Before the Earth stopped in Minnesota (March 17, 2020), I remember telling my friends gathered at our local watering hole that it felt kind of cool to be living history. As the days roll on, wine books are becoming my new best friend.
It starts easily enough. You read a blog post or an article that mentions a certain book. Then, it’s a search on your library’s website for hopefully an e-book that you can start reading right away.
But then it goes on when…
I read the bibliography. Now there are dozens of other wine books to find. And of course, once you find an author you like, all of his books are must-reads.
There could be worse obsessions.
Learning the Wine Business
As far as the wine business goes, I’m on the consumer end of things. I’ve worked retail like many of you. You probably have a good idea about how that operates.
But, if you haven’t looked under the hood at the wine industry, hold on to your hat! There’s a lot going on that change the way you think about this magical beverage.
Three excellent books that will surprise and delight you include:
- “Wine Wars: The Curse of the Blue Nun, the Miracle of Two Buck Chuck, and the Revenge of the Terroirists“
- “Money, Taste, and Wine: It’s Complicated!”
- “Extreme Wine: Searching the World for the Best, the Worst, the Outrageously Cheap, the Insanely Overpriced, and the Undiscovered“
All three are by wine economist, Mike Veseth. I won’t reveal some of the more shocking tidbits. I’ll leave that for you to discover. Suffice to say that big business doesn’t even scratch the surface.
Wine Books for Reference and Fun
These these books are handy to have around when you need to look up something or to refresh your memory. If you want to know more than “Yes, it’s a red wine from France,” they will bring you up to speed in style.
The book, “Oz Clarke: Grapes & Wines: A Comprehensive Guide to Varieties and Flavours,” is my tome of choice when I want a succinct description of a grape variety, especially a new one.
Oz Clarke’s “World of Wine: A Grand Tour of the Great Wine Regions” is another joy to peruse when you want to know about the place or terroir. You’ll learn about the land and what makes it unique to help you appreciate the wines better.
This one is for pure fun. It also sent me on a hunt for books to experience them fully in ways I hadn’t considered before. That’s what makes “The Booklovers’ Guide to Wine: An Introduction to the History, Mysteries and Literary Pleasures of Drinking Wine” so delightful.
It’s the kind of book you could read again and again and still get something new out of it.
Final Thoughts About Wine Books
The great thing about wine books is how they transport you to different places. For just a little while, you can think about something else instead of the news.
Do yourself a favor tonight. Turn off the TV. Put on some relaxing tunes. Pour yourself a glass of wine and lose yourself in a book. The adventure awaits.
Photo by Jeff Siepman on Unsplash