Press & Praise
I’ve got the book for you … what we’ve got here is a fantastic history of wine words … and an author who writes about what could be a very dry subject in an engaging, upbeat and accessible manner. I love books that you can pick up, turn to any page, and read something interesting and that’s exactly what “History of Wine Words” is. But of course it is much more. It is a piece of scholarship that is very unusual for the wine writing genre. It’s actually fairly heady stuff for this genre. —Tom Wark, of the Fermentation wine blog and originator of American Wine Blog Awards
Things started out skeptically when I read the back cover: “A stimulant at dinner parties, wine tastings and cocktail parties. Plus, as a gift, this book makes an excellent accompaniment to a housewarming bottle.” Hmmm, I thought, you could say the same thing about marijuana. Or Viagra. I’m happy to report that if you can get past the horrible back cover description, you’ll find History of Wine Words an absolute joy to page through. —Joe Roberts, 1 Wine Dude (full review)
The History of Wine Words is the perfect Father’s Day gift … I enjoyed it. — Scott Greenberg, The Vine Guy at The Washington Examiner (full review)
The book contains a wealth of information about the qualities. places and histories we associate with wine … History of Wine Words will give pleasure to many oenophiles. —Mark Abley, The Montreal Gazette (full review)
Having History of Wine Words in your wine library is money well spent —Jeff Lefevere, Good Grape blog
(full review)
This is a wonderful book… It’s a fabulous body of work… Honestly, I’ve got a wonderful wine library, and am delighted to have your book take its place among so many other important bodies of work. It’s a delightful subject, and one really that intrigues me… I’m a sucker for a great book! —Jo Diaz, wine-blog.org
The Sipping Point —Ottawa Magazine (full review).
Very cool … I could easily lose an afternoon browsing —Nancy Hawks Miller, Napa Valley Wine Radio from Goosecross Cellars
Delicious trivia … a pleasing combination for many palates. —Rita Celli, host of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation show Ontario Today
Listen here to the full 11 minute interview which aired April 21, 2009.
It was one thing to turn water into wine, it’s another to turn wine into words. Charles Hodgson’s words are a great read. —Rod Phillips, author of A Short History of Wine
Very well done…engaging…offers the wine world something utterly new. —David Lawrason, leading Canadian independent wine journalist and educator.
I’m very impressed…The Indo-European stuff looks accurate, which is a relief…Kudos! —Steve Dodson, authoritative blogger on ancient languages as Languagehat
An impressive tour de force because it offers accurate information while it reads very easily, unlike some very scholarly (though interesting) etymology books that ‘regular’ wine drinkers will never open. It will be very useful to me for my wines/grapes presentation events. —Dr. José Vouillamoz, specialist in DNA profiling of grapevines
This collection of words is at once enlightening, engaging and essential. The brevity of each entry is seductive, though. As with wine, you will keep taking little sips only to find the bottle suddenly empty. —John W. Fischer, Associate Professor, The Culinary Institute of America; author of At Your Service, co-author of Bistros and Brasseries: Recipes and Reflections on Classic Café Cooking.
People’s thirst for etymology never diminishes. They are especially grateful for publications on everyday topics. For years Charles Hodgson has been catering to those who, without previous exposure to linguistics, ask questions about word origins, so that a book about the vocabulary of wine and drinking is certain to find a wide and grateful readership. —Anatoly Liberman, Author of An Analytical Dictionary of English Etymology
I was delighted [and] have to admit that I learned a lot. —Debbie Trenholm, Accredited Sommelier and member of the International Society of Wine Educators
With so many wine books on the market History of Wine Words makes an unusual addition to your collection. It is also a good conversation starter. —Kathy Sullivan, creator of the online wine travel guide The Wine Trail Traveler
What a fascinating romp through the English language on the premise of examining words about wine. I loved Charles Hodgson’s audiobook “Global Wording,” and this new book didn’t disappoint me. Pick up a copy and learn how the word “scuttlebutt” is related to wine, and why the word “binge” arose to explain overdrinking before it was applied to other things such as overeating. Those are just a few of the fascinating tidbits you’ll gobble up. (Or should I say “drink in”?) —Mignon Fogarty, Grammar Girl