I think that everyone can agree that the best way to learn new things is by reading. So much information has been chronicled in books and articles just waiting to get into the right hands. If you really want to appreciate what’s in your glass, reading about wine is essential. After all, knowledge is power.
Whether you’re looking for a book to expand your wine knowledge or just looking for a good read, here are a few of my suggestions that I know you’ll enjoy.
Wine Folly by Madeline Puckette and Justin Hammack
If you’re looking to learn more about wine, I cannot recommend Wine Folly enough. This was my first wine book purchase and it has been in my collection since the beginning. Wine Folly teaches you the basics about tasting, smelling, and pairing wine with food as well as looks into each variety and tells you their common aromas, what to pair it with, and where you can usually find it. Not only that, but the pictures and charts in this book are so clean looking and easy to understand.
Wine Bible by Karen MacNeil
This is another book for those who are wanting to expand their wine knowledge. Fair warning: this book is HEFTY. Despite the density of this book, Karen MacNeil makes wine super approachable and fun to learn. At no point in this book does she sound condescending and she is very engaging with readers. In this book you’ll learn almost everything you need to know about wine. I actually own two copies of this book. One was to keep at work just in case I needed to reference something really quick and the other was to have at home.
Wine. All the Time. by Marissa A. Ross
Wine. All the Time. is another great book for beginners. Marissa is really engaging with the audience and she’s quite funny too. In this book she teaches all about how to describe what you’re drinking, how to understand wine labels, how to host a dinner party, how to pair wine with food, and so much more. She’s super entertaining and even celebrities like Mindy Kaling loved this book!
Wine Girl by Victoria James
I loved this book by Victoria James. The reviews are a little iffy because I don’t think people were expecting to be as hard hitting as it was, but Victoria James takes you through her journey through the restaurant and wine industry. I think this book is important because the wine industry is such a male-dominated industry and not a lot of people know what goes on behind-the-scenes for women. In addition to reading Wine Girl, I strongly recommend taking a look at the New York Times article that came out about sexual harassment in the Court of Master Sommeliers. With all of that coming to light, Wine Girl is definitely worth the read.
Women Winemakers: Personal Odysseys by Lucia Albino Gilbert and John C. Gilbert
Even if you’re not studying to become a winemaker, this book is worth your time. This book tells the many stories of women winemakers who are inspiring innovation and change in the wine industry. These winemakers are from all over the world such as France, Italy, New Zealand, California and more. It was recently published in 2020, so I was surprised to learn that only 10% of winemaker positions are held by women in California. More are coming up, but 10% is such a small amount. Anyway, I highly recommend checking this book out!
