Never have I ever read a book that was so in depth about any one subject. If you’ve ever thought about going into the business of wine, you need to read this book (and also be willing to drop everything going on in your life). Bosker took me on a journey that I was not ready for and that I didn’t realize I was craving. She trains for the Certified Sommelier Test like a person whose life depends on passing. Of course, according to the people we meet throughout the book, everyone trains that way.

These people… theses “Somms” are some of the most passionate people on the planet. They talk about this alcoholic beverage as if it has life-changing qualities. And I bought into every single word of it. I fell in love with wine while reading this book, and I still don’t even know that much about it. It made me want to meet Bosker in person and spend a week with her just so she can teach me about wine.

One of the more intriguing aspects of the book though is the scientific outlooks. Bosker met a bunch of doctors whose sole purpose in life was to figure out how our noses work. They helped her better understand the wine she was drinking and train her senses to guess the wine before she tasted it. But Bosker also read studies that put her in doubt about wine having certain characteristics. Studies that proved sometimes we humans can’t tell the difference between a $10 bottle of wine and a $1000 bottle. There were also studies that showed that those of us who can tell the difference between the bottles, think that the $1000 wine is better just because of its price.

Bosker went on to pass the test and become a certified Sommelier. I applaud her dedication and the dedication of everyone and anyone who finds something that they can throw themselves into wholeheartedly. I wish I could find a career that allowed me to read with as much passion as these people drink wine.