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Jump to navigationJump to searchI Drink Therefore I Am by Roger Scruton (view source)
Revision as of 17:51, 24 November 2009
, 17:51, 24 November 2009no edit summary
Of course part of the challenge of writing about wine is the conversion of one set of senses (taste, but also smell) into tangible words, although one might expect that his experience writing about music would help here. But there is a difference. I can easily find a piece of music through my computer (the same would be true of writing about art) but sadly I have not been able to find a way to download glasses of the wine he discusses and so it is more difficult to experience these joys with the author. Neither does he address the question of to what extent analysing the properties of the wine in words destroys the 'magic' of the balance that is so appealing.
In the second half, things get more interesting as he turns to philosophy and the roll role of wine and the implications of certain ideas to wine. Scruton is one of those writers who lets much of their character and opinion infuse his writing. He is unashamedly right wing, pro-France, anti-EU and largely un-'PC', and at times his views may cause mild offence to the more sensitive reader (the anti-fox hunting and modern Islamic views on alcohol get short shrift), albeit with some nice dry humour in parts (he suggests that the rich contribute to the well-being of the world by consuming the most expensive wines and converting it by natural processes to something that will benefit the soil).
But the greatest joy of this book is the appendix where he suggests what wines to drink with different philosophers' works. It is irreverent and funny, but at the same time, wise. This, finally, fulfills the promise of the publisher's jacket notes. I would unreservedly award this chapter a five star rating.
