Taking a look back at all the blogging I did this year, I sure plowed through some thoughtful and thought-provoking books about both wine and food. And non-eating/drinking related books also inspired me indirectly and even directly. Let’s take a stroll down memory lane:

• I enjoyed Graham Greene’s sweaty, atmospheric The Power and the Glory while 30,000 feet int the air, paired with Henkell Trocken sparkling wine.
• The best book about wine I’ve ever read? A comic: The Initiates: A Comic Artist and Wine Artisan Exchange Jobs.
• If I ever write a book, I know being a part of Kathleen Flinn’s Hungry For Words workshop will certainly be a factor.
• Paris I Love You But You’re Bringing Me Down was a wonderful, candid tale of an American in Paris that everyone who has a love/hate/love relationship with a city should read. Enjoyed with Menger-Krug sparkling wine.
• The Secret Lives of Baked Goods got me thinking about Madeira. And unicorns.
• The Bookery Cook: Art to Eat delighted me with stimulating, original artwork illustrating each recipe. Some were literal, others metaphorical, and many fanciful.
• What Would Brian Boitano Make?, the book. What would Brian Boitano drink?, my question.
• How about a wine for a dreadfully awkward meal in A.S. Byatt’s Possession?
• Need a wine with fierce freshness? Get a copy of Complete Wine Selector.
• Thanks to Salty Snacks, I enjoyed Garam Masala Caramel Corn with sparkling wine.
• More salty snacks? How about Gluten-Free Cheese Straws via Gluten-Free Baking For The Holidays?
• Mix up some Savory Cocktails. With Cognac!
• The greatest breakfast in the world? Leftover parsnip pie from Pies and Tarts with Heart.
• Bake and Destroy: Good Food For Bad Vegans will have you (re)thinking pizza.
• No need to mull over why Aphrodisiacs With a Twist will satisfy you: spiced wine!
• Finally, The Sun Also Rises got me pondering pleasure and Champagne. Even more than usual.

BONUS! My Year in Wine Films:

• Leading Between The Vines, a sentimental film about soil, Riesling, and Germany by Terry Theise, struck me more regarding what it had to say about the tensions between generations in a family business than for the geeky wine chat.
• Red Obsession, a documentary concerning wine, Bordeaux, and China, transported me back to my grad school days, thinking about the confluence of culture, class, gender, and colonialism. Warwick Ross, who is Red Obsession’s Producer/Co-Director/Co-Writer, was kind enough to answer my queries and concerns about the title of the film and East/West dichotomy it presents.
• I chatted with Jason Wise, Writer/Director of SOMM, the #1 movie of the year when it came to fresh-cut garden hose references.

What food and wine media rocked your world in 2013?

Uncut garden hose via el_finco.

Tags: best food books 2013, best wine books 2013