Cork Dork
A Wine-Fueled Adventure Among the Obsessive Sommeliers, Big Bottle Hunters, and Rogue Scientists Who Taught Me to Live for Taste
(Sprache: Englisch)
INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER AND A NEW YORK TIMES CRITICS' PICK
"Thrilling . . . [told] with gonzo élan . . . When the sommelier and blogger Madeline Puckette writes that this book is the Kitchen Confidential of the wine world, she's not wrong,...
"Thrilling . . . [told] with gonzo élan . . . When the sommelier and blogger Madeline Puckette writes that this book is the Kitchen Confidential of the wine world, she's not wrong,...
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INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER AND A NEW YORK TIMES CRITICS' PICK"Thrilling . . . [told] with gonzo élan . . . When the sommelier and blogger Madeline Puckette writes that this book is the Kitchen Confidential of the wine world, she's not wrong, though Bill Buford's Heat is probably a shade closer." -Jennifer Senior, The New York Times
Professional journalist and amateur drinker Bianca Bosker didn't know much about wine-until she discovered an alternate universe where taste reigns supreme, a world of elite sommeliers who dedicate their lives to the pursuit of flavor. Astounded by their fervor and seemingly superhuman sensory powers, she set out to uncover what drove their obsession, and whether she, too, could become a "cork dork."
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.
"Think: Eat, Pray, Love meets Somm." -theSkimm
"As informative as it is, well, intoxicating." -Fortune
Lese-Probe zu „Cork Dork “
IntroductionThe Blind Tasting
Perfume was the first to go, but I d been expecting that. Scented detergent followed, then dryer sheets. I wasn t sorry to give up raw onions or hot sauce. Not adding extra salt was rough at first, tolerable for a bit, then miserable. When I went out to eat, everything tasted like it had been doused in brine. Losing Listerine wasn t so bad; replacing it with a rinse of citric-acid solution and watered-down whiskey was. I went through a dark phase when I cut out coffee. But by that point, I was used to being a little slow in the morning. Daytime sobriety was ancient history, along with all hot liquids, the enamel on my teeth, and my Advil supply.
All this was part of the deprivation routine I cobbled together at the advice of more than two dozen sommeliers, who, over the course of a year and a half, became my mentors, tormentors, drill sergeants, bosses, and friends.
You might be wondering why I d spend eighteen months getting coached by a bunch of pinstripe-wearing bottle pushers. After all, aren t sommeliers just glorified waiters with a fancy name (somm-el-yay) who intimidate diners into splurging on wine?
That was pretty much how I saw them, too, until I handed myself over to an elite clan of sommeliers for whom serving wine is less a job than a way of life, one of living for taste above all else. They enter high-stakes wine competitions (sometimes while nine months pregnant), handle millions of dollars in liquid gold, and make it their mission to convince the world that beauty in flavor belongs on the same aesthetic plane as beauty in art or music. They study weather reports to see if rain will dull their noses, and lick rocks to improve their taste buds. Toothpaste is a liability. They complain about that new glass smell, and sacrifice marriages in the name of palate practice. One sommelier, whose wife divorced him over his compulsive studying, told me, Certainly, if I had to choose between passing
... mehr
my exam and that relationship that I had, I would still choose passing my exam. Their job depends on detecting, analyzing, describing, and accounting for variations of flavor in a liquid that s compound-for-compound the most complicated drink on the planet. There s hundreds and hundreds of volatiles. There s polysaccharides. There s proteins. Amino acids. Biogenic amines. Organic acids. Vitamins. Carotenoids, an enology professor explained to me. After blood, wine is the most complex matrix there is.
With that obsessive focus on minute differences in flavor comes actually, I wasn t sure what, exactly. At least, not when I started. I came to these sommeliers wanting to know what life was like for them, out at the extremes of taste, and how they d gotten there. It turned into a question of whether I could get there too if any of us could and what would change if I did.
Some words of warning:
For you, a glass of wine might be your happy place. The thing you reach for at the end of a long day, when you switch off a part of your brain. If you want to keep it that way, then stay far, far away from the individuals in this book.
On the other hand, if you ve ever wondered what all the fuss is about wine, whether there s really a discernible difference between a $20 and $200 bottle, or what would happen if you pushed your senses to their limits well then, I have some people I d like you to meet.
---
Spend enough time in the wine world, and you ll find every connoisseur has a story about the bottle that launched their obsession with wine. Usually, their Saul-on-the-road-to-Damascus moment arrives via, say, a 1961 Giacomo Conterno Barolo sipped in a little restaurant in Piedmont, Italy, overlooking the Langhe hills, the beech tree
With that obsessive focus on minute differences in flavor comes actually, I wasn t sure what, exactly. At least, not when I started. I came to these sommeliers wanting to know what life was like for them, out at the extremes of taste, and how they d gotten there. It turned into a question of whether I could get there too if any of us could and what would change if I did.
Some words of warning:
For you, a glass of wine might be your happy place. The thing you reach for at the end of a long day, when you switch off a part of your brain. If you want to keep it that way, then stay far, far away from the individuals in this book.
On the other hand, if you ve ever wondered what all the fuss is about wine, whether there s really a discernible difference between a $20 and $200 bottle, or what would happen if you pushed your senses to their limits well then, I have some people I d like you to meet.
---
Spend enough time in the wine world, and you ll find every connoisseur has a story about the bottle that launched their obsession with wine. Usually, their Saul-on-the-road-to-Damascus moment arrives via, say, a 1961 Giacomo Conterno Barolo sipped in a little restaurant in Piedmont, Italy, overlooking the Langhe hills, the beech tree
... weniger
Autoren-Porträt von Bianca Bosker
Bianca Bosker is an award-winning journalist who has written about food, wine, architecture, and technology for The New Yorker online, The Atlantic, T: The New York Times Style Magazine, Food & Wine, The Wall Street Journal, The Guardian, and The New Republic. The former executive tech editor of The Huffington Post, she is the author of the critically acclaimed book Original Copies: Architectural Mimicry in Contemporary China (University of Hawaii Press, 2013). She lives in New York City.
Bibliographische Angaben
- Autor: Bianca Bosker
- 2017, 352 Seiten, Maße: 20 x 13,7 cm, Kartoniert (TB), Englisch
- Verlag: PENGUIN BOOKS
- ISBN-10: 0143128094
- ISBN-13: 9780143128090
- Erscheinungsdatum: 29.05.2017
Sprache:
Englisch
Pressezitat
Winner of 2018 M.F.K. Fisher Award for Excellence in Culinary WritingFinalist for the 2018 Gourmand Award for Wine Writing
Finalist for the 2018 William Saroyan International Prize for Writing (Non-Fiction)
Bosker s journey into this sodden universe is thrilling, and she tells her story with gonzo élan. . . . She gives great gossip . . . [and] is, in the main, great company as a narrator witty, generous, democratic . . . When the sommelier and blogger Madeline Puckette writes that this book is the Kitchen Confidential of the wine world, she s not wrong, though Bill Buford s Heat is probably a shade closer to this book's sensibility and heart.
Jennifer Senior, The New York Times
Reads like a wine lover s equivalent of Dante s The Divine Comedy : There is paradise, but only after glimpses of purgatory and hell A funny, thought-provoking and at times frightening look at the sublime tastes, enormous egos and curious rules of a profession that is both insanely rigorous and occasionally ridiculous.
Associated Press
"A madcap 18-month journey...[that's] as informative as it is, well, intoxicating."
Fortune, The 4 Books You Should Read This Spring
A funny, fascinating adventure.
Real Simple
Cork Dork is remarkably entertaining. Bosker is a talented writer, a thorough reporter and is unfailingly funny.
The San Francisco Chronicle
A savory romp...[that reveals] not just the intricacies and nuances of flavor that vary from grape to grape, but why wine has become such a social staple for the entire world and how the way we drink it can potentially change our lives.
Harper s Bazaar, 12 Books You Need to Read in March
Both an entry-level guide to the ever-growing business of wine and a masterclass in the strange, immensely skilled fanatics who make it their life s work.
The Atlantic, "25 Books Atlantic Staffers Are Reading
... mehr
This Summer"
If Malcolm Gladwell were to write a book about wine, the results wouldn t linger much more pleasurably on the palate than this accessible, adventurous, amusing and informative book by Bianca Bosker.
The Times (London)
[An] often-hilarious memoir.
Good Housekeeping
An informative and riveting read that doesn't take itself too seriously a much needed dose of reality the wine world could benefit from.
Bon Appétit
An essential primer on food's favourite companion, Bianca Bosker's incredible book offers an investigation into taste, smell, and restaurant culture any foodie will appreciate.
BuzzFeed, "27 Books Every Foodie Needs In Their Library"
Incredibly well written, intelligent, witty, and highly entertaining.
Eater
As fresh and fun as a Wachau Riesling packed with helpful information, wrapped in honest inquiry, and slathered with humor and wit.
Terroirist
One of the most entertaining drink-related memoirs in years.
Punch
A page turner . . . I heartily recommend [it].
Martin Moran, The Sunday Times (UK)
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.
Portland Mercury
[A] must-read wine book.
San Jose Mercury News
You ll never feel lost in front of a wine list again.
Cynthia Graber and Nicola Twilley of Gastropod, via The Atlantic
I loved this book. It s not just about wine. It s about learning how to listen to your senses, to more deeply experience and appreciate the world around you, and everyone could use another glass of that.
Mary Roach, author of Gulp
In this smart and sharply observed book, Bianca Bosker takes us on a marvelous journey through the mad, manic, seductive subculture of wine and wine lovers. It s also a deeply felt story of her own experience, told with great heart and wit.
Susan Orlean, author of The Orchid Thief
Cork Dork is a brilliant feat of screwball participatory journalism and Bianca Bosker is a gonzo nerd prodigy. This hilarious, thoughtful and erudite book may be the ultimate answer to the perennial question of whether or not wine connoisseurship is a scam.
Jay McInerney, author of The Juice
In this delightfully written and keenly observed book, Bianca Bosker helps us become connoisseurs not only of wine but also of people whose passions would more aptly be described as obsessions.
Walter Isaacson, author of The Innovators
Speaking as someone who barely knows a good Bordeaux from a bottle of Boone's Farm, I was charmed and entertained by this book.
John Jeremiah Sullivan, author of Pulphead
The Kitchen Confidential of wine: Read this book, and you ll never be intimidated by wine or wine snobs again.
Madeline Puckette, co-author of Wine Folly
Fascinating Thanks to Bosker s sensory descriptions, we get to taste and smell alongside her, without dealing with the thousands of hours of study and endless flashcards first.
Bustle
An informative yet funny examination of wine.
Brightly, The Best Books of Early 2017
A quest both hilarious and horrifying to understand the nature of taste.
Imbibe
An entertaining read.
Phoenix New Times
Reading Bianca Bosker is like sitting down with a brilliant, curious friend for an after-work drink, and suddenly finding it s midnight and the table is littered with empty bottles. Between her hilarious exploits and thoughtful meditations on wine and life, you ll want to stay for just one more.
Lauren Collins, author of When In French
A joyful journey of discovery into the soul of wine, filled with wit and insight at every step.
Maria Konnikova, author of The Confidence Game
If you have wondered about the mysteries of wine, and the airs of people who claim to know something about it, Cork Dork is essential reading. Read it and you will never look at wine in quite the same way again. This is reportage of a high order.
Roger Cohen, author of The Girl from Human Street
Rollicking and lively...I gulped down this book with enormous pleasure.
Julia Flynn Siler, author of The House of Mondavi
"I have read many 'wine books,' some casual, some pedantic, and many happily informative. But Bianca Bosker s book stands out as being spectacularly successful in teaching us about wine, in making us love wine, and in presenting a tone of unfailing good humor."
Richard E. Quandt, The Journal of Wine Economics
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.
Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
An interesting look at those with an unquenchable thirst for those unique bottles of vinicultural perfection.
Booklist
A page-turning and fascinating memoir.
Publishers Weekly
If Malcolm Gladwell were to write a book about wine, the results wouldn t linger much more pleasurably on the palate than this accessible, adventurous, amusing and informative book by Bianca Bosker.
The Times (London)
[An] often-hilarious memoir.
Good Housekeeping
An informative and riveting read that doesn't take itself too seriously a much needed dose of reality the wine world could benefit from.
Bon Appétit
An essential primer on food's favourite companion, Bianca Bosker's incredible book offers an investigation into taste, smell, and restaurant culture any foodie will appreciate.
BuzzFeed, "27 Books Every Foodie Needs In Their Library"
Incredibly well written, intelligent, witty, and highly entertaining.
Eater
As fresh and fun as a Wachau Riesling packed with helpful information, wrapped in honest inquiry, and slathered with humor and wit.
Terroirist
One of the most entertaining drink-related memoirs in years.
Punch
A page turner . . . I heartily recommend [it].
Martin Moran, The Sunday Times (UK)
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.
Portland Mercury
[A] must-read wine book.
San Jose Mercury News
You ll never feel lost in front of a wine list again.
Cynthia Graber and Nicola Twilley of Gastropod, via The Atlantic
I loved this book. It s not just about wine. It s about learning how to listen to your senses, to more deeply experience and appreciate the world around you, and everyone could use another glass of that.
Mary Roach, author of Gulp
In this smart and sharply observed book, Bianca Bosker takes us on a marvelous journey through the mad, manic, seductive subculture of wine and wine lovers. It s also a deeply felt story of her own experience, told with great heart and wit.
Susan Orlean, author of The Orchid Thief
Cork Dork is a brilliant feat of screwball participatory journalism and Bianca Bosker is a gonzo nerd prodigy. This hilarious, thoughtful and erudite book may be the ultimate answer to the perennial question of whether or not wine connoisseurship is a scam.
Jay McInerney, author of The Juice
In this delightfully written and keenly observed book, Bianca Bosker helps us become connoisseurs not only of wine but also of people whose passions would more aptly be described as obsessions.
Walter Isaacson, author of The Innovators
Speaking as someone who barely knows a good Bordeaux from a bottle of Boone's Farm, I was charmed and entertained by this book.
John Jeremiah Sullivan, author of Pulphead
The Kitchen Confidential of wine: Read this book, and you ll never be intimidated by wine or wine snobs again.
Madeline Puckette, co-author of Wine Folly
Fascinating Thanks to Bosker s sensory descriptions, we get to taste and smell alongside her, without dealing with the thousands of hours of study and endless flashcards first.
Bustle
An informative yet funny examination of wine.
Brightly, The Best Books of Early 2017
A quest both hilarious and horrifying to understand the nature of taste.
Imbibe
An entertaining read.
Phoenix New Times
Reading Bianca Bosker is like sitting down with a brilliant, curious friend for an after-work drink, and suddenly finding it s midnight and the table is littered with empty bottles. Between her hilarious exploits and thoughtful meditations on wine and life, you ll want to stay for just one more.
Lauren Collins, author of When In French
A joyful journey of discovery into the soul of wine, filled with wit and insight at every step.
Maria Konnikova, author of The Confidence Game
If you have wondered about the mysteries of wine, and the airs of people who claim to know something about it, Cork Dork is essential reading. Read it and you will never look at wine in quite the same way again. This is reportage of a high order.
Roger Cohen, author of The Girl from Human Street
Rollicking and lively...I gulped down this book with enormous pleasure.
Julia Flynn Siler, author of The House of Mondavi
"I have read many 'wine books,' some casual, some pedantic, and many happily informative. But Bianca Bosker s book stands out as being spectacularly successful in teaching us about wine, in making us love wine, and in presenting a tone of unfailing good humor."
Richard E. Quandt, The Journal of Wine Economics
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.
Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
An interesting look at those with an unquenchable thirst for those unique bottles of vinicultural perfection.
Booklist
A page-turning and fascinating memoir.
Publishers Weekly
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