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Eric Arnold

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First Big Crush: The Down and Dirty on Making Great Wine Down Under Hardcover – September 18, 2007

by Eric Arnold (Author)

3.6 17 ratings

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The story behind the bottle, "First Big Crush" is Eric Arnold's wild account of his year immersing himself in all things wine...and somehow not winding up in rehab.Never having held a meaningful job for very long (and getting fired from most of them), Eric Arnold heads to New Zealand -- to Allan Scott Wines -- seeking adventure and hoping to learn a little bit about wine. What could be better than working outside in the fresh air and drinking wine all day? Before he knows it, he is dirty, wet, cold, and at the mercy of a tank of wine that just might explode and take him with it. So begin Eric's adventures in the world of wine. He gets sunburned, sore, and drunk -- and then does it all over again the next day.

"First Big Crush" is a story that is as outrageous as it is compelling. Here are tales of first pressings, pruning, and tasting competitions. There are also rowdy nights at the local pub, girls, meat pies, girls, rugby, and tales of hunting wild pig. Along the way, each step of the winemaking process is explained in a way that humans can actually understand. Almost against his will, Eric becomes an expert.

Print length

272 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Scribner
Publication date

September 18, 2007
Dimensions

6 x 1 x 9.25 inches
ISBN-10

1416537694
ISBN-13

978-1416537694
See all details

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Eric Arnold has been an awful stand-up comedian whose only measure

of success was selling a joke to Jay Leno for $50. He has been an

editor at Wine Spectator and lives in Brooklyn, New York.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Scribner (September 18, 2007)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 272 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1416537694
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1416537694
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 14.8 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 1 x 9.25 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #5,656,958 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #616 in Pacific Rim Cooking, Food & Wine
- #4,275 in Wine (Books)
- #4,418 in Homebrewing, Distilling & Wine Making

Customer Reviews:
3.6 17 ratings

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Customer reviews

3.6 out of 5

17 global ratings

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Mark Anderson

The veritas behind vino

Reviewed in the United States on December 3, 2013

Verified Purchase

Eric Arnold pulls back the romantic veil covering the world of wine, similar to how Anthony Bourdain ripped it away from restaurants in "Kitchen Confidential". In the process, Eric walks us through the ABCs of how wine is made, from the clipping of individual vines all the way up to the marketing tricks distributors use to get us to pay more. Even better, he does it how most of us would: while drinking wine. A lot of it. This conceit allows Eric to talk about the process in a very elementary way, connecting the dots for people who would walk into a winery today and have no idea what the tubes, valves, tanks, and bags of sulfur actually do (i.e. those of us who failed high school chemistry). Through the sobering realities behind wine competitions, bottle labels, toothless field workers, DUIs and rugby-playing winemakers (winemaking certainly isn't all Enya and french accents), Eric maintains a proper respect for the final result. Wine is meant to be fun, and, unlike most wine books these days, Eric keeps it that way. Pour yourself a glass (or five) and start learning.

One person found this helpful

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Sherri Green

A Grape Read

Reviewed in the United States on November 25, 2007

Eric Arnold took a subject that could have been as dry and pompous as a California Chardonnay and actually made me want to read about it. Of course, I didn't retain all the information because I took his advice and read some of the chapters while drinking wine. I learned more than I really wanted to know about some aspects of the author's personal life, but that's part of what makes the book accessible for those who would rather drink wine than obsess about it.

4 people found this helpful

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George

A Rare Book

Reviewed in the United States on November 12, 2007

Verified Purchase

Anyone who thinks that wine books are pompous or boring has a pleasant surprise in store. This book is delightfully funny. Yes, there is a funny side to wine when Eric Arnold is in control. But it's not just funny; it's also informative. I am a huge fan of New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc and have even visited there. Nonetheless I learned a lot about the Kiwis and their approach to wine from the book. That is making my enjoyment of their wine even stronger. From screwcaps to terroir the book covers it all with a crisp freshness that is as enjoyable as one of those New Zealand Sauvignon Blancs.

4 people found this helpful

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G. Arnold

Outstanding book

Reviewed in the United States on December 13, 2007

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You will really enjoy this book. An inside look, very humorous and entertaining as well as informative.

One person found this helpful

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DKR

Not bad for required reading

Reviewed in the United States on January 15, 2013

First Big Crush was listed as recommended reading for a wine marketing course offered at one of the local universities. I can't say that I would have read this book on my own, however, the book was entertaining. It filled in the gaps between my coursework and what operating a vineyard/winery is like in the real world. It was also nice to read something for the course that wasn't a detailed, this is how you do it, textbook.

The side stories could be considered a little crass, but I found them amusing, maybe it's that New Yorker humor that I've brought with me. Nonetheless, this book has made me look forward to getting to know the NZ wine region and my adopted home a little bit better.

Reviewed in the United States on November 5, 2007

Lately there have been a number of travel memoirs in the "how I took a year off and did something crazy in a foreign country" mode. Usually these travels have been inspired by a great emotional upheaval in the writer. Consider the current bestseller, "Eat, Pray, Love" in which the author goes off to Italy, India and Indonesia to recover from a love affair and reinvent her life. Or the past bestseller, "Under the Tuscan Sun" which also had a writer take off to find a new life after tumult in the old one.

However, there was no such sturm and drang in the life of 29-year-old Eric Arnold. He set off for a year to New Zealand to become immersed in grapes and the wine-making process for no better reason than he thought it was a good idea. After a few years of working at various hack writing jobs he decided to chuck it all for an up-close look at the burgeoning wine industry Down Under.
What we get is a short description of the farming community of Marlborough situated in the southern island of New Zealand, and a ton of details on the growing, pruning, and picking of grapes and then squeezing and squishing them through modern steel tanks.
During the year, Eric joins in the everyday work of the winery (which includes some close encounters with errant steel hoses and tank closures) and the more rarified tasks of tastings and competitions. This is winemaking 101 with a few side pictures of New Zealanders at work and play. While the men work 12-hour days during the season, play consists of mostly drinking, fighting, finding girls and losing their teeth at the occasional Rugby match.
The snobbism of wine sophisticates seems at a variance with the down-to-earth reality of grape-growing and wine mixing. Arnold points out that this is a farm isolated in the middle of a country where sheep outnumber people by a wide margin. He also throws in some off-color jokes to let us know this is testosterone country. Although he portrays himself as a slacker, he comes through all the wet, harried days to become a more mature man. Or at least a more mature drinker who can now judge wine with the best of them rather than just quaffing down the stuff to get a buzz. Since he now has a job at Wine Spectator he must have learned something. And he does his utmost in 245 pages to teach us what that is.
Barbara Hudgins, author of "Crafting the Travel Guidebook"

11 people found this helpful

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Passenger

Could Have been good

Reviewed in the United States on May 20, 2009

This could have been very good if it were written by someone who was accepting of cultural differences and minor annoyances that go along with travel in a foreign country, instead of a boorish prat. The book did have some very interesting information and amusing stories, its just a shame it was ruined by the authors crude and crass writing style. So much so it made reading the book a chore rather than a pleasure. In a word disappointing. I had hoped for more.

One person found this helpful

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Susan G

A fraternity boy's drunken rant

Reviewed in the United States on September 17, 2008

Trash. I cannot believe how such a great topic was ruined by Eric Arnold's immature writing and drinking. I was so looking forward to a wonderful informative book on NZ winemaking, but I couldn't get past Eric's being drunk all the time and talking like a freshman frat boy! Grow up.

One person found this helpful

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Top reviews from other countries

Gregg Norman

Fun, but scary...

Reviewed in Canada on March 27, 2014

Verified Purchase

This was a lot of fun. Arnold has a great sense of comedic timing, knowing just when to insert a zingy analogy or a hilarious, off-color metaphor. At the same time, the book is a bit unnerving as the author casually and constantly exposes the artificial underbelly of modern wine-making techniques. It can't help but make you think twice the next time you find yourself reaching for a bottle of "down under" wine. Overall, though, it was a very good read.

Thang Nguyen

Three Stars

Reviewed in Canada on April 18, 2016

Verified Purchase

good

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