By Staff
Oct. 15, 2003
Occasionally I enjoy browsing through my library of wine books, most of them old enough to contain references to wines no longer on the market. It doesn't matter. They are still a quick reference to the wines that used to be.
This week, for the first time in several years, the book of choice was from 1975, written by Clifton Fadiman and Sam Aaron.
Fadiman was a television star of his day, the moderator of a word-and-knowledge program that technically can be called a game show. His giant book is named "The Joys of Wine" and it is a monster 11-by-14, 450 pages on thick paper, heavy enough to anchor an ocean liner should she encounter bad weather on her way to Europe.
The language is a bit flowery but the thoughts are fascinating. Here are a few examples.
Cheering the spirit
That's pretty heady stuff. But there's more. He quotes from a book by George Saintsbury (1845-1933): "When the wines were good they pleased my sense, cheered my spirits, improved my moral and intellectual powers, besides enabling me to confer the same benefits on other people."
Then this observation.
Now for some advice.
Fadiman even found solace for his old age in the pleasures of wine.
Continuity of time
And these profound thoughts of Fadiman in his later years.
A final thought from Clifton Fadiman.
All that and more in the first 54 pages of this book. There are 396 more. The joys of wine? It appears I'm only getting started learning them.