Gerald Asher
Gerald Albert Asher (born 18 August 1932) is an English wine personality based since 1974 in San Francisco, California.
[2] James Beard, an American chef and food writer, says Asher's writing "makes one feel that one is sitting in a room with Gerald, enjoying his ... awesome knowledge and expertise in the world of wine.
The family moved to rural Essex at the onset of the Blitz, and Asher was partly raised there, attending Westcliff High School for Boys in Westcliff-on-Sea.
Sponsored by Blumenthal, he attended tastings and lectures held by the Wine Trade Club at the Worshipful Company of Vintners in London, and in 1953 a scholarship allowed him to spend time working and studying in Jerez, the Spanish region that produces Sherry.
"[6] Many of the wines the firm introduced to British consumers, including Beaumes de Venises, Arbois, Bandol, Chateau Grillet, Cahors and others, were considered utterly unknown when the company began, but soon became well known and popular.
[1] In 1972, he was invited by Jane Montant of Gourmet magazine to start contributing essays on a periodical basis as the journal's Wine Editor,[4][9] a role he would hold for the next three decades.
Paul Kovi and Tom Margittai of the prestigious Four Seasons Restaurant in Manhattan agreed to organise the practicalities of such an event in return for Asher's coordination of the California wineries' contributions.
]"[13] "Invitations are as scarce as Manhattan taxis at rush hour," wrote Chicago Tribune columnist Kristine Curry.
Since it was still generally considered a runaway success in New York, this came as a surprise to many, and Margittai admitted he was sad to see it go: "This is our pride and joy," he said, "but the barrel tasting needs to go home".
[13] The move was in part because of the event's popularity; so many people sought places each year that the restaurant was having to refuse tickets to some of its regular customers.
Asher stopped writing for Gourmet in February 2002, but he continued to contribute a selection of wines to the monthly menu published in each issue until the magazine discontinued in November 2009.
[4] Asher is generally considered a highly respected authority in the field of wine, and has received acclaim throughout his career for his expertise and writing style, which is widely held to be elegant and enjoyable.
[2] S. Irene Virbila of the Los Angeles Times gave A Carafé of Red a very positive review, describing Asher as a "wonderful prose stylist ... His wide-ranging, astute appreciation is where it's at.
"Reading it makes one feel that one is sitting in a room with Gerald, enjoying his personal views, his prejudices, his delightful sense of humour and his appreciation of life," Beard elaborated; "not to mention his awesome knowledge and expertise in the world of wine.
