WASHINGTON — Father’s Day is Sunday, and if you are looking for a memorable gift for the wine-loving dad in your life, think about giving him a present that just might last longer than a bottle of wine — like a book about wine.
Just in time for Father’s Day, there are several new books that appeal to a wide range of “tastes.” Here are several recommendations that will keep dear old dad entertained long after a bottle of wine is empty.
In celebration of his 93rd birthday, Napa Valley icon Miljenko “Mike” Grgich has released his memoir, “A Glass Full of Miracles.” The book was written with Napa Valley Register editor Sasha Paulsen, and it chronicles the long and storied life of a young Croatian boy whose search for freedom and the chance to fulfill his American dream led him through countless hardships to become one of the most beloved winemaking legends in history.
Grgich, the youngest in a family of 11, studied oenology and viticulture at Croatia’s University of Zagreb with the goal of making great wine. While he was a student, a professor whispered to him about California, a paradise where winemakers were free to make the best wine possible.
Just before graduating, he fled Croatia to escape communism. With $32 sewn in his shoe, Grgich finally arrived in California after four years of adversity and uncertainty. The book transports readers along Grgich’s journey from communism to freedom, becoming a California winemaker and earning his place as a Napa Valley icon, including his induction into the Vintners Hall of Fame. $40
If you like to mix wine with a touch of intrigue and mystery, pick up a copy of Peter Sichel’s new book “The Secrets of My Life: Vintner, Prisoner, Soldier, Spy.”
Sichel, best known as the creator of Blue Nun — one of the first international wine brands — is also known for his influence and time in the CIA. In his new book, Sichel takes the reader on a journey from his childhood as a Jew in Nazi Germany, to France, where he escaped imprisonment to live in the United States, where he immediately joined the military during World War II.
He even shares stories from his time as an intelligence officer during the Cold War — which of course had to be cleared by the CIA. After a seemingly eventful early adulthood, he returned to the business he is most passionate about. In 1960, he took over the family wine business after leaving the CIA, working hard to grow Blue Nun. Sichel looks back on each chapter of his incredible life and thinks fondly of where he has been and the legacy he has left, saying, “I was fortunate to have three unique experiences that shaped my life so dramatically.” A great read for $20.
Our very own local wine writer, Dick Rosano, is on a roll. Following the success of “Tuscan Blood” and “Hunting Truffles,” Rosano has published “The Secret of Altamura: Nazi Crimes, Italian Treasure.” And while it is not technically a wine book, it is written by a very talented wine writer. Set in 1943 when the Nazis controlled large swathes of Italy, the book centers around Colonel Anselm Bernhardt, who devotes his attention to stealing Italian art — and Italian women — but there is one great treasure that he covets most.
In modern times, his grandson is sworn to make amends for Bernhardt’s crimes, but he is bitten by the same temptation and averts his focus on reparation to search for the mysterious and historically vital treasure in southern Italy, a secret that if revealed could alter the course of history. I suggest pairing it with a nice bottle of Chianti. $12
But if you simply must buy dad a wine gadget, consider hunting down one of the greatest wine openers I have ever used: the Durand Corkscrew. Not only is it the best corkscrew that I have used to open old bottles of wine (usually with fragile corks), but is perfect for newer bottles that have longer corks. It is a combination of an Ah-So style opener and a traditional worm. Between them, they reliably work together to grab the cork, and remove it intact. It is not cheap, but if you are opening a priceless old bottle, it is well worth it to have an intact cork come out of that cherished wine bottle. Available online for $125.
