Kronick Wino

My Favorite Wine Books & Publications

Friday, September 25th, 2009 | wine educator | No Comments

It’s imperative that I continue to remain educated when it comes to my passion of wine. Whether it’s reading up on the latest and greatest wines, needing to understand the differences between Rioja and Riebera del Duero, unable to pronounce ‘Txacoli’ or just need a bit of wine humor to get me through the rough spots, I turn towards my favorite wine books.

Here’s a good sampling for the inquiring minds who want to know…

• ‘Red, White And Drunk All Over - A Wine Soaked Journey From Grape to Glass‘ by Natalie MacLean

Natalie has a solid wine background and comes from the north country of Canada, ay (and no, i didn’t just pick this book because she holds a fantastic name as my own) . She’s a wonderful writer, sommelier and expert of off-beat food & wine pairings. She covers the gamut of regions, history, wines, anecdotal humor and covers ‘people to know’ in the wine business in her book. She’s light, bubbly, sociable, a motivated learner and she passes on her knowledge and passion through her writing. Oh, and you can sign up for her very own free newsletter, Nat Decants at www.nataliemaclean.com. It’s part of my email inbox…what are YOU waiting for?

• ‘The Grail - A year rambling & shambling through an Oregon vineyard in pursuit of the best pinot noir wine in the whole wild world‘ by Brian Doyle

I am in love with Oregon. I’ve never been there, I’ve never known anyone who lived there nor had I ever sipped on a wine from there until about 3 years ago. I am madly in love and his name is Willamette Valley! Specifically, Dundee Hills. Doyle runs around with Jesse Lange from Lange Vineyards for a full season to get a real taste of what life if like working, producing and selling wine on what is essentially ‘just a farm’. A farm?? Such humble words. I felt like I was reading poetry. Doyle does a fantastic job of relaying not only the chaos that takes place on most vineyards, but the history of the land and, more importantly, the seductiveness of making wine. This is THE book that put my love of Oregon Pinots on the Wino Tasting map!

• ‘Great Wine Made Simple’ by Andrea Immer

This was the FIRST book I ever read that helped me hone in on my wine selling skills back in the day of Barcelona Restaurant. It is a superb, concise and informative read on the major wine basics. Just don’t ask me about Italy… I still get stumped to this day. HAHA! But if you just want a good, overall summary of wine, the major grapes, regions, tasting notes and how to read labels, this is the book for you! I highly recommend it to ANYONE just getting their feet wet and don’t know where to start. You can read my other experiences with this book here.

• ‘The Wine Bible’ by Karen MacNeil

I received this fantastic book as a birthday gift and what a wonderful reference book it makes! I even utilized it to understand some of the history of Spanish wines during my Wine Educator’s course back in July! This is a MUST as part of your collection. It’s a nice thick book too, so it doubles nicely as a coffee table book / wine glass coaster!

Other Publications to keep you in the ‘know’:

• Email: Snooth.com newsletter

Next in my reading queue:

• The Widow Clicquot: The Story of a Champagne Empire and the Woman Who Ruled It
• At Home in the Vineyard: Cultivating a Winery, an Industry, and a Life
• The Science of Wine: From Vine to Glass

Do you have a favorite wine-related book you’d like to share? I’m open to suggestions!
Cheers!

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Tags: oenology, Pinot Noir, sommelier books, wine & women, wine authors, wine books, wine knowledge, wine reads, women in wine, women of wine

Moving Week

Tuesday, May 27th, 2008 | Wine Tasting Notes | 2 Comments

Apologies for not posting as of late, as my personal move has taken precedence over all else, except wine drinking. And for that I have a wines to recommend for the week:

‘Secreto‘ Syrah - Viu Manent, Chile- 2005. Holy Raisinets, Batman! I mean, if you could bottle that flavor, intensity and lusciousness, then this is it! Pairs GREAT with pan seared duck breast with a cranberry port wine reduction, dark chocolate of all sorts, and of course by itself. One small warning……make sure you filter this bad boy….it’s a bit toothy at the end. Like turkish coffee. Get my drift?

Another last note - pick up a copy of ‘Red, White and Drunk All Over‘ by Natalie MacLean! Great read for the sommelier-wannabes. I know if I could have one life, hers would be it!

Tags: Chile, chilean red, Chilean wine, fruity chilean cab, jammy wine, Natalie Maclean, syrah blend, wine books, Wine Tasting Notes