Shelley Boettcher’s second edition of Uncorked! has at least two things going for it, which should make it a best seller. First of all, it’s small enough to fit in a purse or even a large pocket and second, it’s funny.
Boettcher, who is the wine columnist for the Calgary Herald, takes a decidedly feminine stance in this 2013 edition, which she calls The Definitive Guide to Alberta’s Best Wines under $25, but her humour is broad enough for any palette, male or female. Most importantly, her lists are easy to use and offer unpretentious wine suggestions.
About a red wine called Peachy Canyon, for example, she writes that it’s perfect for “book club gatherings and chick nights.” She also writes that the wine is “tough, but you’re sort of drawn to it just the same.” The beverage, from Paso Robles, Calif., is made from a grape called petite sirah, which Boettcher says is “the biker dude of wine grapes” adding, that the wine itself is, “in its own way, rather sexy.”
Later, in the white wine section, Boettcher writes about a wine called Anthilia, from the Italian Donnafugata Winery. As she does with most of the selections in her book, Boettcher provides a little history about the winery, which in this case was named for a Hapsburg queen who fled from Napoleon in 1807. Boettcher suggests pairing the wine with fish dishes or chicken and calls it a “do-it-yourself wine festival” that should be experienced whenever you want to go on a hot European vacation, but cannot afford the flight.
In total Boettcher lists 150 wines according to whether they are red or white and also according to their country of origin. Each entry lists the title, the winery and the most prominent words to be found on the label, so it’s easy to track down these wines on a store shelf. She also suggests 10 tips for cellaring your wine and includes one page that lists 10 slightly more expensive wines to try.
For anyone searching for wine bargains available in Alberta, this little trivia-packed book is a good place to start.
Review
Uncorked!<br />By Shelley Boettcher Whitecap Books<br />169 pages<br />$19.95
