Cork Dork: A Wine-Fueled Adventure Among the Obsessive Sommeliers, Big Bottle Hunters, and Rogue Scientists Who Taught Me to Live for Taste

Written by Bianca Bosker

Narrated by Bianca Bosker

INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER AND A NEW YORK TIMES CRITICS' PICK

“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
 
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 curiosity, 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.


“Think: Eat, Pray, Love meets Somm.” —theSkimm

“As informative as it is, well, intoxicating.” —Fortune

• Language: English
• Publisher: Penguin Audio
• Release date: Mar 28, 2017
• ISBN: 9781524755348

Reviews for Cork Dork

[pattylee-621744 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Delightful, if a bit scary regarding massive self-indulgence and money about wine.

[sanyamakadi · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I love food memoirs, but I am skeptical of books in the "I am taking a year to do this completely random thing, and hey look I wrote a book about it" genre. (I completely admit that the skepticism comes in large part from jealously...why can't I get a book contract for doing some ridiculous thing that I am not an expert in, just for the heck of it??) So I was surprised by how much I liked this book. The author begins the book by noting, "I am obsessed with other people's obsessions," and I completely agree...I love getting deep into the details of an esoteric topic that others build their lives around, and understanding that passion. And she does a great job of bringing that passion to life in the world of wine. It annoyed me (and presumably annoyed her new 'cork dork' somm buddies) that she just sweet talked her way into all the experiences that people who have been training as sommeliers spend years working towards, but it did make for interesting reading. You could almost see the diagram of her storytelling as she built up and up and up on the esoteric knowledge and practices (blind tasting clubs multiple days a week to be able to recognize the grape, the year, and the vineyard of any bottle?) needed to become a somm, cresting at the denouement of weaseling her way into La Paulee, the impossible to get into wine dinner which costs $1500 AND is BYOB, where the richest of the rich wine aficionados taste thousand dollar bottles all night long. Then rides the crest straight down by having the very next chapter be about commercial wine development, taking the reader through all the well-known brands (that they probably regularly drink...Sutter Home, yellowtail, etc) that all stem from a few large producers and which are taste controlled by the wonders of chemical add-ins, to remind you that even though you have gotten swept up in the story and have begun to believe that the wine madness could be part of normal behavior, the average human has a long way to go to get anywhere near an understanding of good wines (even though "good" can apparently easily be found around the $50 price point). Then she throws me (and all the other jealous readers) a bone and shows us that she isn't born under a lucky star, as she talks her way into a top tier somm serving competition, and falls flat on her face.

TBC...

One stylistic note I really appreciated--she exclusively uses female pronouns for the generic, e.g "Any somm worth her salt..."

[1randal-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Cork Dork manages to completely peel back the layers surrounding the wine world and it's mystique. I have to admit, I love wine. And have spent a copious amount of time trying to educate myself about it. Despite studying all the written material that I could find, and tasting many, many wines, I still could not detect the smells and tastes that sommeliers said were present. I suspect many of you find yourselves in a similar situation.
Bosker, with no real experience, endeavors to become a sommelier, in only 18 months. Through her experiences, I absorbed more information than I have in any other wine book. Right in the beginning, she states, "if you've ever wondered what all the fuss is about a wine, whether there's really a discernible difference between a $20 and $200 bottle, or what would happen if you pushed your senses to their limits, well then, I have some people I'd like you to meet". And, if you read the book, she will introduce to you a crazy cast of characters. Sommeliers who completely give up any semblance of a normal life to just taste wine, scientists who study smells and tastes, and many other just plain odd folks.
If you have ever listened to someone describing the smells, or tastes of a wine, and thought to yourself, they have to be pulling my leg, than this is the book for you. The descriptors get wackier and wackier, not just things like green apples or blackberries, but "wet asphalt", "surgical glove", asparagus pee", "dried cardboard", and "salami farts". Think that it's a scam? You have a point, and Bosker reveals the entire story (although I won't, so not to spoil the surprises).
Ever wondered what people were talking about when discussing the "legs" of a wine, the acidity, the tannins, or the alcohol content? Bosker explains not only what they are, but what they mean. In very simple to understand language.
I've watched television programs about people attempting to become sommeliers (Uncorked, for example), and found them fascinating. Bosker graphically describes what they are like. From the knowledge tests, to the blind tastings, to the service portion. And goes through them herself.
Ever wonder about how the so-called "experts" rate the top wines? The author covers this in depth, and the controversies resulting (not to spill the beans, but some of the ratings are dubious, at best).
Throughout the book, Bosker is not only drinking wine and having a good time, but veers off into exploring many wine-related areas. The science of smell, and of taste. The type of people who are avid wine collectors. The new controversial practice of creating whatever type of wine you want in a factory, including being able to replicate some very expensive wines. The terminology of sommeliers and wine merchants (necrophiliacs, hand sells, trigger wines, and cougar juice, for a few). And what to watch for when dealing with a sommelier.
I won't divulge the ending, suffice it to say that it was very satisfying.
This is one of the most informative books that I have read this year, as well as one of the best written. I plan on keeping it handy to refer to for a long time. I highly, highly recommend it!