This collection of essays springs from a recent London congress of wine experts investigating what, if any, words might possibly convey the sensual experience of drinking wine. These disquisitions on the ways humans discriminate among similar bottlings, evaluate their experiences, and communicate those experiences to one another summon the very specialized lexicon of philosophical aesthetics. To the uninitiated, this quest for a vocabulary of wine verges on the effete, but to connoisseurs, this effort lies at the heart of their craft and constitutes the sole way to share a unique and evanescent experience. Although the essays in this collection focus on wine, the insights and conclusions can apply to food in general as well as to any other aesthetically grounded endeavors. The serious wine drinker seeking deeper knowledge and a more meticulous appreciation of his favorite beverage will take from these essays a glimpse into deep and subtle structures of the human mind. Knoblauch, Mark

Review

"The serious wine drinker seeking deeper knowledge and a more meticulous appreciation of his favorite beverage will take from these essays a glimpse into deep and subtle structures of the human mind."--Booklist

"This is a book best read with a glass of wine in hand The wine will also be a good study aid, allowing you to read test the ideas the moment they are presented."--New York Times

"The net effect is of an enjoyably thought-provoking curiosity."--Wine and Spirit"

"The questions it wrestles with intoxicate the mind."--The Times Higher Educational Supplement

"[The contributors] prove themselves well up to the task of situating wine-centred questions within a larger framework of questions about taste and perception, subjectivity and objectivity, and aesthetic appraisal more generally."The Times Literary Supplement

"This collection of essays is a gem, covering topics such as what we mean by 'fine wine', how we translate flavours on to the page, and the interaction between wine and the brain."--Tim Atkin, The Observer

"This collection of insightful essays addresses the experience, the language, taste, art, more. Drink and think."--Newsday.com

"This compilation of lucid essays by top philosophers, a linguist, a biochemist, a winemaker and wine critic addresses such questions as: Does the experience of wine lie in the glass or in the mind? Does a wine expert enjoy wine more than a novice? How much should we care what experts say about a wine?"--Pittsburgh Post-Gazzette

"[The contributors] prove themselves well up to the task of situating wine-centred questions within a larger framework of questions about taste and perception, subjectivity and objectivity, and aesthetic appraisal more generally."--The Times Literary Supplement

"Questions of Taste is enjoyable to read and clearly written with references at the end of several essays."--L.E. Erickson, CHOICE