Wine for Normal People, the Book

Wine for Normal People is a down-to-earth resource for anyone seeking an introduction to the world of wine. It’s the perfect book (if I do say so myself) for people also looking to get more detailed info in a straightforward, easy to understand way!

It took me a LONG time to finish it, but it’s beautiful, well-researched, and clearly full of solid information, snark, and opinions – just like the podcast!

What you can expect

illustration of speech bubble with question mark

Explanations of wine vocabulary

WFNP helps you understand the language of wine, including how to taste, how wine gets its flavor, and a quickie tour to making wine (with the factors that actually matter called out) — no afterthoughts or back of the book glossary because these terms are essential in fully understanding the wine world

A trip around the wine world

WFNP drills down into every major country in the Old and New Wine worlds, with a deep dive into the communes of France, regions of Italy, the AVAs of California, and info on stuff from Georgia to Slovenia to Lebanon to Canada! You can go as dorky and detailed or as general as you want

Practical advice on how to shop for wine

Whether you’re selecting a wine in a store or restaurant, WFNP provides very detailed (but not prescriptive) food and wine pairing information, tips on travel and serving temperatures

AND…. All of this is delivered in the easy-to-digest normal person tone just like the podcast. I hope you can hear me talking to you in your head while you read.

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What people say about the Book

We’ve gotten great reviews from critics and normal people alike! I think and hope you’ll love it!

Great book to learn about wine!!!!

If you like Elizabeth’s podcast you will absolutely LOVE this book! I can hear her voice in my head as I read this! Bottom line, if you are interested in learning more about wine this is fantastic way to do it!

Melody Campbell

A fantastic read

Such a great book! Well structured, easy to read, a fount of knowledge for those wanting to know more about wine. No pretentiousness, no snobby nonsense, just simple facts from the most down to earth author! Highly recommended. 5 star recommendation also goes for Elisabeth’s podcast.

Fran

Finally! The wine book we really can love.

Elizabeth speaks in a voice that is pretty much the way I speak. That makes the transfer of knowledge all the more accessible and pleasant. She brilliantly teaches so very comfortably. This book is all I’ll ever need to deepen my love for and appreciation of wine.

Frances Campagna

A must have for any normal wine person!

I love the way the material is presented, it’s logical and interesting. You’ll gain practical knowledge that will improve your wine tasting, communicating, buying and general understanding in a non-pretentious way.

Amanda G.

Feels like a conversation

I’ve followed Elizabeth Schneider’s podcast for about 8 years now and she is one of the main reasons I made a decision to pursue a profession in the wine trade. Her friendly, easy going style translates so well into book format, it really does feel like a conversation. I highly recommend this book as a reference as well as an interesting and comfortable read.

Gwen

Two Books in one!

Two books in one, I loved it! In one aspect, this book plays the role of a fun filled lesson on how to engage with wine. For example, helping you learn vocabulary, styles, pairing, and buying. It is written with a light hearted backbone, providing smiles every few pages, which is a pleasant change to typically stuffy wine books. In another aspect, the book plays a reference role on specific regions and grapes. For example, what to expect from wines coming from the Ribbon Ridge AVA in Oregon. I will certainly review sections when planning wine travel.

ScubaSommelier

Elizabeth is my wine guru. Since I began listening to her podcasts I’ve become a huge fan and learned so much about wine. Her style is down-to-earth and honest—you know what she thinks but she gives you room to reach your own opinion. The goal is for us to learn enough to understand what we like and why. And I’ve learned a ton about the wine industry. Elizabeth’s classes are both fun and packed with information. I wish I could take them all. And her book is entertaining as well as incredibly informative. Elizabeth overdelivers to her subscribers on Patreon, posting weekly tips, holding informal hangouts and creating a vibrant community of fellow wine lovers.

Ed S.

Elizabeth does a wonderful job of explaining complex subjects in a simple way.

As a wine educator, I tried to adopt several books for my ‘Wines of the World’ course. With the abundance of wine books out there, I found that many are too technical, or outdated, or contain too much information (irrelevant in many areas). There was no book that would be well-balanced, written in a straightforward language, with just the right amount of information to generate interest and enhance knowledge. I am so happy there is one now, finally. Wine for Normal People is concise, yet detailed enough to include essential material for each wine region. Elizabeth does a wonderful job of explaining complex subjects in a simple way. My students love her non-pretentious writing style, sincere opinion, the simplicity of the material presentation, and the business angle incorporated into the content. Some students even bought a copy as a Christmas gift for their parents. It’s a fun textbook that does not cost an arm and a leg (for a change!).

Natalia Velikova, Professor, Dept. of Hospitality and Retail Management, Texas Tech University

I’d like to be Ms. Schneider when I grow up.

Wine For Normal People is the most perfect book about wine I’ve encountered in several years of studying wine and reading about it. Although I’m far from expert, I know enough to enjoy delving into the rich information on wine regions which Ms. Schneider presents with entertaining intelligence. Her writing is clear and accessible, colloquial and funny, and doesn’t read at all like a textbook. She manages to condense complicated and extensive information on every wine region into what’s most beneficial for a relative beginner to know, without making me feel dumb for not knowing it already (as the critics’ writings often do). But the book encompasses more than the world’s wine regions and what distinguishes each of them; she also provides astute guidance on how to train to be a better taster, how to learn to choose a wine (wisely), and how to pair wines with foods that will help them shine. I’ve read other books, blogs, and guides which might do one of these things well, but this is the first book I’ve come across which does all of them well. I would highly recommend this book to any student of wine who wants to learn how to sound (and actually be) smarter when talking about it. (Also, I’d like to be Ms. Schneider when I grow up.)

Sarah Timmons, Hospitality Student, Texas Tech University

Wine For Normal People® translates wine into normal terms that you can relate to through an award-winning podcast, acclaimed book, awesome live online classes, and in popular public corporate and association speaking events.

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