I cannot write about a book or interview its author without taking the time to see (read) what's in between the covers.
With the holiday week, I have the chance to catch up a bit on my reading.
First off the must read pile is Uncorked 'My journey through the crazy world of wine' (Clarkson Potter, May 2012) by Marco Pasanella.
This memoir shares how Marco Pasanella fell into wine like Obelix fell into the magic potion. It documents the author's road from interior designer to accidental wine shop owner.
Marco Pasanella was bored with his work creating interiors for restaurants and hotels around the big apple.
In a series of big, bold and dangerous moves, he purchased a building in South Street Seaport area shortly before fishmongers moved to new pastures.
As street level retail space that was part of the building was vacated, he could see a wine shop occupying the grounds.
When no one volunteered to turn the space into this dream, he became the engine of that dream, what became Pasanella & Sons.
Some people with cash to burn find the idea of being a shopkeeper romantic.
Marco Pasanella feels that way until he has to navigate NY liquor laws, learn to resist the siren's calls of wine distributors and when things seem to get more settled the great recession.
There is a bit of name dropping in the 200 pages ride.
The fact that the author's wife worked for Martha Stewart might have brought extra exposure. He was still the one who had to learn how to hire and fire people, get the wine mix right, resist drinking the inventory.
As if running a store was not enough, Marco Pasanella decided with a little help from his friends to create 3 wines made in Italy bearing the Pasanella & Son label, a white, a red, a rose.
Thankfully for him they all the survive the truck and boat ride and the customs and happened to taste good and be a hit with his customers.
Here's the author's take on rating (picking) wine:
"From my perspective, four letters may be more helpful than 50 disguised as 100. They get you in the ballpark (i.e, A-once in a lifetime, B-big celebration, C-nice everyday wine, D-kind of crummy)."
Make Uncorked one of your summer reads.
Don't come out of it fancying yourself as the next retail wonder.