When I first saw this book I thought it might be an easy, breezy trip through wine world. From the first chapter, it’s clear that this is a tenacious, and unforgettable journey.
In Wine Girl, Victoria Jamesshines a graphic spotlight on her struggles rising through the ranks from greasy-spoon diners to Michelin- starred restaurants. Becoming America’s youngest sommelier was not an easy climb. James is remarkably honest about her chaotic early life, her struggles with addiction, and her unwavering determination to carve a place for herself in the world of wine. Incremental wins for her are everything. And they speak to the power of not giving up, even with some scorched hope along the way.
James pulls no punches about life in the wine industry. She paints an honest picture of the rampant misogyny, racism and abuse, not only from entitled guests but many in power positions within the worlds of hospitality, and wine. It can be a harrowing read at times. But it’s an important journey to share. There is light at the end of her story.
Because of her experiences, James co-founded Wine Empowered, with Cynthia Cheng and Amy Zhou. This non-profit provides free wine education, and support of leadership careers in wine world for minorities and women, as well as promoting safe work environments for all.
This is a significant book for everyone, especially those working in and around the world of wine and hospitality.
If you live where there is a regular accumulation of snow, then this winter has been a long one. And if you’ve been a little reluctant to go out right now, and just finished bingeing SuperPumped, The Dropout, or S2 of Bridgerton, here’s a way to unplug, and decompress. And apart from just drinking wine, which is always nice, reading about it can be just as interesting (without the buzz).
Below are two books that helped me get through many a long winter’s journey into night.
Packed with lots of info, and so well-written, they’re like taking a comprehensive, self-directed wine course without the hefty fee and stress-inducing exam at the end.
Check out the video below for a little taste of what you’ll find!
From the #1 ranked wine education site winefolly.com, Wine Folly: Magnum Edition is a culmination of many viewpoints: from wine writers and educators, to wine professionals and scientists.
Madeline Puckette is a wine sommelier, writer and visual designer. Justin Hammack is an entrepreneur, digital strategist and web developer.
This book takes you on a journey through the basics and beyond; how wine is made, facts about drinking wine (and how to avoid that pesky headache), a funny section on wine etiquette, and how to smell wine (to actually detect faults, not just to look fancy). It lays everything out with super cool graphics, and easy to digest descriptions that make learning easy if you’re new to wine, and a great review if you’re an old pro.
Sohm was named 2008 Best Sommelier in the World by the Worldwide Sommelier Association and namesake of the Aldo Sohm Wine Barin New York City. Christine Muhlke is former food editor of the New York Times Magazine, and contributing editor at Bon Appêtit magazine.
Wine Simple also has great depth of information, fun graphics, and cool side bars. An added feature: the main points of each section are highlighted for you, saving you time (and highlighter).
Check out the ‘Wine With Bad Raps” section for a good rundown on pre-conceived wine reputations that might make you go “hmmmm…”. It may have you completely reconsidering your next wine purchase.
There’s also an honest view about boxed, bagged and canned wines (spoiler: they’re not all that bad).
Both books examine wine regions, flavor profiles, practical magic of storing and serving, and much more.
Each have excellent chapters about food and wine pairing, which can be daunting at the best of times. And each have fun graphics, charts and practical info about cooking with wine. Wine Folly has a little pairing exercise that involves potato chips, cheese, honey and a pickle. I am SO going to try this in an upcoming post!
Both books are excellent and make learning accessible, enjoyable, and will have you understanding, pairing and enjoying wine like a pro in no time!
If you read either (or both) let me know what you think in the comments! 👇
Today, most of us are getting our game faces on, deflating (or inflating) our balls, cooking our favorite chili recipes, and waiting for the coin toss. But with the weather in the Cleve being what it is today ( “Snow likely” ) and finding myself with a little free time, and cold toes, I poured a wee glass and cracked open “Wine With Food” by NYTimes wine writer Eric Asimov and Florence Fabricant.
What I’m enjoying about the book is the precise way the wines are categorized and paired with a variety of unique dishes. Lately, i’ve found myself in a bit of a rut; cooking the same meals and pairing them with the same wine. This book inspires me to break out of the mundane menu, and makes pairing easy without being intimidating.
Summer, what summer? It’s been crazy busy and now that my daughter is safely into her new school routine ~ I still can’t believe she’s actually in high school ~ I thought I would do a little reading to help me come back to earth, so to speak. ‘The Geography of Wine” by Brian J. Sommers was a great exploration of various world wine regions and what makes them unique from a geographer’s perspective. What I liked about his approach was he took a subject that had the potential of being very dry (wait ~ was that a pun? you know my policy on puns ~ bottoms up!) and boring but made it very accessible and interesting.
If you’ve ever been curious about terroirand the role geography plays in the concept, this book summons all aspects. In a way that’s easily read for the lay person, Sommers deftly explores the biogeography of the grape, how urbanization affects wine geography, and economics ~ including the politics of wine with respect to its’ unique growing regions. In the last chapter, he discusses his own love of wine and how in each glass, not only do you taste the grape but you taste a great deal about the culture of where it’s grown, nurtured and loved.
I’ll write more about terroir in another post but in the meantime, I’d like to recommend this book as a great reference for discovering that what goes into your glass is so much more than just fermented grapes.
One of the things I love about being a student of wine is the research. And I’m not talking about the drinking part, although that is definitely a plus. It’s the discovery of books, old and new, on the subject. And there are many out there.‘The Food Lover’s Guide to Wine” by Karen Page and Andrew Dornenburg was published in 2011 and boldly goes where many have gone before. But it does it in a way that’s accessible and fun.
What I like most about this book is that it is well laid out and is written in a relaxed, conversational tone. There’s no heavy use of wine jargon (which can be confusing and off-putting if you’re not an expert in the field). And if they do use it, they make sure to explain what it means. The contributing sommeliers who offer their advice, do so to help the reader get more enjoyment out of their experience with wine. It’s an approach that’s appealing and very easy to savor.
The Wine Student 