Tasting the Past

The Science of Flavor and the Search for the Origins of Wine

By: Kevin Begos

Narrated by: P. J. Ochlan

The characters in Tasting the Past include a young Swiss scientist who set out to decode the DNA of every single wine grape in the world; Middle Eastern researchers who seek to discover the wines that King David drank; and a University of Pennsylvania academic who has spent decades analyzing wine remains. The science illuminates wine in ways no critic can, and demolishes some of the most sacred dogmas of the industry: well-known French grapes aren't especially noble.

We travel with Begos along the original wine routes - starting in the Caucasus Mountains, where wine was domesticated 8,000 years ago, down to Israel and across the Mediterranean to Greece, Italy, and France, and finally to America, where California and Vermont vineyards are creating new wines by letting native and European grapes breed together. It's a melting pot of new tastes and possibilities. As he samples these wines, Begos offers listeners tasting suggestions that go far beyond the endless bottles of Chardonnay and Merlot found in most stores and restaurants.

From this combination of journalism, history, science, and adventure travel, listeners will learn the multicultural roots of wine while enjoying a full-bodied story with a rich, nutty bouquet and plenty of subtle nuances that will linger.

©2018 Kevin Begos (P)2018 HighBridge, a division of Recorded Books

If you're a wine geek, this book is for you.

A terrific story about the hunt for and history of winemaking, ancient grapes, and old varietals that are still being grown and bottled today. The performance of the reader is sadly very dull and inconsistent. Don't let that get in the way of getting this book.

Dig deeper into the history of the wine world.

Grape book! This story pairs nicely with "Godforsaken Grapes" by Jason Wilson. Drink more wine!

Terrible Narration Good Story

I really enjoyed the story, but the terrible narration made it extremely hard to listen to. Such a shame