Wine Girl: The Trials and Triumphs of America's Youngest Sommelier - Inspiring Memoir for Wine Lovers & Aspiring Sommeliers | Perfect for Book Clubs & Wine Enthusiasts
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Product Description
An affecting memoir from the country’s youngest sommelier, tracing her path through the glamorous but famously toxic restaurant world At just twenty-one, the age when most people are starting to drink (well, legally at least), Victoria James became the country’s youngest sommelier at a Michelin-starred restaurant. Even as Victoria was selling bottles worth hundreds and thousands of dollars during the day, passing sommelier certification exams with flying colors, and receiving distinction from all kinds of press, there were still groping patrons, bosses who abused their role and status, and a trip to the hospital emergency room. It would take hitting bottom at a new restaurant and restorative trips to the vineyards where she could feel closest to the wine she loved for Victoria to re-emerge, clear-eyed and passionate, and a proud leader of her own Michelin-starred restaurant.Exhilarating and inspiring, Wine Girlis the memoir of a young woman breaking free from an abusive and traumatic childhood on her own terms; an ethnography of the glittering, high-octane, but notoriously corrosive restaurant industry; and above all, a love letter to the restorative and life-changing effects of good wine and good hospitality.
Customer Reviews
Book review-Wine Girl.-3/23/2020After reading “Drink Pink” by Victoria James, I was intrigued to read her memoir, Wine Girl.James, who at age 21 had earned the distinction of being the youngest sommelier in the United States of America, details her journey starting out as a roadside diner waitress until the present day where she is now Beverage Director and business partner of Cote, a Michelin starred Manhattan NYC restaurant.Whereas “Drink Pink” was a joyful, lighthearted look at rose wine, “Wine Girl” instead is a gritty memoir, but infused throughout with a message of hope and empowerment. Not simply another “Me Too” book, “Wine Girl” is an excellent ,riveting story, about one young woman’s journey through the wine and restaurant industry while consistently overcoming adversity throughout her life. Even the book title is the author’s purposeful move to take a slur that had once been directed at her as a belittling taunt, to now being a title to instead be owned with pride. Skillfully written, well structured, with a remarkable balance of poignant stories, photographs, real life tragedies and clear mastery over the subject of wine, this brilliant memoir is well paced and well written. The author’s goal is to inspire and empower. “I hope my story will give young women all over the world courage to share their stories, take charge of their lives and empower others.” And “Let’s stand together for social justice and create positive change”. The author has also created “Wine Empowered” a nonprofit organization seeking to diversify the hospitality industry through formal wine education with a special emphasis on women and minorities.I heartily recommend “Wine Girl” (and also “Drink Pink”) to anyone whether or not they are outside the restaurant industry. The Acknowledgements section showed the author clearly had the unwavering deep love and complete support of her biological family and restaurant family throughout the whole time as she created this beautiful and powerful book.This book is dedicated, poignantly, to deeply loved siblings, to her manager and to her husband but perhaps most importantly: “And to all the young women in the world of restaurants. It’s our time now.”
