Bookshelf: Robert Camuto's Corkscrewed
He's an American journalist with street cred in two countries: a graduate of the School of Journalism at Columbia and founder of the alternative Fort Worth Weekly. Robert Camuto moved to the south of France 12 years ago (his wife is French), started a blog and began contributing to Wine Specator. And, of course, writing a book.
Corkscrewed, published late last year and just reaching local bookshelves, recounts Camuto's search for the true flavors of wine, of grapes that are true to their varietal character, of growers who resist the pressure (of bankers, of consumers) to shape their wines to the prevailing, popular taste. In other words, the artisan-winemakers whose bottles sell in wine shops rather than supermarkets. And yes, there are still a few left in France, Camuto assures us.
Like Kermit Lynch 20 years ago, in a book titled Adventures on the Wine Route, Camuto searches for (and finds) his heroes in the Languedoc, in Bandol, in the Loire, in the Côte Rôtie, in the Ardèche. The wines are like nothing you've ever tasted, true to themselves and the vision (if you will) of their creators.
Camuto, true to his own vision, happens to be in Seattle on a tour to promote his book. (He managed to post a blog entry last night about his arrival and first tasting here.) He's reading at Elliott Bay Books today at noon, and signing books at The Local Vine this evening. If you care about wine, don't miss this opportunity to meet its champion.
And yes, the book is being translated and will appear in French later this year. No greater compliment, n'est-ce pas?
