The "Michael Moore" of the wine world

Slate's Mike Steinberger takes Jonathon Nossiter down a few pegs in his latest article.

Nossiter, by contrast, seems propelled by little more than a desire to draw attention to himself. The solipsism, self-regard, and preening on display in Liquid Memory is breathtaking; the subtitle should really be Why I Matter. Nossiter raises some important issues, but these merely become opportunities for him to trumpet the sophistication of his own palate and to scorn those who don't share his sensibilities.

There's also mention of Nossiter's treatment of our friend Victor de la Serna.

One of Mondovino's many detractors was the eminent Spanish journalist and winemaker Victor de la Serna; his punishment, in Liquid Memory, is to be tarred as both a neocon and a right-wing Catholic extremist

I have no intention of reading Nossiter's book, but I'd love to hear his response to Steinberger's criticisms.

[James Roscoe]

Great review. It almost makes me like Victor!

Whoo. I'm thinking Steinberger got a little overheated prose in his article as well.

And casting Nossiter as the "Michael Moore of The Wine World" inflates Nossiter a lot more than he deserves. He's not nearly up to Moore's status. We should tone down the comparison...a lot...bring it down to an appropriate scale...

Maybe...Nossiter is like another Alice Feiring of the wine world, complete with tiny little box to stand on.

And casting Nossiter as the "Michael Moore of The Wine World" inflates Nossiter a lot more than he deserves

Actually, that's what Steinberger says also " Having just finished it, I've decided that the Moore analogy is inapt. For one thing, Nossiter is humorless, which certainly can't be said of Moore. More importantly, there is no denying that Moore, however buffoonish, is motivated primarily by a keen social conscience. Nossiter, by contrast, seems propelled by little more than a desire to draw attention to himself. "