The Wine List: Stories and Tasting Notes Behind the World's Most Remarkable Bottles

A one-of-a-kind exploration of the relationship between culture, politics, history, and wine.

Vintage refers to the year grapes are harvested, and that vintage holds meaning. You can look up the weather in any almanac, but some stories are known only to insiders—until now. In this wine book Grant Reynolds, award-winning sommelier, deciphers these signatures to reveal the impact of marketing and mentorship, technology and trends, and influencers old and new. Beginning in the late eighteenth century with a tale about Thomas Jefferson’s secret White House stash and spanning over a quarter of a millennium to social media’s effect on chenin blanc’s popularity, The Wine List explores both the chemistry and sociology that have made vintages taste a certain way, fetch a certain price, or go extinct altogether. Featuring sidebars on topics like the taste of climate change, mini timelines capturing significant historical moments, and collage-style illustration, these entries solidify the idea that every bottle is a product of a particular moment in time.

A must-read for fans of wine books like Wine Folly or The World Atlas of Wine, The Wine List is a fresh new wine bible perfect for anyone looking for bar cart books or gifts for wine lovers.

Grant Reynolds is an award-winning sommelier, included in Forbes’s 30 Under 30 in 2017 and named Wine & Spirits’ Best New Sommelier in 2013. He is the founder of Parcelle, recognized by the New York Times and Wine Enthusiast as one of the best wine bars in NYC. Reynolds has been featured in the Wall Street Journal, Vogue, Bon Appétit, GQ, Departures, and Condé Nast Traveler.