Wine Girl: The Trials and Triumphs of America's Youngest Sommelier

Few books cause me to react in the way that this story evoked. From the very beginning, I was drawn into her bizarre and tumultuous family dynamic, the unique, terrifying, and depressing teenage years, and the crazy ups and downs of the early 20s. I now simultaneously (continue to) hate the food service industry while respecting those who succeed and thrive in such a cutthroat atmosphere.

At the very start, you know this story will be unlike any other. Victoria was raised in an environment of strife, postnatal depression, teetotaling and a strict religious upbringing that swings to drunkenness, wild parties, drugs, gambling, and a young girl doing her best to survive.
Her early lessons in economics from budgeting a grocery list and show more growing her lemonade stand, and the constant pressure and drive to succeed, become a sustaining force in her life, which ultimately leads to a saga worth reading. Growing up in the ways she was accustomed rarely leads to much more than a repeat cycle of pain and abuse, but Victoria not only exceeds, she ascends, and continues to climb, claw, scrape and scrabble her way to the top. Not only that, it’s done with grit and integrity often lost to her generation.

Her career in beverages starts first with lemonade, and then through a series of diners, chain eateries and Michelin star restaurants, she breaks barriers, shatters records, and rises through the ranks of the wine and spirits industry. She exposes the darker side of restaurant service (although, my former, and limited, experience fails to see much light). There is bribery, endless swapping of favors, blackmail, a horrific caste system, and the always prevalent gender inequality.

Despite the persistent forward trajectory in Victoria’s life, there are tragic bumps along the way. She manages to push through a lot of trauma but not without emotional repercussions. She shares her experiences not as a victim, but as a survivor. Within each incident, she finds wisdom and the ability to grow and change. Her bravery in sharing her stories is only overshadowed by the callousness and cowardice of her attackers and those who turned a blind eye to the obvious indiscretions.

My favorite part of this book was the tastings and descriptions of the different wines. Reading about her education is an education in itself. It makes you want to learn more about wine, visit the places she’s gone, meet some of the people, definitely drink the wine. I even would be game to work at one of the smaller wineries like where she interned. She makes it sound so fun and attainable, when in actuality, it was a lot of work. She makes surviving hellish scenarios look effortless. I’m still in awe of how people can smell the different notes in wines. As a relatively new wine drinker, I can only dream of smelling and tasting like a sommelier (that’s some-all-yay).

Victoria is not only a successful, certified sommelier and beverage director, she’s an incredible writer and storyteller. I didn’t want this book to end, but even at the end, I wanted to sit down with her with a bottle of wine and pick her brain further about her time at Marea, find out the true names behind the pseudonyms, and hear more stories about celebrities she’s served.

Wine Girl is an immersive experience that I recommend for anyone that enjoys good food, good wine, and a good story.

Many thanks to the publisher for a free copy in exchange for an honest review. show less

Narrated by the author. The journey to become the country's youngest sommelier was serendipitous and a struggle. James describes her roots in an impoverished and difficult upbringing and her first hospitality job at 15 in a hole-in-the-wall diner. The quality of restaurants she worked at grew more higher end as she progressed, but did little to grease her entry into the world of wine. As one of the few women in the industry, James endured sexism, bald-faced harassment and sexual assault from customers and peers. This as she worked and studied assiduously to establish her place in the firmament. James narrates the audiobook with hard-earned fortitude; you can also hear the naivete of her younger, struggling years. Entertaining and revealing.

The focus of this book is not wine itself and if that's what you're looking for then you will be disappointed. However, the expert descriptions of wine may make you want to reach for a bottle. Victoria James’ memoir chronicles her rise through the restaurant industry, starting as a diner waitress at the age of 13, to a bartender, and then to a sommelier plus the opportunities that arose from that. Her experiences show the stark contrast between the artificially designed Micheline starred restaurants and the snobbery around wine versus the vineyards where harvesting grapes is backbreaking work and where it’s ok that a bit of dirt falls into a wine glass because the wine comes from the land after all. This was a quick read for me, but show more it was not light. James had a traumatic childhood and there are multiple instances of sexual assault and drug use. I enjoyed reading about James' struggles and triumphs and believe her experiences shed light on the sexism and lack of diversity within the restaurant industry. show less

Don’t be fooled into thinking that ‘Master Sommelier’ is simply a pretty label for someone that knows wine; The title was well earned.
What Victoria lives through to be able to share her love of wine with people will break your heart, only to leave you amazed and inspired by how she found a way to thrive in a world where most people want to pull you down.
Like any good meal paired well, this memoir made me want to return to her restaurant & experience more.
I absolutely loved this powerful, could-not- put- down wine adventure.
*Definitely for fans of Educated by Tara Westover.

Don’t be fooled into thinking that ‘Master Sommelier’ is simply a pretty label for someone that knows wine; The title was well earned.
What Victoria lives through to be able to share her love of wine with people will break your heart, only to leave you amazed and inspired by how she found a way to thrive in a world where most people want to pull you down.
Like any good meal paired well, this memoir made me want to return to her restaurant & experience more.
I absolutely loved this powerful, could-not- put- down wine adventure.
*Definitely for fans of Educated by Tara Westover.

I'm sad that reading about the abuse Ms. James encountered didn't shock me. Women still have a long way to go!

I really enjoyed the look inside the world of wine and the sommelier's training and responsibilities . That part was very well written.

With the author's personal life, though, I had a sense that there was a lot left out. Maybe she isn't ready to tell the whole story as she is still young.

Overall, worth reading.

Full review here: http://girlwellread.blogspot.com/2020/05/wine-girl-by-victoria-james.html.