Guide to the Dorothy J. Gaiter and John Brecher Papers D-669
Liz Phillips
University of California, Davis Library, Dept. of Special Collections
2020
1st Floor, Shields Library, University of California
100 North West Quad
Davis, CA 95616-5292
speccoll@ucdavis.edu
Language of Material:
English
Contributing Institution:
University of California, Davis Library, Dept. of Special Collections
Title: Dorothy J. Gaiter and John Brecher Papers
Creator:
Gaiter,
Dorothy J.
Creator:
Brecher,
John
Identifier/Call Number: D-669
Physical Description:
15 linear feet
Date (inclusive): 1998-2009
Abstract: The Dorothy J. Gaiter and John Brecher Papers
document the couple's career in wine writing from 1998-2009. The collection includes forty-four albums of labels and tasting
notes related to the
Wall Street Journal column "Tastings" (1998-2009), select pieces of art, publication materials, notes, assorted
news stories and clippings, and materials related to their books
The Wall Street Journal Guide to Wine (1999),
The Wall Street Journal Guide to Wine: New and Improved (2002),
Love by the Glass: Tasting Notes From a Marriage (2002), and
Wine for Every Occasion: Red, White and Bubbly to Celebrate the Joy of Living (2004). Also included are letters
from readers, recordings of their television appearances, materials related to Open That Bottle Night, and born-digital
materials including email correspondence and article drafts.
Physical Location: Researchers should contact Archives and Special
Collections to request collections, as many are stored offsite.
Award-winning journalists Dorothy J. Gaiter and John Brecher have been exploring wine together for more than thirty years.
The couple met in June of 1973 while working at the
Miami Herald and, thanks to a gift of Alexis Bespaloff's
The New Signet Book of Wine from John's brother, soon began sampling wines and keeping track of what they had
tried. Over the course of twenty-five years, the two kept notes on thousands of bottles of wine tied to large and small
moments in their life.
In 1998, Gaiter and Brecher decided to integrate wine writing into their professional lives. At the time, both were
working for the
Wall Street Journal: Brecher was the newspaper's page-one editor and Gaiter was a news editor covering race
and urban issues. Their wine column "Tastings" ran as part of a new weekend section in the
Wall Street Journal and quickly became a success. Gaiter and Brecher wrote in an approachable, engaging way,
rating wines "OK," "Good," "Very Good," "Delicious" or "Delicious!"
After two years of writing both hard news and about wine while also raising their daughters Media and Zoë, the couple
decided to dedicate their professional time solely to wine writing. They continued to write "Tastings" until late 2009. In
2010, Dorothy J. Gaiter was named Food and Wine Editor for
France Magazine. In 2013, she was named Senior Editor for the online wine magazine
Grape Collective, where she and John Brecher are now both Senior Editors and continue to write about wine.
Together, Gaiter and Brecher have written the books
The Wall Street Journal Guide to Wine (1999),
The Wall Street Journal Guide to Wine: New and Improved (2002),
Love by the Glass: Tasting Notes From a Marriage (2002), and
Wine for Every Occasion: Red, White and Bubbly to Celebrate the Joy of Living (2004), made numerous television
appearances, and given radio interviews. One of their most enduring legacies is Open That Bottle Night, an annual tradition
they created in 1999 to encourage people to open and enjoy a special bottle of wine that they have been saving.
Sources:
Colwell, Sarah. "Wall Street Journal Wine Couple Donate Life's Work to UC Davis Library." UC Davis Library News, 19
February 2020.
https://www.library.ucdavis.edu/news/wall-street-journal-wine-couple-donate-lifes-work-to-uc-davis-library/
.
Accessed 26 February 2020.
"Dorothy J. Gaiter."
Wall Street Journal, 2020.
https://www.wsj.com/news/author/dorothy%20j.-gaiter
. Accessed 26 February 2020.
"Dorothy J. Gaiter and John Brecher." Wikipedia, 2020.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dorothy_Gaiter_and_John_Brecher
. Accessed 26 February 2020.
"John Brecher."
Wall Street Journal, 2020.
https://www.wsj.com/news/author/john-brecher .
Accessed 26 February 2020.
The Dorothy J. Gaiter and John Brecher Papers thoroughly document the couple's life in wine appreciation and wine writing.
Currently, the collection documents Gaiter and Brecher's work from 1998-2009. The collection includes forty-four albums of
labels and tasting notes related to the
Wall Street Journal column "Tastings" (1998-2009) and select pieces of art that accompanied the column. Also
included are publication materials, notes, and assorted news stories and clippings, as well as materials related to their
books
The Wall Street Journal Guide to Wine (1999),
The Wall Street Journal Guide to Wine: New and Improved (2002),
Love by the Glass: Tasting Notes From a Marriage (2002), and
Wine for Every Occasion: Red, White and Bubbly to Celebrate the Joy of Living (2004). Letters from readers,
recordings of their appearances on national television, materials related to Open That Bottle Night; and born-digital
materials including email correspondence and article drafts are also represented in the collection.
Collection is unprocessed.
This collection is not yet processed. Please contact Archives and Special Collections in advance to request access.
[Identification of item], Dorothy J. Gaiter and John Brecher Papers, D-669, Archives and Special Collections, UC Davis
Library, University of California, Davis.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Gift of Dorothy J. Gaiter and John Brecher, 2020.
All applicable copyrights for the collection are protected under chapter 17 of the U.S. Copyright Code. Requests for
permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Head of Special Collections. Permission
for publication is given on behalf of the Regents of the University of California as the owner of the physical items. It is
not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained by the researcher.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Wine writers -- New York (State)
Wine tasting
Wine labels
Wine and wine making
Wine and wine making -- Guidebooks
Brecher, John --
Archives
Gaiter, Dorothy J. --
Archives