Alpana Pours: About Being a Woman, Loving Wine, and Having Great Relationships (Paperback)

~ (Author), Robert Scarola (Collaborator)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

As the youngest woman to be a member of the exclusive Court of Master Sommeliers, Singh brings her extensive knowledge of wine to a new generation of wine drinking women. Singh's quirky writing makes reading about the correct wine and food pairing more fun than it should be, with titles like, "Wine Tasting Your Way to Mr. Right," "Shoes You Never Wear and Wine You Never Drink," and "White Flight," about men's avoidance of white wines. "From the Alpana Files," periodically interrupts the shop talk and traces Singh's personal history of her love of wine, including how she broke her career decision to her very surprised mother (she expected Singh to pursue medicine). The book features a detailed list of exemplary wine regions, suggestions for entertaining with wine and a very useful guide to finding good cheap wines. One of the more invaluable tools Singh includes is a key deciphering restaurant wine lists. Singh blends wine culture with everyday life, while still illuminating the mysteries and myths of wine. The author's friendly tone welcomes readers who don't know their pinot noir from their peanut butter.
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Product Description

Alpana Pours is a unique lifestyle book with wine as the centerpiece. Since American women purchase and consume more wine than American men, 77% and 60% respectively, a voice is needed to help women understand that their busy professional and social lifestyles can be well paired with wine. Master Sommelier and successful television host Alpana Singh, 29, is just the person to help them do it.

Alpana is uniquely qualified to talk about wine, contemporary women and relationships. She spent five years as sommelier at a world-famous four star restaurant, where she closely observed the sometimes humorous, sometimes absurd, social interactions between men and woman at all stages of their relationships.

Readers will learn how to select wine when entertaining important clients, pair wine with food they and their partner are preparing together, choose the right wines for special occasions--weddings, anniversaries, bridal showers, a first meeting with a boyfriend's parents--and what wine to, or not to, order on a first date. Alpana Pours supplies tips on these and a myriad of other topics including "dating" and "dealing with guys."

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Product Details

• Paperback: 220 pages
• Publisher: Academy Chicago Publishers; illustrated edition edition (September 1, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0897335465
• ISBN-13: 978-0897335461
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #165,999 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars practical, unpretentious, fun wine advice. People! It's only a beverage., October 30, 2006

By	accidental gourmet (Chicago, IL) - See all my reviews

I know a thing or two about wine although I don't have wine fetish. This was the most readable and enjoyable book on wine. Many other books I've looked at made my eyes glaze over with the over-detailed, dry, technical explanations. This book was a revelation. I read it cover to cover in two nights flat. It is knowlegeable and provides practical advice. It is unpretentious, sassy, and doesn't assume prior knowlege, and it's fun! (What other wine book would give you a Master Sommelier's advice for pairing wine with potato chips or Pecans and Pralines Hagen Das?) It was a fun read, and I'm keeping it as a reference. The sub title of "about being a woman" is unfortunate because I think a lot of men would benefit from the advice given in the book.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Fun book; the perfect antidote to pretentious wine snobbery, May 21, 2007

By	J. D. Seagraves (Michigan) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I've read three books on wine, and this is by far my favorite. Even though it is primarily geared toward women (and I'm all man, baby), male wine novices will also enjoy it, because the overriding theme is that wine does not have to be complicated - it only has to be fun and enjoyable. The prose is written in a lighthearted style that makes reading it a breeze. ALPANA POURS is educational without going too deeply into wine esoterics that only confuse most aspiring oenophiles. I will admit that some chapters - such as when Ms. Singh selects a wine for each zodiac sign - are a little airy, but all in all, this was a fun and informative read. Oh, and by the way - the wine chosen for my zodiac (Syrah) turned out to be a new favorite!

4.0 out of 5 stars I am woman, see me pour, August 17, 2009

By	Nothing But the Best (Washington, DC) - See all my reviews

This is a great book for the new women wine-lover. If you're tired of always saying, oh I know nothing about wine, you pick, this book is for you. Simple, quick read. Fun, witty language. Informative and yet not overwhelming. I keep it handy and look up things anytime I get stumped in my exploration of the next great bottle of wine.