“Think: Eat, Pray, Love meets Somm.” —theSkimm
"A funny, fascinating adventure." –Real Simple
"One of the most entertaining drink-related memoirs in years." –PUNCH
"[An] often-hilarious memoir." –Good Housekeeping
"You’ll never feel lost in front of a wine list again." –Cynthia Graber and Nicola Twilley of "Gastropod," via The Atlantic
"[A] must-read wine book." –The Mercury News
“In this smart and sharply observed book, Bianca Bosker takes us on a marvelous journey through the mad, manic, seductive subculture of wine and wine lovers. It’s also a deeply felt story of her own experience, told with great heart and wit.” –Susan Orlean, author of The Orchid Thief
“I loved this book. It’s not just about wine. It’s about learning how to listen to your senses, to more deeply experience and appreciate the world around you, and everyone could use another glass of that.” –Mary Roach, author of Gulp
“Cork Dork is a brilliant feat of screwball participatory journalism and Bianca Bosker is a gonzo nerd prodigy. This hilarious, thoughtful and erudite book that may be the ultimate answer to the perennial question of whether or not wine connoisseurship is a scam.” –Jay McInerney, author of The Juice
“In this delightfully written and keenly observed book, Bianca Bosker helps us become connoisseurs not only of wine but also of people whose passions would more aptly be described as obsessions.” –Walter Isaacson, author of The Innovators
“Speaking as someone who barely knows a good Bordeaux from a bottle of Boone's Farm, I was charmed and entertained by this book. Everywhere she goes—whether it's into a busy kitchen or a vineyard, or into her own head—Bianca Bosker takes us with her.” –John Jeremiah Sullivan, author of Pulphead
“The Kitchen Confidential of wine: Read this book, and you’ll never be intimidated by wine—or wine snobs—again.” –Madeline Puckette, co-author of Wine Folly
“If you have wondered about the mysteries of wine, and the airs of people who claim to know something about it, Cork Dork is essential reading. Read it and you will never look at wine in quite the same way again. This is reportage of a high order.” –Roger Cohen, author of The Girl from Human Street
“Settle down with a glass of wine and savor this rollicking and lively tale of Bianca Bosker’s journey from rank amateur to ‘cork dork.’ I gulped down this book with enormous pleasure.” –Julia Flynn Siler, author of The House of Mondavi
"Bosker breaks open the world of your favorite beverage...[bringing] readers on her year-plus adventure of learning about everything from production to consumption." –Bustle, "The 20 Best Nonfiction Books Coming In March 2017"
"An informative yet funny examination of wine." –Brightly, "The Best Books of Early 2017"
"A quest—both hilarious and horrifying—to understand the nature of taste." –Imbibe
“Bosker introduces lively characters, from sommeliers to scientists…An interesting look at those with an unquenchable thirst for those unique bottles of vinicultural perfection.” –Booklist
Instant New York Times Bestseller
"I loved this book.” –Mary Roach
Professional journalist and amateur drinker Bianca Bosker didn't know much about wine—until she discovered an alternate universe where taste reigns supreme, a world of elite sommeliers who dedicate their lives to the pursuit of flavor. Astounded by their fervor and seemingly superhuman sensory powers, she set out to uncover what drove their obsession, and whether she, too, could become a “cork dork.”
With boundless curiousity, humor, and a healthy dose of skepticism, Bosker takes the reader inside underground tasting groups, exclusive New York City restaurants, California mass-market wine factories, and even a neuroscientist’s fMRI machine as she attempts to answer the most nagging question of all: What’s the big deal about wine? What she learns will change the way you drink wine--and, perhaps, the way you live--forever.
Winner of 2018 M.F.K. Fisher Award for Excellence in Culinary Writing
Finalist for the 2018 William Saroyan International Prize for Writing
Finalist for the 2018 Fortnum & Mason Food and Drink Awards
Finalist for the 2017 Goodreads Choice Awards in Food & Cookbooks
Finalist for the 2018 Gourmand Award for Wine Writing
Finalist for the 2017 Tasty Award in Food Literature
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One of the New York Times Critics' Top Books of 2017
Named a Best Book of 2017 by NPR, Fortune, Smithsonian, Bustle, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Booklist, and more
Named one of the Best Books of Early 2017 by Brightly
Named one of the 20 Best Nonfiction Books Coming in March 2017 by Bustle
Named one of The Best Drink Books of Spring and Summer 2017 by Punch
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"An 18-month immersion in the study of wine, teaching us not just about what to look for in the glass, but how to experience the world in a new way...Always perceptive, curious, and entertaining, the author describes her experiences with precision and a wry sense of humor...Readers will certainly come away from the book knowing more about wine and likely eager to explore it further, but even those less inclined to imbibe will be intrigued." –Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review
“A page-turning and fascinating memoir…Bosker’s mix of science, food writing, and memoir will be enjoyed by many.” –Publishers Weekly
“Reading Bianca Bosker is like sitting down with a brilliant, curious friend for an after-work drink, and suddenly finding it’s midnight and the table is littered with empty bottles. Between her hilarious exploits and thoughtful meditations on wine and life, you’ll want to stay for just one more.” –Lauren Collins, author of When In French
“Utterly delightful. In Cork Dork, Bianca Bosker takes us along on a joyful journey of discovery into the ‘soul’ of wine, filled with wit and insight at every step.” –Maria Konnikova, author of The Confidence Game