Book Review: The Wine Taster’s Journal – A Wine Lover’s Little Black Book

There are two types of wine enthusiasts.

Those who appreciate wine and take comfort in memory and those who appreciate wine and take notes.

This book is for the small group of the enviable latter.

Admittedly, most people don’t take notes about the wines they taste; and that’s OK.

But just as a botanist takes notes so she can discern subtle and meaningful similarities and differences between plant species, a wine taster takes notes so she can bring more nuance to what she is drinking, and so can you.

How the Book is Organized

The Wine Taster’s Journal is a compact notebook to capture and reflect on what you’re drinking.

Written by Joe Roberts (aka 1 Wine Dude), the book is divided into five sections:

• Tasting 101 – Mechanics on how to taste a wine.
• Tasting Notes – Structured note space to reflect on what you’re drinking.
• Wine Tasting Terms – A list of helpful descriptors to help you describe what you’re drinking.
• Favorite Bottles – Space to record your favorite wine discoveries.
• Wines to Try – Wishlist space to keep track of wines you want to try and that have been recommended to you by others.

Who This Book is For

So, for whom would this book be perfect?

Wine Enthusiasts

First, thoughtful wine enthusiasts who want to discover some of their unconscious patterns and preferences so they get more of what they love and can be more deliberate about trying new things.

For example, if you start to notice that you enjoy red wines from California with lots of concentration and structure you might choose to expand your lens and search out wines with a similar profile from other states and countries.

If you begin to notice that the wines you enjoy tend to be low in alcohol and have a lighter body, you can be more purposeful in communicating your preferences to sommeliers and wine professionals who can help you discover more wines you’d like.

Wine Certification Seekers

Second, this book would be good for those who are looking to up their wine game with a wine certification.

More and more non-wine professionals are taking classes offered by the Wine & Spirits Educational Trust (WSET), the Court of Master Sommeliers (CMS) and the Society of Wine Educators (SWE).

All these certifications require you to analyze a wine by its appearance, aromas and taste.

This book provides a convenient template to help you evaluate wine systematically.

Wine Note Takers

Lastly, this book is a convenient notebook for wine enthusiasts who want to take notes on the go at a winetasting or when traveling.

It’s compact enough that you can hold it under your arm between the side of your chest while you’re winetasting and get to it quickly to jot down a few notes.

And unlike a blank notebook, it has a ready-made tasting sheet so you can be sure you’re hitting all the major areas of wine evaluation.

What Type of Wine Enthusiast are You?

The Wine Taster’s Journal delivers on exactly what it promises to be – a journal or a wine lover’s little black book, to record and evaluate what you’re drinking.

The only question that remains is what type of wine enthusiast are you?

This book was submitted for review.