Today is Bookday, Huzzah!

[lagilman]

Yes, I know that WEIGHT OF STONE [BN.com /Amazon / Indiebound] has been out there for a while. I know that many of you already have it in your greedy little hands. But this is the Official Day of Book and, like a thoroughbred's birthday, that's all that matters.

So, huzzah! Hurray! It's no longer my problem and is now yours.

Wait, that didn't sound quite right...

But the truth is, I've learned to let books go. Once they're Out There, they belong to you, not me. You will do with the Story as you will, and I can only watch. And occasionally wince, but more often smile.

But one of the things I hear often is "I don't know anything about wine... will I enjoy these books?"

From the responses I've gotten from non-drinkers, the answer is yes, you will. And, if in the course of reading, you find yourself with the desire to learn more... well, I have the answer for that.

Tell me, here, in this post, WHY you're intrigued by wine, and want to learn more. Of those responses, a winner will be chosen to recieve a copy of Kevin Zraly's 25th Anniversary "Windows on the World" COMPLETE WINE COURSE.

This, my friends? is a rockin' book. And it can be yours... all you have to do is tell me why.

And if I get a bunch of really good answers? I just might give out more than one copy.


You have until the stroke of midnight on November 1st to respond..

Comments

[bellinghman.livejournal.com]

I'm currently a good chunk of the way through volume 1, and enjoying it greatly - I think it deserves that Nebula nomination.

So, how long till volume 3 is out (whimper)?

(And no, this isn't an entry, just to make that clear.)

BTW - there's an extraneous dash at the beginning of the wine course URL.

[http://users.livejournal.com/la_marquise_de_/]

Many, many congratulations.

[mtlawson.livejournal.com]

Happy Book Day!

So, huzzah! Hurray! It's no longer my problem and is now yours.

Wait, that didn't sound quite right...

That's okay, we know what you mean. ;-)

Boy, the Windows on the World Wine Course. Wow. I read one of the editions of Windows on the World Wine Course back when I was first starting to figure wine out in the early 90's. (Beyond the Franzia box wines, anyway.) I was lucky that I pulled Kevin's book out of the pile, otherwise I might have given up. The book wasn't overly pretentious, and I really enjoyed reading it. That's a great choice for a giveaway.

[jhetley.livejournal.com]

You should give me the copy because it will save me from box Almaden?

[lagilman]

BTW - there's an extraneous dash at the beginning of the wine course URL.

I should not attempt to code before breakfast. Thanks, fixed.

[mtlawson.livejournal.com]

Which is higher up on the tree: Almaden or Franzia? ;-)

[jhetley.livejournal.com]

I think Franzia is cheaper, at least at Hannaford . . .

[mtlawson.livejournal.com]

Hmmm... I'll have to go on a fact finding mission to check it out.

Either way, they both taste better than Thunderbird. Not that I'd know anything about that, of course.

[nick-kaufmann.livejournal.com]

Happy bookday!

[matticrafts.livejournal.com]

Why I should totally get the Wine Book (<--note the initial caps): I have oenophile friends who openly mock me. They claim that they are not... but I can tell. Eye-rolling happens behind my back, I'm sure. I have been a foodie since I was like, 6. Seriously. Wine, however, escapes me. I know one by name: "Montepulciano D'Abruzzo (Blood of Christ something something, I think)." I am aware that this is terrible wine. I like it. I have no idea what good is. I don't even know how to pick. I am, finally, at 43, willing to learn. Meybe I can learn enough to like white wine at all...

[cherith.livejournal.com]

I am a non-wine person, a non-drinker in general. But, the variations in taste has always intrigued me -- especially when you watch someone like Gary Vaynerchuk from WineLibraryTV talk about it. I mean, the normal stuff he comes up with to compare flavors to, is amazing.

[ekovar.livejournal.com]

I'll give you my full answer on Friday but the partial one is that you'll see I need a lot of help.

[elektra.livejournal.com]

Being fascinated by the shape of the bottles is probably not the best way to pick a wine--but I often start there.

Actually, I took a class on wines back in the dark ages (when I was in college) and I've never regretted it. So I think this is a terrific giveaway!!

I do love the cat-shaped bottles, though.

[daveax.livejournal.com]

I don't know if I'm eligible for the contest, being a self-confessed winegeek. But I'll give it a try, since I don't have the new edition of WoW and would like a copy...
[Should I win, you can deliver the prize at Capclave...over a bottle of whatever I decide to bring down with me!)

Let's start, though, by admitting the real truth -- there isn't ONE reason for liking wine. There are lots of them, and any list will be incomplete.

The first good reason for liking the fruit of the vine -- as most Hebrew blessings over wine term it -- is the effects. Not just getting buzzed, or inebriated, or falling-down-stupid-drunk, depending on the quantity and speed of ingestion...though the first of those, at least, certainly has its good points. No, I'm thinking of the effects wine has on other things.

Food, for instance: when the wine you're drinking is a good match for what you're eating, the improvement to both goes far beyond mere additive synergy and into the realm of the exponential. And sometimes there are surprises awaiting, combinations that sound unlikely but prove to be the doorway to palatal bliss. My own favorite is the fact that homemade gnocchi in duck ragu is complimented by both dry whites and rich, tannic reds -- the former accentuates the taste of the gnocchi, while the latter highlight the sauce.

Or memory. Drinking a wine, whether it's new or old to your senses, brings up recollections not just of similar sips, but of the events and places and people that provided the context for those prior quaffs. One couldn't ask for a better side-effect.

And, of course, there's conversation. Once those memories arise, they can lead to declaration, discussion, dissension, debate, and decision, all of which enhance the current situation. (Not to mention Elephant Talk, as Mr. Fripp would doubtless point out...)

Finally, there's travel. Wherever you go, there you are: and so are the local wines. Often, they're ones that never get over here, for a variety of reasons, so tasting them -- preferably in the company of equally local comestibles -- is a special treat. And there are vineyards to visit, usually in some of the most stunningly picturesque parts of the country.

[naienko.livejournal.com]

:) Now that it is Officially Out, I can present my opinion.

1. NEED MOAR! WHAT HAPPENS NEXT!
2. Ack! You hath killed him! Nooooes! But I see the need. Still -- ACK!
3. It's a middle book. That's a lot of damn questions. Every time I get an answer, it brings five more questions in tow!
4. This book makes me thirsty. I wish I wasn't so sensitive to the taste of alcohol.
5. How are these people not perpetually drunk?
6. Jerzy's /special/, isn't he.

In short: Me likey!

[g33kboi.livejournal.com]

Happy Book Day! I'm picking up a copy tonight for my dad's birthday (Three days from now. Nice timing!) and debating real vs. electronic book for myself. Btw, for anyone reading on an Apple iGadget, it's also in the iBookstore.

[sarahbethdurst.livejournal.com]

Happy book birthday, Laura Anne!

[georgia peach (from livejournal.com)]

Well you should give it to me because I am a wine geek. I love wines; I love tasting them, drinking them, cooking with them, etc. I am also a college kid who is paying her way through a music degree, as student loan debt is a very bad thing for an aspiring professional musician. ;) Ergo, I can't afford the book on my own.

Also.... I know via your twitter page how much you love mockery, irony, and creating despair. I happen to be a preacher's daughter. He is very concerned with "witness" so don't you think i will be really fun when this book is on display in his own home? :) I plan on sneaking it into the very prominent window display at the front of our house, where the company comes.

[rhyan birch (from livejournal.com)]

I used to love wine. A nice dry white was always good. But I can no longer drink. But I would still love to win.