Weekend Cooking: Review: The Drops of God #2 by Tadashi Agi

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It's difficult for me to believe that so much time has gone by since I read the first book in Tadashi Agi's fabulous manga series about wine. I talked about The Drops of God volume 1 way back in November 2011.

The series stars Shizuku Kanzaki, the son of one of the most respected wine critics in Japan. Much to his father's dismay, Shizuku never displayed much interest in wine, and so the elder Kanzaki took on an apprentice, Tomine. When the wine critic died, he willed his famous wine collection to either Tomine or Shizuku, whoever discovers thirteen special wines first.

In The Drops of God 2, Shizuku and Tomine are pitted against each other in a contest between French and Italian wines. Shizuku, with the help of his friend Miyabi, sets out to learn about French wines, so he can pick three that he thinks will beat Tomine's Italian wines. Fortunately, Miyabi is learning to become a sommelière, so she is able to explain to Shizuku--and to us--the differences between the wines and wine-growing regions of France.

Although there is a bit of drama surrounding the competitive wine tasting, the real joy of reading The Drops of God is learning about wine. Agi's books have to be the easiest wine course ever. We learn about the different levels of Burgundy wines, the meaning of terroir, and the importance of letting some wines air and/or decanting them. We learn about the grapes used in the wines and even the locations of some of the vineyards.

But this is no dry discourse on snooty French wine. Instead we learn by tasting. Or rather by reading about what it's like to taste the wines and listening in as Shizuku and Miyabi ask the experts for advice. What do we discover?

• That expensive is not always better than cheap wine.
• That wines from same grapes that were grown in the same region can vary widely in flavor.
• That matching wine with food is similar to matching couples for a good marriage.
• That conventional wisdom is not always correct.

As the story progresses, Shizuku gains confidence about his talents for assessing wine, and he and Miyabi make new friends and allies. Finally, he feels ready to begin the real competition with Tomine--the fight to inherit his father's wine collection.

The book ends soon after the family lawyer reveals the clue for the first of the thirteen wines. Tomine is immediately sure he can narrow down the wine to a region and grape. Shizuku, however, turns to his friends. Together they analyze the clues, and on the last page, Shizuku stumbles across the key to the solution, and book ends on a culinary cliff-hanger.

The black and white drawings by Shu Okimoto clearly render the emotions of the characters, which adds to the pacing of the story and competition. I particularly liked the detailed pictures of the wine labels and the yummy food served in the restaurants Shizuku visits.

I've already ordered volume three in the series. I don't want to wait 18 months until I find out what happens next. I want to know where the story will take Shizuku and what I'll learn about wine and food in the next installment. It's not surprising that the series is a winner of a Gourmand Cookbook Award.

Buy The Drops of God, Volume 2 at an Indie or a bookstore near you. This link leads to an affiliate program.
Published in the United States by Vertical, Inc., 2011
ISBN-13: 9781935654292
Rating: B+
Source: Bought (see review policy)
Copyright © cbl for Beth Fish Reads, all rights reserved (see review policy).

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Thursday Tea: The Drops of God by Tadashi Agi and Shu Okimoto

The Book: The Drops of God by Tadashi Agi (author) and Shu Okimoto (illustrator) is the first manga graphic novel I've read, but it won't be the last because it's the first entry in a fun and informative wine-related series.

Shizuku Kanzaki is the son of one of the most respected and famous wine critics in Japan. Young Kanzaki has an incredible sense of smell but has defied his father by refusing to drink wine and by seeking employment in a beer company.

When the elder Kanzaki dies, Shizuku learns that his father had legally adopted a young man named Yutaka Kanzaki, an up-and-coming wine critic. His will states that his house, expensive wine collection, and estate goes to the son who correctly identifies twelve specific wines along with a thirteen, dubbed The Drops of God. To say that Shizuku is at a disadvantage is the understatement of the century. How is he to find the exact wines if he has never, ever tasted any wine? Lucky for him, he has friends to help him in his quest.

The Drops of God sets up the contest and introduces us to the players. In future volumes (will there be thirteen more?), we'll follow Shizuku and Yutaka as they race to solve the wine riddle. The novel has a lot going for it, starting with an exciting and action-packed story and multidimensional characters. The book is also surprisingly informative about wine, such as how and when to decant, how to read a wine label, and the names and histories of some stellar French vineyards.

Learning about wine has never been so entertaining. I am totally hooked on the series and can't wait for volume 2 to be released next month. To see the style of the black-and-white artwork, click on the image to the right. The scene is from the beginning of the book and shows Shizuku and his soon-to-be-friend Miyabi Shinohara, the sommelière. (To read manga, read the panels from right to left and the bubbles within each panel from right to left.)

The Tea: Because I've been sick with a cough and a stuffy head, I've been drinking a lot of tea this week. In October I told you about the generosity of Heather from Raging Bibliomania, who bought me tea from a shop called Infusion Tea. I was looking forward to trying the unusual Genmaicha Japanese Popcorn green tea blend. Here's the catalog description: "Japanese tea blended with roasted rice for a savory cup that has a toasty, nutty flavor with notes of nori." The website adds: "During the firing of the rice, it is common for the rice to pop, not unlike popcorn, hence the name popcorn tea."

I brewed the tea according to the directions, and the first thing I noticed was the aroma--a combination of fish and grass. It might be because I'm sick, but I had a hard time bringing the cup to my lips. However, I went ahead and sipped. Although I didn't mind the taste, which was actually rather bland, the tea is not going on my top-ten list. I'll give it another chance once I'm feeling healthy, and I'll let you know if it makes a difference. Sorry, Heather! I so appreciate having the opportunity to taste the tea. Fingers crossed that I like it better next time.

The Assessment: Shizuku is Japanese. He absolutely drinks tea. He comes from a well-off family and has a decent job, so it's no stretch to think that he would buy fancy teas. Perhaps his incredible sense of smell would pick up on the more palatable aspects of the roasted rice and nori. In fact, he may be mocking me as an unsophisticated, idiot, barbarian Westerner who wouldn't know a good flavor if it jumped up and bit me. In that case, I'll drink the wine and serve the stinky tea to Shizuku.

What About You? And now we come to you. What's in that mug or glass? Anything good? Oh, and what are you reading this week?

The Drops of God at an Indie

The Drops of God at Powell's

The Drops of God at Book Depository
These links lead to affiliate programs.

Thursday Tea was the brainchild of Anastasia at Birdbrain(ed) Book Blog.

Published by Vertical, Inc., 2011 (English translation)
ISBN-13: 9781935654278Source: Bought (see review policy)
Rating: B+
Copyright © cbl for Beth Fish Reads, all rights reserved (see review policy)
FTC: I buy all teas myself, I am not a tea reviewer.

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