Frank J. Prial (November 4, 1930 – November 6, 2012) was a journalist and author, and the

wine Wine is an alcoholic drink made from Fermentation in winemaking, fermented fruit. Yeast in winemaking, Yeast consumes the sugar in the fruit and converts it to ethanol and carbon dioxide, releasing heat in the process. Wine is most often made f ...

columnist A columnist is a person who writes for publication in a series, creating an article that usually offers commentary and opinions. Column (periodical), Columns appear in newspapers, magazines and other publications, including blogs. They take the ...

for ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'' for 25 years, writing the weekly "Wine Talk" column largely since 1972 until his retirement in 2004.Asimov, Eric, ''The New York Times'' (November 7, 2012)
Frank J. Prial, a Guide to the World of Fine Wine, Dies at 82
/ref>

Career

Prial graduated from

Georgetown University Georgetown University is a private university, private Jesuit research university in Washington, D.C., United States. Founded by Bishop John Carroll (archbishop of Baltimore), John Carroll in 1789, it is the oldest Catholic higher education, Ca ...

in 1951 followed by service in the Coast Guard during the Korean War. He worked for since discontinued newspapers the ''

Newark Evening News The ''Newark Evening News'' was an American newspaper published in Newark, New Jersey. As New Jersey's largest city, Newark played a major role in New Jersey's journalistic history. At its apex, ''The News'' was widely regarded as the newspaper of ...

'' and ''

New York World-Telegram The ''New York World-Telegram'', later known as the ''New York World-Telegram and The Sun'', was a New York City newspaper from 1931 to 1966. History Founded by James Gordon Bennett Sr. as ''The Evening Telegram'' in 1867, the newspaper began ...

'' before he found work as a feature writer with ''

The Wall Street Journal ''The Wall Street Journal'' (''WSJ''), also referred to simply as the ''Journal,'' is an American newspaper based in New York City. The newspaper provides extensive coverage of news, especially business and finance. It operates on a subscriptio ...

''. He joined ''The New York Times'' as a reporter in 1970. The column "Wine Talk" was started in 1972, written between news assignments that would range from coverage of building fires to the U.N. Security Council. The wine column was included in the "Living" section of ''The New York Times'' in 1977, and was printed two Sundays a month in ''The New York Times Magazine''. The column was temporarily discontinued in 1979 when Prial began work as ''The Times Paris correspondent, and it did not resume until 1984. The writing of Prial was intended to illuminate rather than obfuscate with that “peculiar subgenre of the English language” which the writer termed “winespeak”. Prial stated that a person “should not have to be a budding enologist to enjoy reading about wine.” Believing that what is in the bottle is much more important than what is on the

wine label Wine labels are important sources of information for consumers since they tell the type and origin of the wine. The label is often the only resource a buyer has for evaluating the wine before purchasing it. Certain information is ordinarily inclu ...

, Prial observed that "Shorn of their carefully constructed mystiques, their beautiful labels and clever marketing, many expensive wines are really not that much superior to their less expensive rivals." Prial believed that "there’s enjoyment to be had of a glass of wine without making a fetish of it or paying a lot for it." In addition to being described as unpretentious, Prial was widely regarded as a classic newspaperman.Heimoff, Steve, steveheimoff.com (November 9, 2012)
Frank J. Prial: a tribute
/ref> Prial was the co-editor of ''The Companion to Wine'' (1992), the author of the column compilation books ''Wine Talk'' (1978) and ''Decantations'' (2001), and his writing featured prominently in ''The New York Times Book of Wine'' (2012). He was inducted into the Wine Media Guild hall of fame in 2007, and accepted a membership in the Légion d’Honneur from the French government. Prial died on November 6, 2012, in West Orange, New Jersey, at 82 years old, due to complications of prostate cancer.St.Pierre, Biran, ''Decanter.com'' (November 9, 2012)
Veteran New York Times wine columnist Frank Prial dies
/ref>Matthews, Thomas, ''Wine Spectator'' (November 8, 2012)
A Pioneer Passes Away
/ref>Heimoff, Steve, ''Wine Enthusiast'' (November 8, 2012)
Frank J. Prial, New York Times Wine Columnist, Passes
/ref>Shaw, Lucy, ''The Drinks Business'' (November 8, 2012)
New York Times Wine Columnist Dies
/ref>

References

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External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Prial, Frank J. 1930 births Georgetown University alumni 2012 deaths The New York Times journalists American wine critics James Beard Foundation Award winners

Career

See also

References

External links