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Art of Eating 67

However long I write about food and wine, my happiest memories will always include the day in June of 2003 when Ed Behr bought a story idea from me. It was the first food/wine story I sold (though not the first to press), and I, along with lots of serious food lovers, have a ton of respect for Ed's quarterly The Art of Eating. Having my first story bought by AoE reminds me of when Melissa and I saw Ann Patchett speak. After numerous stories and (at the time) four books, including one bestseller, she still sounded shocked when she mentioned that she sold her first piece to The Paris Review. I'm not in Ms. Patchett's league, but I understand that lingering disbelief.

My piece on terroir in Western Paso Robles is just now arriving on newsstands and in mailboxes. This might seem like a long delay, but The Art of Eating is a quarterly, and Ed is a meticulous editor (my writing has grown markedly better in the last year). I'm quite happy with how the piece turned out. I of course had seen the final text, but I hadn't seen it laid out with photos (taken by my friend Chris). The piece focuses on wine makers from Paso, to use the local shorthand, and their claims to have found a unique terroir in the limestone hills to the west of this California central coast town. Along the way, I learned a lot about the region (the urge to learn is why I started writing in the first place), and I got introduced to one of my current favorite vineyards: Glenrose Farm. It's funny; after just a year (the last time I saw the piece), I can still see how my writing style has changed.

For those of you who don't subscribe, I apologize that I once again wrote for a magazine that doesn't put its articles online. But I encourage all non-subscribers to buy a copy and check it out. I'd suggest the current issue; no time like the present! The next one would also be good, since I'm pretty sure I'll have a piece in that one as well. Seriously, though, AoE is a publication I regarded highly as soon as I got my first issue, and I aspire to Ed Behr's level of writing and depth of knowledge. You can find the magazine in the East Bay at The Pasta Shop and Cody's Books. My mom tells me that the Borders in San Francisco carries it, loath as I am to suggest you support a mega-chain. The main article in this issue is by Ed, and it's all about true Beaujolais, which Jon Bonné at MS-NBC recommends with Thanksgiving dinner. Perfect timing.

Okay. Back to jumping up and down.

- Heritage Cabernet, The Wine News, June/july 2007
When my editors at The Wine News asked if I wanted to do a piece about heritage clones of Cabernet Sauvignon, I agreed and then thought, "I wonder what that means." After conversations with UC Davis, Silverado Vineyards, Rubicon, and Mondavi, I learned...

- Riesling In The Mosel Valley, The Art Of Eating, Issue 71
Photo by Melissa Schneider. A little less than a year ago, Melissa and I traveled through Germany's Mosel region, home to some of the world's best wines. I envisioned the trip as a vacation, but it seemed silly to not sell an article about...

- Opening Bottles On Wine Review Online
I've mentioned before that Wine Review Online is open to unusual wine story ideas. See my article on bottles as proof (added to my "Professional Writing" section on the right if you want to look later). Once I started to research this piece, I was...

- Lodi - Insert Ccr Reference Here
It's been a year since I wrote a feature for The Wine News, though some of you may have noticed that they've assigned me smaller news pieces here and there. But I've had some other features in the wings as well, and the first of those is...

- The Dilemma Of Foie Gras, Art Of Eating 68
Photo by Chris Holmes I thought I wouldn't write anything until after Christmas, but I'll make one quick post. Issue 68 of The Art of Eating is sort of out, and it has my piece about foie gras. I did a lot of research on this piece, and my...

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