A Carafe of Red

“The book is a compilation of Mr. Asher’s previous articles, mostly written for Gourmet magazine–articles that defined his style of lucid intelligence. Reading a Gerald Asher essay is more than just inhaling the written word, pleasant as that is. It’s like sitting in an easy chair in front of a warming fire on a chilly night, with a glass of Port in your hand, and Mr. Asher in a chair opposite you, explaining, in an indulgent way, whatever the topic is. . . . A particular joy of reading such a comprehensive and personal book as A Carafe of Red is that we get to experience, vicariously but no less intimately, Mr. Asher’s experiences of wines we will never otherwise have the opportunity to taste.”

— Steve Heimoff Wine Blog

“The collections of writing from former Gourmet wine editor Gerald Asher are always a joy, but "A Carafe of Red" is worth buying for one particular chapter. "Chardonnay: Buds, Twigs and Clones," originally from a 1990 issue of Gourmet, unfurls the whole messy history of California's most beloved grape in a masterly piece of scholarship that should be tattooed on every wine writer's forehead.”

— San Francisco Chronicle

“There’s a delightful, other-worldly quality to Asher’s writing. It seduces the reader, with what feels like a slightly meandering stroll, in the way of a lovely, lazy summer sun in the mote-laden air of the meadow, but his writing is packed with information, pithily expressed amidst absorbing story-telling.”

— Wine Wisdom

“These are travels every wine lover would take in a perfect world.”

— Miami Herald

“This is wonderful reading for any wine lover.”

— Assoc Press/SF Chronicle

"Simply put, no one writes like Asher anymore, and 'A Carafe of Red' serves as a capable introduction to his style and his work. As a study in effective, entertaining, and efficient wine prose, few authors even come close to Asher's celebrated ability to lucidly summarize the heart and soul of his subjects in only a few well-written and well-paced sentences. In that way, 'A Carafe of Red' is a short masterclass in wine prose."

— 1WineDude.com

"This is a number of charming collected essays on various aspects of wine by one of the wine world's most stylish writers, historians and wine lovers."

— The Press Democrat

"Asher's discussion of the most memorable wine in his life makes the reader want to learn more while they are entertained in the process."

— The Scotsman