The Most “Unusual” Wine Book Ever Produced – Astonishing. Gerard D. Launay.  Highly recommended. As a student of geology, it was routine for me to study rocks through a “polarizing microscope”;the thin slides of minerals created a kaleidoscope of brilliantly colorful images. I never thought of viewing tiny drops of wine through the microscope….but obviously Sondra Barrett did. What a revelation. The drops are transformed into gorgeous patterns like butterflies, hearts, peacocks, and tropical rain forests. But this book is more than just a collection of photos that puts a new spin on wine. It is also a love letter to wine itself – and to its life giving properties. {It is no accident that the Greeks and Romans honored a God that represented wine – Dionysus – a god of transformation and desire) My favorite quote in the book is a discussion of Pasteur – “He showed that fermentation was due to life, thereby confirming an instinctive and almost universal belief that wine was not a mere chemical concoction, but a mysterious living organism, divinely appointed as the symbol of life.” Many of my friends are drinkers of lovely wine….this book could be a sensational gift to these friends and others who think they know everything about it.

An educational, fun, incredibly beautiful piece of work; Barrett openly shares the art, soul, and life pleasures of wine.

- Jim Fetzer, Owner/President of Ceago Vinegarden, former Pres. Fetzer Vyds

A few books will be available at Jessup Cellars - April 2013

Dr. Barrett and her wine art will help launch the Tastemakers Series at Jessup Cellars in Yountville

Book Review: Wine’s Hidden Beauty by Sondra Barrett, PhD.

By Becca Yeamans,The Academic Wino

About the book:

Now, I know you’re not supposed to judge a book by its cover, but without even opening up to the first page, I knew it was going to be awesome!  I’m sure you are all aware of, due to the sheer nature of this blog: I’m somewhat of a nerd, so seeing a magnified image of the molecules of wine, in full color and all its “butterfly glory” made my heart skip with excitement.  The book is loaded with big, beautiful photographs of all types of wine (old, young, red, wine, etc) that leave you stopping to try and “taste” the wine pictures with your minds’ palate.

In a way, this book was almost just as much a journey through the personal evolution of Sondra Barrett as is was about the science and romance of wine.  Throughout the book, I frequently found myself reflecting on my own thoughts and my own experiences, and how wine has transformed the relationships in my life (to humans, animals, and nature itself).  The book almost had me in a state of bliss while reading it, which I think is partially owed to the mystical experiences one receives through wine.  I also found myself wanting to drink wine as I turned through the pages!

This book is great for both the wine expert and the wine novice, and provides a great many photographs of incredibly beautiful images of the molecular structures of wine.  It’s a book that won’t take you long to read and looks wonderful on the coffee table as a piece of entertainment for your guests.

I highly recommend this book, Wine’s Hidden Beauty, and encourage every wine lover to pick it up and give it a read.  I’ll leave you with one of my many favorite quotes from the book:

“The grape fulfills her promise to help us humans’ open to happiness and a deeper connection with all living things.  Her spirited life engages ours.  The spirit of the grape shows life in microcosm and macrocosm.  When we peek into the inner life of this spirited potion we see the story of life.

Remember she is here to make us happy.”

A big “thank you” goes out to Sondra Barrett for sending me a copy of this book to read and to cherish.

Tastes of Things Before My Eyes: The Beauty of Wine, Under A Microscope

Joe Roberts 1WineDude

Just when you thought that wine has been analyzed form pretty much every angle possible, along comes Philadelphia native, biochemist PhD and former medical research scientist Sondra Barrett.

Sondra’s journey to wine seems spiraling and circuitous: Originally a researcher on human leukemias, she was asked to photograph a patient’s leukemia cells, which lead to her presenting slide shows of normal and abnormal cell comparisons at oncology clinics.  After attending a photographic exhibit of chemicals of the brain, Sondra saw parallels in her leukemia work and, noticing an artistic quality in the brain chemical photos, decided to try similar photographic techniques on molecular structures in nature.

Structures like wine.

And the images in this book (Sondra sent me a review copy) are, simply put, extraordinary.

According to Sondra:

“My first discovery was at Sterling Vineyards when I was artist-in-residence documenting winemaking from the inside out. The winemakers gave me barrel samples and wines from all over Napa Valley. This extraordinary experience led me to uncovering distinct patterns and beauty in a glass of wine. Early on, a Napa grape grower, Rachel Balyeat, provided some financial support for me to delve further into the life of wine. She hosted a special dinner with acclaimed wine maestro André Tchelistcheff to discuss what these pictures could mean. Andréʼs first reaction – ‘They are the jewels in wine. Put them on silk scarves.’”

I think Andre was on to something (though I don’t wear silk scarves so I’ll stick to admiring the photos in printed form)…

If you’re a geek, like me, the first thing you want to know is how these pictures were taken and exactly what the hell they are are pictures of in Wine’s Hidden Beauty – again, according to Sondra:

“The pictures you will see are taken through a 35 mm camera atop an interference light microscope. Interference microscopy breaks white light into its rainbow of colors. In other words, I “paint” what I see with this light. Many of the pure chemicals and patterns in wine would be transparent were it not for the interference prisms on the microscope.”

In other words, we can’t normally see these molecular structures in wine even under standard microscopic examination.  They are hidden.  And they are beautiful.

One of the most interesting aspects about Wine’s Hidden Beauty is the repetition of patterns that Sondra has unearthed in those hidden molecules, where excellent older vintages of Cabernet Sauvignon take on similar complex forms, sharp edges define crisp, refreshing white wines, and even malolactic fermentation shows a telling pattern.

In other words, Sondra’s book might just be revealing the “shapes” of taste.

it’s the kind of book that you don’t even need to read to have it change your perspective, and a rare case in which the cover (Which features a photo of Muscato Azul) does indeed accurately judge the contents.

If you find yourself saying “WOW” at the cover, then this book is well worth your time.

What An Extraordinary Read With Unrivaled Visuals

JO DIAZ Wine Blog

Wine’s Hidden Beauty by Sondra Barrett, PhD, is a walk in the wilds of a microscope.

Sondra delivers the heart and soul of wine like we’ve never experienced it before… Or have we? Have we journeyed to the life that exists within a bottle of wine intuitively before, but just not recognized it in our conscious minds?

Amid the splendor of the visuals of this book, you’re also going to do a bit of soul searching… At least, I did.

Andre Tchelistcheff said to Sondra about her images, “They are the jewels in wine. Put them on silk scarves.” (I agree.) Sondra thinks of wine as a nurturing community as she travels through molecular structures and the inner magnificence of wine. For instance, she’s discovered that wine’s molecular shapes grow larger as they age, and lose vitality and form as they decline in age. Her microcosmic images are a replication of our own life forms; and yet, her world is not one that we would readily recognize, not without her expertise.