Summer for Wine Lovers: Sip, Play, Read

Here we are in the throes of summer with its lazy, crazy days. I’m loving the fun and I hope you are, too. Perhaps you’re off to the boat with your extended family or you’ve just returned from the pool with a bevy of neighborhood kids and are contemplating an alone moment on the porch. Then again, maybe friends are dropping by for a barbecue and adult beverages or you’re going to yet another bridal shower.

To make any of these events more entertaining (or manageable), I’ve reviewed three books, sent to me as samples, that you’ll appreciate. Pour yourself a glass of wine and enjoy!

Sip: This Calls for a Drink by Diane McMartin

We all love matching wines with just about anything: while binge watching Netflix, getting dressed for a date, or crying at your best friend’s wedding. Diane McMartin, certified sommelier and wine buyer, consultant, and teacher, has taken the guess work out of pairing wines with every situation. And the bonus? She includes beer, too.

Fun and witty, simple and straightforward, McMartin covers the basics of wine tasting and offers easy to read information about grape varieties and wine styles. She gives specific examples of wine and beer that she’s enjoyed, but is quick to add that these are just her favorites and you should consider them guidelines only.

Her book is full of real life examples, many of which are all too familiar, that beg for a glass of something. “When you’ve been chucked for someone else, you need something cheering. Something a little bit sweet, like Moscato d’Asti, is just the ticket.” Or, when you’re doing your home manicure and pedicure before a big night out, “you can wear sweatpants and watch old episodes of Twin Peaks. A nice fleshy Pinot Gris from Oregon is great to sip alone, and won’t combine in an unpleasant way with the fumes of varnish and nail polish remover.” Getting a dye job? Have a Ridge Zinfandel. Retiring? Open a bottle of Siduri Pinot Noir. Celebrating your 70^th birthday? A bottle of Chateau d’Yquem is for you. I get it!

McMartin, in a smart yet tongue-in-cheek manner, suggests a variety of wine and beer recommendations that will make any situation more palatable. This Calls for a Drink is a delightful book to keep handy or to gift to your favorite wine lover. Cost is around $14.95.

Play: The Wine Games by Brent Runzel

Admit it: you’re tired of playing Left-Right-Center after dinner. No worries! Fun-loving Brent Runzel has created or modified more than thirty tried and true games to be wine-centric. Trust me, spending time with your wine loving friends or family has never been more entertaining!

Who knew that the familiar Bozo Buckets game could be turned into “These are Not Bozo’s Buckets” using corks instead of bean bags? “Cracker Catch” involves a thrower tossing crackers, grapes, and cheese cubes across the room for the catcher to catch in a wine glass. The objective of “That’s How the Grape Rolls” is to roll a grape 6-8 feet across a table and hope that yours is the closest to the wine bottle at the end. With friends, I played “Why is There Ringing in My Head”, the adult version of ring toss using wine bottles and plastic rings. (I won.) And there are more games to keep the fun (and wine) flowing.

Yes, the games are silly, but they’re also interactive and easy to play. None require complicated items and guests can group into teams or play individually.  Wine Games may be just what your neighborhood, family, or house party needs to add more cheers to your summer! Cost is $18.00.

(A Serious) Read: The Secrets of My Life – Vintner, Prisoner, Soldier, Spy by Peter M. F. Sichel

I loved this book. Peter Sichel, now in in 90s, has the life that makes for an incredible story with family, honor, and tradition at its core.

From the first page to the last, I was mesmerized with the story of Sichel, who, among other roles, was the creator of Blue Nun, one of the first international wine brands. As a child, he worked in his family’s winery in Germany and was trained in cellar management in Bordeaux, filling barrels, fining wine, tasting, and blending during an apprenticeship…before the German Army came. The business of wine, the family’s business, was in his blood.

From his childhood as a Jew in Nazi Germany to his escape from imprisonment to military service in the United States, then as a CIA officer where he served crucial positions around the world, Sichel’s fascinating story is told with passion and charm.

Honoring his heritage, his destiny, Sichel returned to Germany after seventeen years with the CIA to take over the family’s wine business, as the fourth generation to do so. The rest is a part of wine history.

The Secrets of My Life: Vintner, Prisoner, Soldier, Spy is an interesting, intriguing book that you won’t want to put down. Cost is around $23.99.

Cheers to summer! ~ Cindy