She felt that Cork Dork set her profession back, confirming people’s worst suspicions about sommeliers — that they’re snobs who are judging you and upselling you, whose primary goal is to get you to spend more money. ReadingBianca Bosker islikesitting down witha brilliant, curious friend for an after-work drink, and suddenlyfindingit’s midnight and the table is littered with empty bottles. Smell, curator and keeper of memory, allowed me to be a time traveler, and more than ever before I had control over my destination: I could pick a scent or a wine, then whisk myself to a time, feeling, or place. 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. Bosker also mentions that the term “unicorn wine” is a rare, small-production gem that sommeliers consider status symbols.

Cork Dork: A Wine-Fuelled Journey into the Art of Sommeliers

One of the other key characters in the book is Annie, a woman supporting a family who had worked in Virginia Beach restaurants for decades. 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.

On how to open a bottle of sparkling wine: “The cork should be twisted and released into a napkin with a pfft sound no louder than—and these are the technical terms I was given—a ‘nun’s fart,’ or ‘Queen Elizabeth passing gas. She eventually attends exclusive tasting groups and visits expensive restaurants and dinners for dedicated wine collectors. Then in a matter of seconds they use the Court of Master Sommelier template to attempt an accurate assessment of the wine. A few of them would go on to take the exams that would see them become Master Sommeliers, the top of the sommelier pyramid. I imagined a mostly palatable chronicle of a journalist's journey (not unlike Supersize Me) into the bowels of a subcultural community.

Dinner Menu - CorkDork Dinner Menu - CorkDork

Bosker believes these manipulated wines can be a starting point for a wine journey, that they can spark curiosity rather than slake it. Let's just say that I bought a copy of this book for my previous boss (an oenophile), my thesis advisor, one of my bridesmaids, my dad, and a physical copy for our household bookshelves. 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.It's advice not just for the palate, but for the soul, and I tip my hat to that introspection on American culture. m. blind tastings with the highest-level sommeliers in the city, seems a lot less accessible as a starting point for novices wishing to learn about wine. Key information is layed out for key regions and lots of different quizzes/flash cards to help solidify the facts. Bosker flexes her journalism background as she educates her reader on how restaurants came to be, what the first sommeliers were like, and how our bodies interact with smell and taste.