Looking for something different to liven up your book club? Here are three great books on wine that I highly recommend. Pick one, and the next time you and the ladies get together, enjoy a glass of my Pinot Noir and have a intellectual discussion on my favorite topic!

"Wine is not to fear or revere, but to enjoy," says Leslie Sbrocco, wine expert and great friend to the Middle Sisters. And that's exactly what she shows you how to do in Wine for Women, a wine book written exclusively for women -- the majority of wine consumers.

Each chapter focuses on a different variety of wine, and covers what Leslie calls the big three -- how to buy, pair, and share wine. You'll learn how to make smart buying decisions in stores and restaurants. Leslie also gives you practical advice for pairing wine and food and offers insights on entertaining with wine, whether you're having an informal picnic or planning the most formal of weddings.

Confused between Chardonnay and Champagne? Think little black dress versus sequins. And Pinot Gris? Think your wine wardrobe's basic jeans. With her relaxed, friendly approach, Leslie makes it easy to understand the differences between wines and encourages women to explore and enjoy wine in their everyday lives.

Passion on the Vine, by Sergio Esposito, is a lovely and often hilarious memoir of food, wine and family. It covers Sergio’s family life in Italy, his transition to life in America and his travels into the heart of Italy’s wine country as a wine merchant. You’ll meet everyone from a disco-dancing vintner who bases his farming on the rhythm of the moon to an obsessive prince who destroys his vineyards before his death so that his grapes will never be used incorrectly.


Red, White and Drunk All Over. A Wine-Soaked Journey from Grape to Glass, by Natalie MacLean. Multiple James Beard and IACP award-winning writer Natalie MacLean's journey through the international world of wine is the perfect companion for beginners and wine aficionados alike.

Natalie travels to the ancient vineyards of Burgundy to uncover the secrets of the pinot noir, the "heartbreak grape" from which some of the most coveted wines in the world are made. She visits the labyrinthine cellars of Champagne to examine the myths and the mystique of bubbly.  She pulls on sturdy boots to help with the harvest at the vineyards of iconoclastic Californian winemaker Randall Grahm and goes undercover as sommelier for a night in a five-star restaurant with a wine list the thickness of a telephone directory.

Enjoy her journey and her expertise!

Happy Reading Dears!
Goodie Two-Shoes