Red, White and Drunk All Over by Natalie MacLean
92 out of 100

Published Wednesday, March 3, 2010

Overview

A wine-soaked journey from grape to glass is how Natalie describes her first book Red, White and Drunk All Over. But what a book! I thoroughly enjoyed it even though it is definitely pitched at the beginner, but many wine fans will enjoy reading it. Unlike many educational books it feels like a novel, with a cast of characters from the wine industry, Nat chats with a range of industry experts, while interleaving some excellent content, although nothing particularly new. What is new is the way you get a sense of the people, whether it be Randall Graham from Bonny Doon who is apologetic for not being French and making wines with no soul, through to how selling wine for a day made Natalie feel. Occasionally she is overly emotional explaining how she burst into tears when served a corked wine and was too scared to stand up to an overly snooty waiter. But she is trying to identify with the newbie wine drinker and empathise with them.
What this book does do is give lots of information about how the wine industry works with plenty of tips and trick, but how people feel and the personal insights are something you won’t get in other books. How does the person serving you in a wine shop feel about your silly question? This may seem silly to wine connoisseurs, but it is reassuring for novices to know that wine people get asked all sorts of questions, and it is their passion to educate that drives most, and as long as you are engaging they love to help.

There are some bizarre facts, such as how the American Costco is the largest US seller of Bordeaux first growths and helps explain why Chateau & Estates, owned by Diageo may have exited the market.
Through the book Natalie discovers the romance of terroir and the history of Champagne. She has an excellent section on the different opinions of wine writers, and uses the spat between Jancis Robinson and Robert Parker over the 2003 Chateau Pavie as a back drop. She also explains her fears, joys and experiences trying to sell wines, being a sommelier and hosting a dinner. All are written with some great turns of phrase, such as describing a client while working in a shop selling wine as “A thin heavily made up women whose affections seem to be negotiable”.

If you are new to wine or have some knowledge, then I wholeheartedly recommend this book, a bit soppy in places but for a true feel of the wine industry that you will not get from other books, this is an excellent read. I rate this book 92 out of 100.