What’s On Your Wine Reading List?

Posted on January 2, 2010 by Sonadora

Since my goal is to read more wine books this year, I’d love to hear what’s topping your list these days!

Left on my shelves at the moment:

Drink This

Noble Rot

The Botanist and the Vintner

Beard on Food (ok, not really wine, but food…)

Among what I’ve already read: (Some I’ve written about, some I haven’t…)

A Vineyard in Tuscany

Judgment of Paris

Extremely Pale Rose

Passion on the Vine

Seasons Among the Vines

The Billionaire’s Vinegar

The Widow Cliquot

Vino Italiano

Bacchus and Me

Red White and Drunk All Over

The Accidental Connoisseur

Adventures on the Wine Route

So tell me winos, what’s on your winter reading list?

Filed under: Books | 9 Comments »

The Last Wine Book Club

Posted on August 26, 2009 by Sonadora

Last year Dr. Debs over at Good Wine Under $20 proposed the idea that every month wine bloggers would get together, choose a book on wine, and all read it and review it. Initially I was excited because I have a ton of wine books sitting around.  But then reality set in and in all honesty I have neither the time nor the energy to make it through a book a month.  It’s a sad state of affairs, I’ll admit, but 3 years out I’m still recovering from the nightmare that was law school which zapped any desire to read I had. Couple that with a job that has me reading a ton of technical publications on a daily basis, and my avid wine blog reading, and I just couldn’t do it.  I participated a couple times, and thought, since I already have this month’s book and had read it, that I’d participate in the final edition of WBC.

Dr. Debs chose A Vineyard in Tuscany by Ferenc Máté for the last WBC. I purchased this book in December 2007 from R.J. Julia’s in Madison, CT. I actually read it ages ago, though apparently I never wrote about it for some odd reason. I truly thought I had. Last winter/spring I went through a period where I actually was reading a book a week…on the plane to and from Atlanta where I was detailed for a work project and had to travel to and from every week or so.  It’s possible the post got lost in the transition from Blogger to WordPress…I had some issues when I moved.

A Vineyard in Tuscany is a fairly quick read. I polished it off on the round trip flight to Atlanta from National Airport…about a 1.5 hour flight each way.  Then again, according to Matt, I’m the only person he’s ever met who reads faster than he does (a skill that did serve me well in law school!).  Or perhaps the book went fast because I wanted to gobble up the story of the Máte family as they purchased a vineyard, planted it, got through their first harvest, and bottled the wine.

Not only did they purchase a vineyard site, but they purchased a ruin site…that they fully restored. My favorite bits were when Ferenc insisted on chasing down ancient beams to restore the ceilings to their former glory as well as an old front door. I loved the dedication to making the restoration truly authentic and not just substituting modern materials.

I was as drawn into the restoration of the ruins as I was into the planting of the vineyard. Of course, the stories were interwoven, but at times, it seemed as if the focus was mostly on the house.  I think I would have enjoyed a bit more info about the vineyards and how they chose to plant the grapes they did.  At the same time, I cheered when they harvested their first grapes after 3 years of getting the vineyard ready and restoring the ruin.  And, the descriptions of their Syrahs made me want to hunt one down just so I could try it!

Overall, I loved the idea of building something from scratch–making it totally yours and just the way you want it.  The fact that it was a vineyard of course made it more appealing to me, seeing as how I still harbor the seemingly impossible dream of someday owning my own vineyard!

Many thanks to Dr. Debs for her efforts with the WBC, and my sincerest apologies for not being a better participant.

Filed under: Books, Good Wine Under $20 | Tagged: , , , , | 2 Comments »

Are You Hungry?

Posted on September 19, 2008 by Sonadora

Well, if you aren’t now, you will be after you read this book! My inlaws sent the book Passion on the Vine by Sergio Esposito to me as a birthday gift this year. I read it, as has been my m.o. lately, on a business trip, one of many I’ve taken this year.

I love Italian food, and I think Italian wine is pretty damn good too. I grew up with a tiny little Italian grandma who made her own pasta, served us plates of sauce drenched meat with every meal, and made the best baked ziti I’ve ever had.

Passion on the Vine details the life and times of the author and his family, following them from their home in Italy to a new, unfamiliar life in Albany where they did not know the language and the food was dull and processed in comparison to what the family meals in Italy. Sergio truly grew up with wine as a part of daily life, and it followed him into his adult profession, first opening a liquor store with his father and brother, then as a sales man for wine distributor, and eventually to opening his own specialty wine shop.

My favorite part of the book (and really the vast majority of it) accompanies Sergio and his family, including his wife, children, and parents, on a trip across Italy, as Sergio discovers new wines, eats delicious meals, and ultimately comes across a bottle of wine like he has never had before.

I drooled over the descriptions of the multi-course meals prepared with care, over the wine consumed with them, and was jealous over his adventures at various Italian wineries. The book made me want to go scoop up as many native Italian varieties as possible and cook up delicious cuisine to go with them. A great easy to read book for my many (sadly domestic) business travels!

Filed under: Books | 3 Comments »

Living Part of My Dream

Posted on September 16, 2008 by Sonadora

Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher as a sample.

I make no bones about the fact that I want to buy a vineyard and make wine. I know I’ve never done anything of the sort, but hey, it’s just a pipe dream, so I can wistfully think about it. Plus, I’ve recently discovered that I actually have a green thumb. But that’s it, I dream of giving up my life in the city and moving to the country to start a new vineyard or buy one that’s already there. Probably not likely to ever happen, so now I just drink the fruits of other peoples’ labors.

The book is Seasons Among the Vines: Life Lessons from the California Wine Country by Paula Moulton. Paula and her family picked up and moved from San Francisco to Sonoma County to start new lives as grape growers. They purchased a property that already had acres of land, and her husband kept his job in the city, leaving the grape growing and tending of the family and home mostly to Paula.

Seasons Among the Vines literally had me laughing out loud. The story is peppered with vignettes of the trials and successes of starting life as a farmer. I laughed as a cow came to call the vines home for a period, and was sad as the family fought in the first years over the inevitable troubles of owning a vineyard.

The book is interspersed with short sections on the technicalities of vine-growing, choosing your root stock, methods of training vines, etc. However, if you aren’t interested in learning about how to prep your vineyard for the winter, it’s easy to skip over these sections and get back to the story.

As with some other wine books I’ve read recently, I found myself rooting for the success of this family, against the improbable odds: coming from the city, knowing nothing about growing grapes of farming in general, and adjusting to life in a very new and different place. Ultimately, an easy read and a touching, personal story.

Filed under: Books | 1 Comment »

Mystery! Intrigue! Wine!

Posted on September 9, 2008 by Sonadora


*Disclaimer: I received this book as a press sample.

All wrapped up into one book! Several months ago (yes, I’m incredibly delayed on this one) I received a copy of the Billionaire’s Vinegar by Benjamin Wallace from the publisher. I saw a wave of reviews in the blog world, and while I had read my copy, I didn’t have a chance to write up a review of the book until now.

I have never been so captivated by a wine book before. It read like a mystery and I couldn’t put it down. I wanted to keep reading to find out who (if anyone) was guilty and how the final proof was found.

The Billionaire’s Vinegar brought me into a world I cannot even imagine being a part of: wines that cost thousands of dollars, being opened on a regular basis, to “one up” the previous party. Tens of thousands of dollars of wine being opened in one evening. And the crux of the book: the $165,000 (yes, you are reading that correctly) bottle of wine sold at a Christie’s Wine Auction that purportedly belonged to Thomas Jefferson.

At times the book sways into the nitty gritty details of the science of dating wine, the intricacies of how bottles were made at certain time periods, and what distinguishes a fake from a real bottle, but overall, the geeky details made it even more interesting.

And this is no false tale. The stories of the lavish parties, the money thrown around at the upper echelons of wine collecting (or, in my opinion, hoarding), and the mystery of the Jefferson Bottles are all true.

I think the ultimate endorsement for the book comes in the form of my husband Matt. Wine geek he is not, history buff he is. I started to tell him about The Billionaire’s Vinegar and he wanted to read it. And read it he did, in less than an afternoon, he’d devoured the whole thing, and wasn’t even bogged down at all with the details.

If you haven’t had a chance to read this one yet I’d highly recommend it. The Billionaire’s Vinegar would also make a great holiday gift (yes, it’s September, we can start talking about holiday gifts because Christmas is only a few months away now!) for your favorite wine geek or history buff.

Filed under: Books | 3 Comments »

Hard to Put Down

Posted on September 2, 2008 by Sonadora

Ever since I went to law school, I find myself with a short attention span for reading books. I think reading thousands of pages of case books a week in order to try to stay on top of your class material did a number on my desire to read. So I don’t read much anymore, which is a small tragedy for me, since I used to read anything and everything I could get my hands on, including backs of cereal boxes, random pamphlets, and even, at times, the dictionary.

So when I find a book that I actually want to finish, and in fact, don’t want to put down, I get excited. And that’s what I found in Extremely Pale Rose: A Very French Adventure y Jamie Ivey. I purchased this book on a whim from the local bookstore, R.J. Julia’s in my parents’ town, when I was visiting for Christmas.

Extremely Pale Rose details the adventures of the author, his wife, and one of their good friends, on a whirlwind adventure in France, searching for France’s palest Rose. It all started one afternoon at an outdoor cafe, where they sat drinking Rose with their niece Rosie. A language barrier and a misunderstanding sets them off on a year long challenge to find a Rose paler than the one produced at Chataeu Etienne or else facing the challenge of finding an English importer for the Chateau’s wine.

The books is told from Jamie’s point of view, as they give up their flat in England, and prepare to leave for France. Adventure after adventure follows the threesome through France, as they scramble to meet their one year deadline. I found myself saying “Ok. I’ll just read one more chapter, and see if they find a really pale Rose in the next town.” And then, after that chapter was finished, I just had to read the next. I was rooting for them throughout the book, wanting them to suceed, fearing they would not.

And do they? Well, you’ll have to read it for yourself to find out! An easy read, and it was perfect for my plane ride and lonesome hotel stay on one of my many work trips this year.

Filed under: Books | 2 Comments »

WBC #1 Round up posted and WBC #2 Announced!

Posted on March 8, 2008 by Sonadora

Our host for the first edition of the WBC was David of McDuff’s Food and Wine Trail. He chose the book Vino Italiano as a massive tome for our first rendition of the book club, and the turn out was fantastic! 25 people participated and wrote reviews of the book. You can head on over to his blog to read the round up from all of the participants.

Next, the announcement for WBC #2 is up! Our host for the second WBC is Tim of Winecast. Time has chosen a much less daunting task in the form of the book Noble Rot: A Bordeaux Wine Revolution by William Echikson. You can read all the details over here on Winecast, but the long and short of it is: read the book, write a review, and post it on your blog or send it to Tim at winecast@gmail.com by April 29 in time for our next book club meeting.

Now, Noble Rot is less than a third of the size of Vino Italiano, so no excuses about the length this time! Let’s keep the momentum from the first WBC going and get an even bigger turnout next month. Looking forward to reading everyone’s reviews in April! I’ve got a ton of work travel coming up, so this time I shouldn’t be struggling to finish. Many thanks to Dr. Debs for the great idea of a wine book club.

Filed under: Books, Good Wine Under $20, McDuff's Food and Wine Trail, WBC, Winecast | Comments Off on WBC #1 Round up posted and WBC #2 Announced!

Perhaps Better Late Than Never: WBC #1

Posted on February 26, 2008 by Sonadora

Our assignment for the first edition of the Wine Book Club (WBC) came from David of McDuff’s Food and Wine Trail. He tasked us with a book longer than any I have read in the last 5 years, unless you count Harry Potter and law school case books. Yes, this makes me less than intellectual, but honestly, I don’t have much of an inclination to read any more. I got tired of it to be truthful, and I still read so much for work, that the thought of picking up a long book when I get home just doesn’t appeal to me. I clearly read a bit, I’ve reviewed a few wine books here for you before, and will continue to do so as I get more from PR people and publishers (in fact, I’ve got one for you soon, I read half on the plane to Atlanta and intend to finish is Friday on the way home!). So I must say, I was actually quite glad when Dr. Debs proposed the idea of a wine book club. Like other wine geeks, wine books pile up on my shelves, and I really should get around to them!

With that in mind, I picked up this month’s book, Vino Italiano, by Joseph Bastianich and David Lynch, and got to reading. It’s 531 pages including all indexes and appendices. It took me the whole assignment time, but I did it.

First thoughts: The organization, especially with the appendices and indexes, makes this the ideal reference book on Italian Wine. You can find anything about Italian wine that you never thought you wanted to know instantaneously. Each chapter has a handy guide at the end giving the quick and dirty on the region, the principle grapes, key vintages, etc. I found the guides to be one of the most useful parts of the book, if you aren’t inclined to read it in its entirety, and trust me, I’d be the last to blame you for that one, you can easily flip to the guides and get a fast overview of the region, which can assist you in deciding if the chapter is one that will intrigue you or not. I see myself turning to this book both as a reference in the future, and for more knowledge on particular grapes and regions.

Second thoughts: The stories at the beginning of each chapter kept me going to the next chapter, even when I felt a little bogged down in the weeds. They were fun and charming tales of a slice of life in each region, and I salivated over some of the food described, while feeling a bit repulsed by other “delicacies.”

Third thoughts: The book contains so much information, that it’s hard to digest all at once, and I think perhaps the pick and choose as you are interested in a region approach might be the best in tackling this book.

Fourth thoughts: Italian wines and varietals were on my list this year of things to learn about. So really this was a perfect book for me to read. I dove in, and was again astounded by the sheer volume of types of Italian wine. But alas, I came away a touch disappointed as I learned that many of the very small production local grapes are just not available here in the US. I guess that cements my desire to make our next BIG vacation to Italy…it’ll satisfy the classical historian in Matt and my desire to drink lots of Italian wines and gorge myself on priscutto drizzled with fresh pressed olive oil….::drifts into a daydream of cheese, cured meats, and wine::

And ultimately, that’s where Vino Italiano left me: hungry (thirsty?) to try more Italian wines (and cured meats), and to continue referencing the book to learn more as I am drinking. Which, I think might be my next adventure. Pick a chapter, find a wine from that region, and drink the wine while learning about the region.

Thanks to David for hosting this month and to Dr.Debs for the WBC idea!

Filed under: Books, Good Wine Under $20, Italy, McDuff's Food and Wine Trail, WBC | 5 Comments »

Hip and Young?

Posted on December 18, 2007 by Sonadora

*Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher as a press sample.

Are you between the ages of about 21 (let’s keep this legal folks!) and 35, give or take? Are you interested in wine, but find it hard to approach? Are you female? Do more lengthy tomes like the Oxford Companion to Wine appear to be way more information than you are ready to digest? Would you like a quick guide to the basics of wine that’s geared toward you? Then this book was written for you.

Hip Tastes: The Fresh Guide to Wine is a newly released book by Courtney Cochran. I fall clearly and squarely into the age group that this book is attempting to reach, mainly younger females. Its pop culture references such as rap stars drinking Cristal (or not so much anymore I guess) and calling parents “rents” flow through the book and its short, snappy titles appeal to those with not lengthy attention spans.

The chapters are brief, offering just a glimpse into each aspect of wine, tasting, hosting a party, shopping, etc. This is definitely a book for the beginner who wants a working knowledge of wine in order to feel comfortable asking a few questions in a restaurant or to confidently pick up a bottle or two at the local wine store. Overall, the 252 pages is a light and breezy easy read, taking me a flight to St. Louis to peruse.

If you are looking for an exhaustive resource for every nuance of the wine world, you aren’t going to be happy with this book. However, if you want an easy to read, approachable book stuffed with tidbits about the wines you are most likely to encounter at parties and restaurants as a young female, then this is a book for you.

Filed under: Books | 3 Comments »

Hip and Young?

Posted on December 18, 2007 by Sonadora

*Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher as a press sample.

Are you between the ages of about 21 (let’s keep this legal folks!) and 35, give or take? Are you interested in wine, but find it hard to approach? Are you female? Do more lengthy tomes like the Oxford Companion to Wine appear to be way more information than you are ready to digest? Would you like a quick guide to the basics of wine that’s geared toward you? Then this book was written for you.

Hip Tastes: The Fresh Guide to Wine is a newly released book by Courtney Cochran. I fall clearly and squarely into the age group that this book is attempting to reach, mainly younger females. Its pop culture references such as rap stars drinking Cristal (or not so much anymore I guess) and calling parents “rents” flow through the book and its short, snappy titles appeal to those with not lengthy attention spans.

The chapters are brief, offering just a glimpse into each aspect of wine, tasting, hosting a party, shopping, etc. This is definitely a book for the beginner who wants a working knowledge of wine in order to feel comfortable asking a few questions in a restaurant or to confidently pick up a bottle or two at the local wine store. Overall, the 252 pages is a light and breezy easy read, taking me a flight to St. Louis to peruse.

If you are looking for an exhaustive resource for every nuance of the wine world, you aren’t going to be happy with this book. However, if you want an easy to read, approachable book stuffed with tidbits about the wines you are most likely to encounter at parties and restaurants as a young female, then this is a book for you.

Filed under: Books | 3 Comments »

Next Page »