Wine Girl

Product Description Winner of the Fortnum & Mason Food and Drink Awards Drink Book Award 2021Longlisted for the André Simon Food & Drink Book Awards 2020'Hugely entertaining' Jay Rayner'A brilliantly Bourdain-ish tale of a young woman making her way through the sexist American fine-dining world' ObserverAged twenty-one, Victoria James was named the US's youngest sommelier, working in Michelin-starred restaurants, serving the finest wines. The groping patrons she learned to handle, but, behind the scenes, the world of high-end dining was a mess of fractious relationships and unacknowledged abuse. It would take hitting rock-bottom for Victoria to find her way back to the industry she adores. Wine Girl is the memoir of a young woman breaking free from her traumatic childhood. It's the story of overcoming a notoriously misogynistic business, and of the restorative power of a glass of wine with friends.'Addictive' Stylist 'A must-read' Daily Telegraph'I glugged at the gossipy bits and sipped at the sad parts . . . you'll raise a glass to her extraordinary resilience' Sunday Times**NOW WITH EXCLUSIVE ADDITIONAL CONTENT: WINE PAIRING RECOMMENDATIONS FOR EACH CHAPTER OF THE BOOK** Review An uplifting story of grit and resilience that will leave you with an appetite for the pleasures that James so vividly describes ― Mail on Sunday Hugely entertaining -- Jay Rayner ― Observer James does for wine what Anthony Bourdain did for the high-pressure, low-margin world of professional restaurants, exposing secrets kept from customers . . . James offers a fresh lexicon for a young generation of "cork dorks" hungry to know and talk about wine . . . But James's story is edged with the darkness of her experience in hospitality . . . [her] story shows how precarious life on the knife-edge of survival in the restaurant industry really is. Almost unbelievably, she retained an abiding love for wine ― Financial Times Don't read this book without wine to hand. I glugged at the gossipy bits, sipped at the sad parts . . . In Wine Girl James spills all on Manhattan's fine-dining world . . . you'll raise a glass to her extraordinary resilience -- Laura Pullman ― Sunday Times A brilliantly Bourdain-ish tale of a young woman making her way through the sexist American fine-dining world. A glass of rich white burgundy, such as Christophe Cordier's, will enhance the experience of the chapter in which James deals hilariously with a chauvinistic mansplainer and a bottle of super-expensive white burgundy -- David Williams ― Observer Wine Girl speaks to a new generation. This memoir is not an easy read. It is, yes, about discovering wine and becoming a sommelier, but also about a difficult upbringing . . . and gender politics, and sexual abuse and harassment in and around the "toxic world of fine dining" ― Telegraph Need something quick and escapist? Sommelier Victoria James's memoir Wine Girl of her time in the toxic restaurant industry is addictive ― Stylist For anyone interested in food, or the dark underbelly and exhilarating fizz of restaurant life, Wine Girl is a page-turning read ― the i Wine Girl is funny, bracing, disturbing, and above all necessary. Victoria reveals the best and darkest in who we are and how we dine. I couldn't put it down -- Bianca Bosker, New York Times bestselling author of Cork Dork An inspiring, captivating story of resilience ― Kirkus Reviews Just the light-yet-escapist read you're in the mood for, this memoir by sommelier Victoria James unpicks the institutional misogyny of the fine dining restaurant scene that's perfect for fans of Sweet Bitter and also reminds you of the nourishing joy of good food, good people and good wine ― Stylist In this gritty, eloquent memoir, James, who became America's youngest sommelier at twenty-one, talks about overcoming sexual assault and sexism as she built a career in the restaurant business . . . James grippingly discusses working at several high-end restaur