Reflections of a Wine Merchant

In 2008, Neal Rosenthal wrote a book called "Reflections of a Wine Merchant", a wistful recollection of a firm believer of terroir and tradition about his entry into the wine business in 1977 through the 80's. Knowing wine in the 70's was a lesson in geography. Wines were not labeled by their varietal but by the piece of land that they grew on and it was up to the consumer to understand what that meant. Rosenthal was in search of wines that reflected not only the soil, climate and grape type but the undefinable, the magic that occurs to grapes during elevage, "the time between fermentation and bottling, that man's hand and mind can interfere."
There are fifteen chapters in this book and each chapter takes a look at a particular incident in Rosenthal's search for wines that would comprise his portfolio. His early chapters reveal a youthful Rosenthal learning how to discern a good wine by trusting in his palate. As the book progresses, Rosenthal's recollection becomes more complex, a bit more philosophical, much like how a good wine ages. By turns humorous, nostalgic, tragic and inspiring, Rosenthal's book transported me to the places he visited and I wished that it was me sitting at the table and having dinner with the winemaker's family and tasting the wines he drank.