wine. An Ideal Wine.
DeathBed Wine?
Clos Roche Blanche Cot 2002
Your hero or heroine?
Becky Wasserman
Where does your one roundtrip ticket in a time machine take you?
Paris in the 20’s. Please give me the whole decade and if longer, get me out of there by 1932.
Is the 100-point wine rating scale a good thing?
For those who need a cliff note with no patience or need to read the book? Sure.
Late Night Snack
I usually eat dinner so late, there's no snacking. But I suppose if you can call some liquid from Islay a snack…..
Your new winery is named…?
The same as the old one, the terroir based, Little Italy
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Alice Feiring is a writer who focuses on wine, and one of my favorite. Her most recently book, "Naked Wine: Letting Grapes Do What Comes Naturally" (HIGHLY Recommended), is a personal, searching literary quest that puts the focus on the nature of natural in the wine world. I can imagine the beautiful Alice sitting up late in her NY apartment sipping her Islay late at night and pondering how to write a compelling novel about the nature of personhood that also includes wine, while being disturbed in her thoughts by the idea of a great tango session starring herself. It's a wonderful image.
seems like an insufferable person
Nick,
Is it the Tangoing you object to or the late night Islays?
Yup. I dig her…..
Am looking forward to reading the latest book. The first one “The Battle for Love and Wine” (or How I Saved the World from parkerization) was excellent.
I had thought Islay was a mystical retreat, based on a folk song I heard 30-40 years ago by Donovan Leitch. However, some web research appears to reveal that a famous scotch whiskey is manufactured in Islay.
I liked the artfulness of Ms. Feiring’s reminiscence about “Joe”, a few days ago, years ago, describing his office’s location as “on the edge of Little Italy and Soho,…a five- minute bike ride from my home.”
So, whatever grapes are doing these days, I think is well reflected in the book title. There is a sort of ongoing introspective reapplication of modern food science to the centuries of enology and viticulture which have brought the grape to this era, for us to do with it what nature has made possible.
However, some web research appears to reveal that a famous scotch whiskey is manufactured in Islay.
I liked the artfulness of Ms. Feiring’s reminiscence about “Joe”, a few days ago, years ago, describing his office’s location as “on the edge of Little Italy and Soho,…a five- minute bike ride from my home.” I can imagine the beautiful Alice sitting up late in her NY apartment sipping her Islay late at night and pondering how to write a compelling novel about the nature of personhood that also includes wine, while being disturbed in her thoughts by the idea of a great tango session starring herself