Natalie MacLean spent three years sipping her way through sun-drenched vineyards and cobwebbed cellars to bring us this witty, knowledgeable book about the world of wine. In the ancient vineyards of Burgundy, she uncovers the secrets of Pinot Noir, then moves on to the labyrinthine cellars of Champagne to examine the mystique of luxury bubbly. She compares notes with novelist Jay McInerney at a bacchanalian dinner, goes undercover as a sommelier in a five-star restaurant, and explores the influence of powerful critics Jancis Robinson and Robert Parker. You may have a head for wine, but "Red, White and Drunk All Over" will show you its heart.

Reviews

"MacLean's enthusiasm for wine is contagious. For the winner of the prestigious MFK Fisher Distinguished Writing Award, each glass represents a personal history, "a secret cellar in our minds where we collect our empty bottles filled with memories." Her passionate desire to learn about all aspects of wine increases its sensual pleasure, and her goal "to demystify an intimidating world" succeeds. MacLean interviews everyone from grape growers in Burgundy to upstart zinfandel producers in Sonoma Valley. Every encounter incorporates vivid descriptions of tastings and colorful personalities. Randall Grahm of Bonny Doon Vineyards in Santa Cruz, Calif., bucks the trend of his California competitors, insisting a "great wine is... not a confection of the laboratory, but a subtle expression of the soil from which it sprang." For casual wine lovers, MacLean deciphers the perplexing dilemmas of appropriate wine aging without pedantry. For the purist, however, "life is too short to drink good wine out of bad glasses." That observation leads to the explanation for 103 different shapes of glassware. Solid research, a breezy style and commonsense advice prove invaluable for the novice, while her good humor will delight the connoisseur." Publishers Weekly

 “[A] wonderfully witty wine industry expose...Readers will appreciate MacLean's infectious curiosity and her demystification of a seemingly intimidating world. Like a well aged wine, her enthusiasm is irresistible.”  —Italian Cooking and Living Magazine

“This breezy read, told through the lens of personal experience, is a perfect pick-up for the passionate novice who likes a good anecdote along with a lesson on wine ratings. In short, the wine might be dry, but the writing isn’t.”  —Wine News

“The best wine book of the year.”  —Uncorked

“[Natalie MacLean’s] relationship with wine is sensual, very personal and she acknowledges, and occasionally embraces, an aspect of it virtually ignored by most wine books: its delightful effect on the nervous system. She has very cleverly wrapped a wine primer in such appealing anecdote that any reader, male or female, should find learning about wine completely painless.” --Jancis Robinson, author of The Oxford Companion to Wine

“Red, White and Drunk All Over, is a ‘stand out from the crowd’ book about wine. Not just wine, but wine in all of its glory, wine in all of its mystery, wine that is good and wine that is well...not. ….From discovering the intricacies of making a palatable Zinfandel despite it's many idiosyncrasies to unearthing the well-kept secrets of past and present Champagne makers alike, Red, White and Drunk All Over explodes onto the scene with a myriad of wine world nuggets and the insider's scoop that both the seasoned enthusiast and those just tip-toeing into the world of wine will find captivating.”—About.com

“Red, White, and Drunk All Over will please the palates of wine lovers everywhere."    —Los Angeles Times

Author Biography

Natalie MacLean has received several James Beard Awards and the IACP's Bert Greene Award. Recently named one of the Top Thirty Power Women by Elle magazine, she writes for Bon Appetit and Food and Wine magazines and publishes an e-newsletter, Nat Decants, that has some 22,000 subscribers in thirty-six countries.