“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
“A marvelous journey through the mad, manic, seductive subculture of wine and wine lovers.” - Susan Orlean, author of The Orchid Thief
“A brilliant feat of screwball participatory journalism.” - Jay McInerney, author of The Juice
“I loved this book.” - Mary Roach, author of Gulp
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 curiousity, 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.
Named one of The 4 Books You Should Read This Spring by Fortune
Named one of 12 Nonfiction Books You Need to Read in March by Harper’s Bazaar
Named one of the 20 Best Nonfiction Books Coming in March 2017 by Bustle
Named one of The Best Drink Books of Spring and Summer 2017 by Punch
Named one of the Best Books of Early 2017 by Brightly
Published on: 2017-03-28
Released on: 2017-03-28
Original language: English
Dimensions: 8.00" h x .80" w x 5.30" l, .65 pounds
Binding: Paperback
352 pages
Review
“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
“A funny, fascinating adventure.”
- Real Simple
“One of the most entertaining drink-related memoirs in years.”
- Punch
"A madcap 18-month journey...[that's] as informative as it is, well, intoxicating."
- Fortune, “The 4 Books You Should Read This Spring”
“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”
“As fresh and fun as a Wachau Riesling…packed with helpful information, wrapped in honest inquiry, and slathered with humor and wit.”
- Terroirist
“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
“[An] often-hilarious memoir.”
- Good Housekeeping
“[A] must-read wine book.”
- The 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
“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
About the Author
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.
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