What did it take to create The Wine Bible, a 700-page masterwork on wine? What makes The Wine Bible so different from other popular wine tomes? How did the pandemic make it much harder to research and write this latest edition of this book and what creative methods did the author use to overcome those obstacles?
In this episode of the Unreserved Wine Talk podcast, I'm chatting with Karen MacNeil, author of The Wine Bible.
You can find the wines we discussed at https://www.nataliemaclean.com/winepicks
Giveaway
Three of you who are based in the U.S. are going to win a personally signed copy of Karen MacNeil's terrific new book, The Wine Bible.
How to Win
To qualify, all you have to do is email me at natalie@nataliemaclean.com and tell me that you’d like to win the book. I’ll select the winners randomly from those who participate.
Good luck!
Highlights
Why did school become an oasis for Karen in her childhood?
When did Karen have her first introduction to wine?
What drew Karen to make the move to New York City at 19?
How did Karen’s passion for writing keep her motivated through hundreds of rejections?
How did Karen make her way into the closed-off, male-dominated world of wine in the 1970s?
How did the quest to be a better wine writer lead Karen to move across the country to Napa?
Where did the idea for The Wine Bible originate?
Why was Karen initially against the name “The Wine Bible”?
Why does it take Karen years to publish each new edition of The Wine Bible?
What makes The Wine Bible different and more relatable than other popular wine books?
What was the hardest thing for Karen to leave out of The Wine Bible?
How did COVID make it much harder for Karen to reach the people and wines she needed while working on the third edition of The Wine Bible?
Key Takeaways
I loved hearing the behind-the-scenes stories of what it took to create The Wine Bible, especially with so many entries, maps, and illustrations.
I know from personal experience that it’s a much different read from other popular wine tomes, more conversational and engaging.
Karen is no stranger to overcoming obstacles, and she used that scrappy tenacity to press through the pandemic and complete this major work.
Join me on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube Live
Join the live-stream video of this conversation on Wed at 7 pm ET on Instagram Live Video, Facebook Live Video or YouTube Live Video.
I want to hear from you! What’s your opinion of what we’re discussing? What takeaways or tips do you love most from this chat? What questions do you have that we didn’t answer?
Want to know when we go live? Add this to your calendar: https://www.addevent.com/calendar/CB262621
About Karen MacNeil
One of the foremost wine experts in the United States, Karen MacNeil is the only American to have won every major wine award given in the English Language. In a full-page profile on her, Time magazine called Karen, “America’s Missionary of the Vine.” Karen is the author of the award-winning book THE WINE BIBLE, the single bestselling wine book in the United States, with more than 800,000 copies sold.
To learn more, visit https://www.nataliemaclean.com/209.
288: Heroic Italian Wines & the Future of Italy's Wines with Marc Millon
287: Italy in a Wine Glass: The Story of Italy Through Its Wines with Marc Millon
286: Mixing Business and Pleasure; Authenticity and Forgery in Art and Wine with Bianca Bosker
285: The Obsessive Passions and Parallels Between Art & Wine with Bianca Bosker, Author of Get the Picture and Cork Dork
284: Spanish Wine Pairings + Cookbook Creation Secrets with Barbara Scott-Goodman
283: Challenging Wine Matches with Barbara Scott-Goodman, Author of Wine Time: 70+ Recipes for Simple Bites That Pair Perfectly with Wine
282: Wine Sulphites, Mindful Drinking and Marketing Alcohol on The Erica Diamond Podcast
281: Splendid Vin Jaune, Jura Wine 's Wild Variety and Mysterious Grapes of the French Alps with Wink Lorch
280: Wines of Jura and the French Alps with Wink Lorch: From Ski Resorts to Worldwide Sensation
279: Dazzling Beaujolais Food Pairings and Wild Indigenous Yeast Flavours with Natasha Hughes
278: The Surprising Complexity of Beaujolais with Natasha Hughes, Contributor to On Burgundy: From Maddening to Marvellous in 59 Tales
277: Will AI Replace Writers and Winemakers? Conversation with Ellen Clifford of The Wine Situation Podcast
276: Delicious Vegan Wine Pairings with Jennifer Huether and Priya Rao, Authors of The Social Herbivore
275: What Are Vegan Wines & Are They Better for You with Jennifer Huether and Priya Rao
274: The Golden Rule to Buy Burgundy & Avoid High Prices with Raymond Blake, Author of Côte d’Or
273: Changes in Burgundy and Untangling a Complicated Region with Raymond Blake, Author Breakfast in Burgundy
272: Candid Wine Conversations with Scott Sexsmith of Up Close & Personal and Matt Cundill of You May Also Like
271: Best Sommelier Questions and How the Shape of Wine Acidity is Revealing with Vanessa Price
270: Creative Wine Pairings with Circus Peanuts, Cheetos and Twinkies with Vanessa Price, Author of Big Macs and Burgundy
269: Defining Musty Attics, Band-Aids and Rotten Eggs with Keith Grainger, Author of Wine Faults & Flaws
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free
50 Tastes Of Gray
The Recipe with Kenji and Deb
Walk-In Talk Podcast
The Federalist Papers
Frankenstein
Gastropod
Solicited Advice with Alison Roman