Includes bibliographical references and index.

The heart of authenticity -- The skill of winegrowing -- Soils matter -- The art of interpretation -- Some wines are just wine -- The wine is a whole -- Wine resists the proud -- The taste is not in the wine -- Buildings, people, fabrics -- Framing: how words can get in the way -- Mouthfeel matters -- Just because I'm learning, it doesn't mean I'm stupid -- Wine as an aesthetic system -- Beauty is not the absence of flaws -- We drink wine for many reasons: flavour is just one of them -- A virtuous intoxicant -- There is always another wine -- Tasting transforms us -- We are not programmed to like certain wines -- Scores can be useful, but mostly they are stupid -- Wine: be yourself -- The sadness of spoofulation -- Too many commercial palates -- Monsters aren't serious -- The evil of overripeness -- Express the vintage -- Stay critical, but remember, there is room for everyone -- A mystical transformation -- Don't expect others to pick up your tab -- True to origins -- No new clothes -- Bright side story -- No one drinks wine blind -- You don't drink the same wine at home -- Beer is better than wine -- Escape the small oak rut -- Segment or be damned -- Balance is not always in the middle -- We are on a journey, this is mine -- Don't expect the fish to come to you -- Lead with your best -- Beware the wine consumer champions -- Winemaking is not chemistry -- It is biology -- Stop trying so hard and just be yourself -- Don't be an all-rounder, be a specialist -- Beware the time lag -- First impressions matter -- Play the long game -- For most wines, glass bottles make no sense -- The wine world needs fewer follies -- Celebrity wines, no thanks -- All can play -- How to succeed at wine writing by writing boring articles -- Not better but truer -- The importance of stories -- Why it matters.