Frank Schoonmaker
Frank Musselman Schoonmaker (August 20, 1905 – January 11, 1976) was an American
Schoonmaker also collaborated in the wine trade with Alexis Lichine, another wine writer. Together they were considered the most influential wine writers in the US for several decades.[1] In January 1976, Frank Schoonmaker died at his home at 50 East 72nd Street in New York City.
Army service
In 1939 Schoonmaker joined a new division of the
Wine writings and marketing
Schoonmaker's importance was both as a writer, the author of the Complete Wine Book (1934) and later the classic Frank Schoonmaker's Encyclopedia of Wine, and as a wine importer, who found American markets especially for small scale growers in
In 1972 The 'Frank Schoonmaker Selections' company was purchased by a division of the
Consulting work
As a consultant to such Californian wineries as Wente and Almaden, Schoonmaker introduced the idea of labeling wines using varietal names (such as Pinot noir, Chardonnay, or Riesling) rather than semi-generic names borrowed from European regions ("Burgundy", "Chablis", "Rhine", etc.).[1] Schoonmaker claimed that "the more specific the name, the better the wine". While Schoonmaker was promoting the practice in California already around 1940, it did not become truly widespread until the late 1960s and early 1970s. Robert Mondavi was one of the first to label the majority of his wines by varietal names and was tireless in promoting the practice. This has become the standard in New World wine and some European producers are adopting the practice because of consumer demand.
See also
- List of wine personalities
References
- ^ ISBN 0-19-860990-6
- ISBN 0-06-009369-2.