Wines and other syrupy beverages... five comic strips to consume without moderation
From didactic but humorous wine histories to intimate documentaries and thrilling, kitschy saga stories, wine and other syrupy beverages inspire storytellers in France and Japan.
Often well-documented, some cartoonists and mangakas share their passion for these beverages without moderation, for the duration of a one-shot or a full-length series. Some of them turn out to be good vintages, as demonstrated by this selection of five must-have titles!
Les Ignorants - Récit d'une initiation croisée, by Etienne Davodeau (Futuropolis, 2011)
Étienne Davodeau's inspiration for Les Ignorants came from the realization that he didn't know much about the world of wine, and that winegrowers probably didn't know much about his work as a graphic novelist. So, he ventured into the land of producer Richard Leroy, to chat with him about their respective passions: comics and wine. To better understand what drives his host, Étienne Davodeau put his hand to the grindstone. For over a year, he worked among his vines and in his cellars, to extract a singular documentary beautifully illustrated in sober black and white.
Lady Whisky, by Joël Alessandra (Casterman, 2017)
In Lady Whisky, Joël Alessandra follows in the footsteps of his English mother-in-law Helen Arthur, one of the few women to have made her mark in the highly masculine world of whisky. Following her death, he discovers with admiration her notebooks and sketchbooks. The author-draftsman then set about fulfilling his dearest wish: to name a whisky after her. However, he soon realized in a luxury Parisian boutique that he knew absolutely nothing about whisky. But he doesn't let this discourage him. He ventured to Scotland, to the island of Islay, in search of the whisky best suited to the tastes of the woman nicknamed Lady Whisky: peat, seaweed and sea salt. In these unfamiliar lands, he meets and rubs shoulders with Bowmore, Laphroaig, Ardbeg and Bruichladdich, all of whom have contributed to the fine reputation of local whisky. Joël Alessandra's warm watercolors capture all the subtleties. As for his quest? As the saying goes, it's not the destination that counts, but the journey, and this one is particularly tasty!
L'Incroyable histoire du vin - De la préhistoire à nos jours, 10 000 ans d'aventure, by Benoist Simmat and Daniel Casanave (Les Arènes BD, 2022)
L'incroyable histoire du vin has been imagined as a space-time voyage of discovery of wine: from its origins to the present day. It all begins in the north of the Fertile Crescent, between the Caucasus and Mesopotamia, thousands of years ago, when the Egyptians dominated the world. A lanky guide with a long red beard and a didactic discourse accompanies the reader on this journey. But Benoist Simmat and Daniel Casanave have also given the floor, not without a sense of humor, to a whole host of contributors such as the Sphinx of Cairo. From Greek mythology to today's wineries, via the first vines planted by Noah at the end of the Flood, thethe export of Gallic wine and the invention of the bottle in the 17th century by the Englishman Sir Kenelm Digby, nothing has escaped the attention of well-researched authors. Wine has now conquered the planet, with more than one in two countries producing it. Benoist Simmat and Daniel Casanave retrace the history of wine and humanity.
A new edition of L'Incroyable Histoire du vin, with a chapter on sparkling wines and champagne, was published in 2022.
Natsuko no Sake, by Akira Oze ( Vega-Dupuis, 2019 - 2021)
In Japan, less wine is produced, but more Sake. Manga artist Akira Oze, now 76, took a close look at this to create his six-volume series: Natsuko no Sake. In this sheinen, he portrays a young woman trying to find her place in the traditional, male-dominated world of sake. Packed with incredible twists and turns, this series is also particularly instructive on the subject.
Les Gouttes de Dieu, by Tadashi Agi and Shu Okimoto, (Glénat, 2008 - 2016)
Before it became a hit series freshly released on Apple TV, Les Gouttes de Dieu was a cult manga, one of the most famous on the world of gastronomy and savoir-boire. Launched in France in 2008, the saga came to an end in 2016, after 44 volumes. Through the fierce, breathless struggle of two rival brothers, the story plunges the reader into the world of wine, essentially French: its language, its particularities and its traditions. A delightful blend of Japanese and European cultures, Les Gouttes de Dieu is particularly entertaining!
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