Wine & beverages - Autobiography
Wine Diva books

Books – Wine & beverages – Autobiography

Books 1 to 15 of 15 – Autobiography

A Vineyard in Tuscany  by Ferenc Mate
“A sun-drenched memoir with a fairy-tale ending.”–“Kirkus Reviews”. In this laugh-out-loud tale, two adventurers discover that rare combination: joy and success. Candace, a painter, and Ferenc, a writer, begin a new life near the hill town of Montalcino. They restore a thirteenth-century friary, plant fifteen acres of vines, build a winery, tame a runaway tractor, excavate an Etruscan village, and battle volcanic fermenting vats, while learning from famous vintner neighbor Angelo Gaja the secrets of growing the best grapes and making superb, award-winning wine. This extraordinary tale will enrich the lives of travellers and wine lovers alike.

Paperback,  250 pp,  $19.95. Buy now

Reflections of a Wine Merchant  by Neal I. Rosenthal
In the late 1970s, Neal I. Rosenthal set out to learn everything he could about wine. Today, he is one of the most successful importers of traditionally made wines produced by small family owned estates in France and Italy. Rosenthal has immersed himself in the culture of Old World wine production, working closely with his growers for two and sometimes three generations. He is one of the leading exponents of the concept of ‘terroir’ – the notion that a particular vineyward site imparts distinct qualities of bouquet, flavour, and colour to a wine. In “Reflections of a Wine Merchant”, Rosenthal brings us into the cellars, vineyards, and homes of these vignerons, and his delightful stories about his encounters, relationships, and explorations

Paperback,  272 pp,  $23.00. Buy now

Field Days  by Jonah Raskin
‘Sooner or later, nearly everyone who cares about wine and food comes to Sonoma’ – so begins this lively excursion to a spectacular region that has become known internationally as a locavore’s paradise. Part memoir, part vivid reportage, Field Days chronicles the renaissance in farming organically and eating locally that is unfolding in Northern California. Jonah Raskin tells of the year he spent on Oak Hill Farm – working the fields, selling produce at farmers’ markets, and following it to restaurants. He also goes behind the scenes at Whole Foods. In this luminous account of his experiences, Raskin introduces a dynamic cast of characters – farmers, chefs, winemakers, farm workers, and environmentalists. They include such luminaries as War

,  344 pp,  $55.95. Buy now

Martini  by Frank Moorhouse
At once a celebration of the most elegant, arcane and mysterious cocktail of them all – the martini – and a lyrical memoir of friendship and love won and lost, MARTINI: A MEMOIR is Frank Moorhouse at his melancholy and hilarious best. As he muses on the aesthetics of martini lore – olive or twist, shaken or stirred, Dorothy Parker or James Bond? – and the nature of drinking, Moorhouse reflects on the role of the martini in his own life in prose as dry and intoxicating as the martini itself. Now with revisions and a new afterword.

Paperback,   $24.95. Buy now

La Vie En Rose  by Jamie Ivey
In Jamie Ivey’s sequel to the delightful Extremely Pale Rose he finds out whether it is possible to run a successful rose bar in France. France seems to be on the brink of a rose revolution. Red and white wine sales are stagnant but rose sales are booming. If Jamie can find a small bar in a pretty square and chalk up a daily selection of different roses, then a rose bar could be a great success. After a little persuasion, bars in Uzes, Aix en Provence and Nimes agree to help Jamie sell some rose, and by working in these bars, Jamie discovers what the French attitude to rose really is.

,  288 pp,  $39.99. Buy now

A Moveable Thirst  by Rick Kushman and Hank Beal
This book is a rollicking wine country travelogue paired with the only comprehensive guide to Napa’s public tasting rooms. Hank Beal is a wine pro, the executive wine buyer at an upscale supermarket chain. Rick Kushman is an ordinary joe, a guy who enjoys wine but doesn’t know a lot about it. Together, Hank and Rick set out to visit all 141 public tasting rooms in Napa during the course of a year. The result is A Moveable Thirst, an engaging, often hilarious book that’s one part Sideways, one part Frommer’s.

Paperback,  326 pp,  $26.95. Buy now

Reflexions  by Richard Olney
Begins in New York in 1951 where Olney, a struggling artist, waited tables in Greenwich Village, then moves to Paris and weaves a description of food that becomes so real – as if you were actually there with Olney. This book offers a story of the man who brought the simplicity of French cooking to the United States.

Paperback,  415 pp,  $27.95. Buy now

A Life Uncorked  by Hugh Johnson
A personal, subjective tour of the world of wine over the past 40 years is conducted by one of the subject’s most respected observers and bestselling writers. In his new memoir, Johnson celebrates the variety and complexity of wine, and how it evokes places and people.

Hardback,  384 pp,  $48.95. Buy now

Getting Paid to Drink and Gamble  by Jeff Collerson
Great dogs, great scams, great wine – this is a hilarious collection of stories from the Daily Telegraph’s track and wine writer. This collection of anecdotes and stories is awash with characters from trackside to wine-side, and tells of a life lived working the perfect job – being paid to watch the dogs and drink good plonk. Working as a cadet journalist in the 1960s on the old Consolidate Press-owned Daily Telegraph, one of Jeff’s tasks was to sift through the Saturday night dog races in order to give tips to Kerry Packer. Off the track, Jeff mixed it with the best of Australian and international winemakers and celebrities, knocking back a tipple or two with Murray Tyrrell, Tetsuya Wakuda and Max Schubert.

Paperback,  176 pp,  $24.95. Buy now

The Ripening Sun  by Patricia Atkinson
For most people, giving up their job and moving to France to live off the vines is just a delicious dream. In 1990, Patricia Atkinson and her husband moved from Britain to the Dordogne. They bought a house with a few vines attached, planning to earn their living by financial consultancy. But a series of disasters followed: the stock market crash left their small holding as their sole source of income; the first harvest turned to vinegar; and Patricia’s husband returned to Britain, leaving her to salvage their life savings from the vineyards. What follows is a remarkable story. Her tiny 4 hectare plot has become a major estate of 21 hectares, and Clos d’Yvigne wines have won awards and been adopted by wine merchants throughout the world.

Paperback,  400 pp,  $27.95. Buy now

Sheer Bottled Bliss My Margaret River   by Ian Parmenter
Why would a city boy from England with a distrust of the country move to rural Western Australia? TV chef Ian Parmenter shares his experiences, from his culture shock as a London journalist arriving in Perth in 1971, then the discovery of his beloved weekender by the Margaret River, gradually transformed into a winery producing 3000 bottles of chardonnay a year. Enjoy his adventures and misadventures – which include the Home-made Cheese Disaster, battles with farm machinery – and the joys and triumphs of the first grape harvest. It’s a hilarious tale of country life and the ‘sea change’ that we all dream about, with classic recipes and fun variations on such dishes as Roast Lamb and the World’s Best Gravy, and Flaming Fruits with Meringue.

Paperback,  256 pp,  $29.95. Buy now

A Vineyard in the Dordogne  by Jeremy Josephs
The Ryman family arrived in the Dordogne to follow a dream – to live in France, make excellent wine in a vineyard of their own, and have an elegant chateau as a home. Though they succeeded in their quest, the family had not foreseen the passions and rifts that eventuated.

Paperback,  303 pp,  $21.95. Buy now

Harvests of Joy: How the Good Life Became Great Business   by Robert Mondavi
In 1965, after a notorious family feud, Robert Mondavi — then fifty-two years old — was thrown out of his family’s winery. Far from defeated, Mondavi was dedicated to a vision of creating a superior wine. Today, the Robert Mondavi Winery is one of the most respected in the world, and Mondavi is the man who is most responsible for the worldwide recognition of American wine making, as well as changing America’s palate. In Harvests of Jay, Mondavi shares how, through his passion for excellence, and the story of his pain and sacrifice. With invaluable insider tips on his approach to both wine making and to running a business, Mondavi’s is an inspirational story.

Paperback,  364 pp,  $20.95. Buy now

Beer for Pete’s Sake  by Pete Slosberg
There really is a Pete. He’s the hottest, most recognised celebrity in America’s beer industry. A true defender of the brew, Pete Slosberg has given a face to the craftbrewing movement. He’s doing what he loves and succeeding at it. This is Pete at his best. He has been called a brewing maverick, a brilliant entrepreneur, an iconoclast, and a marketing icon, but who is Pete Slosberg really? What happened on the way from his first homebrewed beer in his kitchen to the Inc. 500 company he founded? Pete tells all. He also talks about his absolute passion for beer and its history

,  258 pp,  $34.95. Buy now

Inspiring Thirst  by Kermit Lynch
A collection of the wine writing of Kermit Lynch. Quirky and funny, passionate and principled, this selection is from 30 years of publications from his wine shop in Berkeley, California. Wines and winemakers, cellars and restaurants, and a cast of interesting characters. Illustrated with photographs by Gail Skoff.

Hardback,  416 pp,  $55.95. Buy now