The Science of Wine: From Vine to Glass.

THE SCIENCE OF WINE: From Vine to Glass JAMIE GOODE 

Wine inspires passion and devotion. Many oenophiles say that the beverage captures the soul of the land on which its grapes were grown. Goode, a wine columnist and former scientific editor, seeks not to dissuade people from such romanticism but to add to it by acknowledging the important role that science and technology can play in influencing how wine tastes. The book that he has produced outlines the biology of Vitis vinifera, the species of grape responsible for all wine, and describes the numerous grape varieties that have developed through evolution and human intervention. He addresses the concept of terroir--the tastes and aromas imparted to a wine by its vines' location--how climate and soil chemistry shape wine, the implications of global warming on viticulture, the use of genetically modified vines, the role of chemicals such as sulfur dioxide in wine-making, and the importance of barrels. Finally, Goode examines the wine drinker: the role of smell in the perception of wine's flavor, allergies and aversions to wine, and some of the drink's health benefits. Univ. Cal. Press, 2006, 216 p., b&w photos, hardcover, $34.95.