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PEOPLE & ARTS A31
Review: ‘Cork Dork’ celebrates wine, sommeliers
KEVIN BEGOS
Associated Press
Sommelier is a simple yet
mysterious job title. The
most basic translation from
the French might be wine
expert, but then how ex-
actly does one attain that
status?
Bianca Bosker decided to
find out in “Cork Dork,” a
journey that reads like a
wine lover’s equivalent of
Dante’s “The Divine Com-
edy”: There is paradise, but
only after glimpses of pur-
gatory and hell.
Bosker, formerly a tech
writer, decides to seek cer-
tification from the Court of
Master Sommeliers, which
administers a series of
hugely demanding tests
designed for people al-
ready in the restaurant and
hotel trade. Bosker started
from scratch, as a wine
novice. The result is a funny, a quince is, and the word
thought-provoking and at
times frightening look at the
sublime tastes, enormous
egos and curious rules of
a profession that is both in-
sanely rigorous and occa-
sionally ridiculous. Why, for
example, are sommeliers
supposed to identify wine
in blind tastings? We don’t
ask food critics to score res- riencing new tastes and
taurants blindfolded.
Bosker explores such issues
head on, noting that world-
class sommeliers can seem
oblivious to legitimate
questions about what they
do. “It was like the wine
world was stuck in a giant
game of telephone, and
the message had become
an indecipherable mess,”
Bosker writes of blind tast-
ing groups.
One critic confesses to us-
ing the word “quince”
to describe aromas, be-
cause no one knows what
sounds fancy. Bosker la-
Tuesday 4 April 2017
ments that at times som- echoes the standard that This book cover image re-
meliers recommend very master sommeliers strive leased by Penguin Books
expensive wines without for: quietly confident but shows, “Cork Dork: A Wine-
having tasted them, be- not arrogant. Fueled Adventure Among the
cause “others recom- “Cork Dork” also has an Obsessive Sommeliers, Big
mended them to us.” enjoyable sprinkling of sci- Bottle Hunters, and Rogue Sci-
Yet amid all the steely-eyed ence, from psychology to entists Who Taught Me to Live
reporting, “Cork Dork” still brain scans of people as for Taste,” by Bianca Bosker.
radiates the joy of expe- they drink wine. As her own
tastes evolve, Bosker gives Associated Press
awe at the seemingly end- readers the equivalent of
less range of flavors that a “Kitchen Confidential” be thankful. Bosker takes
emerge from what begins tour inside New York City’s us on a quirky, perilous and
as only grape juice. The wine world, and that alone sometimes beautiful tour
sommeliers that Bosker falls is worth the price of the of a world few will ever
in with work incredibly hard book. Forget wine jargon: experience.q
and are truly obsessed with the psychology of sizing
wine and grapes, down up customers is part of be-
to minute, arcane details. ing a master sommelier. In
That passion, in the end, is other words, don’t offer
a good thing, and worthy cheap bottles to obviously
of respect. wealthy customers, and
Wine is intimidating. A don’t spend too much time
good sommelier can help with novices, if other tables
beginners find their way, or wait on a busy night.
lead experts to new experi- You may or may not want
ences. Bosker does that as to become a sommelier
a writer, too, with an hon- after reading “Cork Dork,”
est, appealing voice that but either way readers can