There are plenty of memorable gifts you can give your dad for Father’s Day that just might last longer than a bottle of wine … like a book about wine!
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 Father’s Day fades on the calendar.
According to Maxine Builder of The New York Times, if you can read only one wine book, it should be “The New Wine Rules: A Genuinely Helpful Guide to Everything You Need to Know” by Jon Bonné.
There are few greater pleasures in life than enjoying a wonderful glass of wine. So why does finding and choosing one you like seem so stressful? Now, becoming a happier, more confident wine drinker is easy. The first step is to forget all the useless, needlessly complicated stuff the “experts” have been telling you. Bonné explains everything you need to know in simple, beautifully illustrated, easy-to-digest tidbits. For example: A wine’s price rarely reflects its quality. You can drink rosé any time of year. And for goodness’ sake, don’t save a great bottle for anything more than a rainy day. Hardback edition $7 at Amazon
Sometimes, gifts flow the other way. My son, who now lives in Portland, Oregon, is on a quest to learn more about wine, and I could not be more proud. He asked me for a good book to start his path to wine knowledge and I sent him a copy of my go-to book, “The Wine Bible” by Karen MacNeil, one of the foremost wine experts in the United States.
MacNeil is the only American wine expert who has won every major wine award given in the English Language. This second printing is a completely revised and updated edition of her original bestselling tome and is praised by many in the wine and food industry as “the most informative and entertaining book I’ve ever seen on the subject” (Danny Meyer), and “a guide that has all the answers” (Bobby Flay).
MacNeil is an expert teacher. She has a style that provides the reader with the fundamentals while layering on informative asides, tips, amusing anecdotes, definitions, glossaries, photos, maps, labels and recommended bottles. MacNeil’s information comes directly through primary research. For this edition, she has tasted more than 10,000 wines. All this knowledge is at your fingertips for $17.
The book that started my journey into wine is now bigger and better than ever. Kevin Zraly’s “Windows on the World Complete Wine Course: New, Updated Edition” is a must-have for people just starting out on their wine journey. Kevin is an American wine educator and the founder of the Windows on the World Wine School, and he is one of the most entertaining wine teacher instructors in the country. This edition features a Best of the Best chapter with links to 20 smartphone tags, which includes an audio pronunciation guide. The book covers all the basics, and Zraly’s region-by-region organization points readers to the finest wines and diverse tastes, styles and regions. Hardcover $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 control large swathes of Italy, the book centers around Col. 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. Paperback $11
