Ever wondered what people were talking about when discussing the "legs" of a wine, the acidity, the tannins, or the alcohol content? Bosker explains not only what they are, but what they mean. In very simple to understand language.

After a little more time reading, however, I thought that, under the layers of conspicuous consumption, fraud, etc., sommeliers and other wines nerds are actually more appealing because they are genuinely interested in beauty in a way that memory artists (who are mostly interested in showing off how smart they are) were not. Not only did sommeliers want to drink delicious, handsome-looking wine, made with care and mindfulness, but they also (generally) wanted to wear attractive clothes, eat good and healthy food, provide memorably pleasant experiences for others, and be in attractively-decorated surroundings. Sadly, all of the above are limited by the fact that attractive clothes, good and healthy food, etc.. inevitably cost more than the alternative, leading to the inevitable desire to extract money from the well-to-do, no matter how unpleasant they (the well-to-do) are. Always perceptive, curious, and entertaining, the author describes her experiences with precision and a wry sense of humor…Readers will certainly come away from the book knowing more about wine and likely eager to explore it further, but even those less inclined to imbibe will be intrigued.” Bosker proceeds to bring the flash-card discipline of her Chinese studies to wine, and in the final chapter, she presents us with her “A” grade — an fMRI scan shows that her brain has been altered. When drinking wine, her brain lights up like a sommelier’s, not a novice’s.Cork Dork Wine Study free users can study Argentina, Austria, Fortified, Italy, Portugal and Spain. Upgrade to Cork Dork Wine Study Pro to study all categories.

I have a very complicated relationship with this book. Right away, I was drawn in by Bianca's writing style. She has a way of placing you right in the room with her while she's studying or working or tasting with these NYC experts. Refreshingly accessible…It’s delightful and informative to see a subject as potentially stodgy as wine appreciation refracted through the perspective of someone young, female, and very smart.” But Mucerino notes that even though alternative closures have their place, there is just something about popping a cork that brings an air of sophistication to the table. “I love the pop sound that a cork makes and the texture and the smell of it — especially when it comes from a very old bottle,” he says. “With that said, I also like the practicality and purity of wines with screw caps and synthetics.” An interesting look at those with an unquenchable thirst for those unique bottles of vinicultural perfection.”This book is in a familiar format for a certain category of non-fiction books, which is: Author stumbles on obscure subculture operating quietly but openly, usually, in New York City. Author investigates subculture and becomes fascinated. Author learns about the fiercely competitive high-stakes championship competitions of the subculture. Author takes it on his- or herself to enter, train, and perhaps even win fiercely-competitive high-stakes championship of the subculture, even though he or she is a newcomer and people normally train for years and/or endure many failed attempts before winning fiercely-competitive etc. And ultimately, Bosker comes to agree with this point of view. “Maybe that’s the thing about greatness,” she writes. “It defies formulaic expression.” There’s got to be mystery, she writes. “If greatness could be given by a formula, it would become trivial. But we know it when we taste it.”

I am a journalist by training and a type-A neurotic by birth, so I started my research the only way I knew how: I read everything I could get my hands on, carpet-bombed sommeliers' in-boxes, and showed up at places uninvited, just to see who I would meet." The Kitchen Confidential of wine: Read this book, and you’ll never be intimidated by wine—or wine snobs—again.” But so much of this book irked me. While she milked the sommeliers for knowledge, she in turn paints sommeliers as merely out to milk their fat obnoxious customers. So much is just for hype and story that at times it comes across as glitz and glamour article in “Hello” magazine. She - somehow - gets into numerous exclusive events where instead of theatre we are presented with clownish pantomine. With boundless curiosity, humor, and a healthy dose of skepticism, Bosker takes the reader inside underground tasting groups, exclusive New York City restaurants, California mass-market wine factories, and even a neuroscientist’s fMRI machine as she attempts to answer the most nagging question of all: what’s the big deal about wine? What she learns will change the way you drink wine—and, perhaps, the way you live—forever. The author documents the 1 1/2 years she spent studying and learning to become a sommelier. She tells of the experiences she had honing her tasting skills while also dishing out some juicy bits about swanky NYC restaurants and the service industry. She also uncovers, often humorously, secrets to the elusive descriptions of the flavors in wine.

© BIANCA BOSKER (2016)                                                  

Rather than mastering blind tasting and the arduous rituals of sommelier service, Asimov believes that teaching people to enjoy wine is about teaching them the role of wine. “It’s just a beverage,” he says. “It’s meant to give us all pleasure, and that is often sufficient, but then there’s so much more to it, so many more levels to it,” he explained. There’s the history, the people, the personalities. Good wine is an expression of culture, and it comes from a place. It has a past and it expresses the personality and character of a people and a region, especially in the Old World, Asimov explained. “These are the things that I find fascinating about wine and that are often lost in an effort to focus wholly on this collection of aromas and flavors that comes from a glass in a vacuum.” As you move through the book you are taking this journey with Bianca Bosker. Please remain seated..........The details and dedication of becoming a sommelier is daunting. It's their job to help select a wine appropriate for the meal and the guests' tastes all the while making money for the restaurant. The markup is very significant when it comes to wine and beverages. The author also goes into the science of wine-making and what makes different wines unique. She looks at why some wines are so much more expensive than others and whether or not the prices really worth it, something I have always wondered about myself. I really appreciated the way that the author did a deep dive into the subject. Level 1 wine study flashcards are ideal for CMS Intro and WSET Level 2 and WSET Level 3 exams. Level 2 is ideal for CMS Certified Sommelier and WSET Level 3 and beyond. Change levels any time. Her description was a lot like Cork Dork – a gorgeous, deliciously rendered little journey for my mind to follow along with that, when all is said and done, remained entirely Bosker’s.