Into Wine: An Invitation to Pleasure

I work rather frequently in France, perhaps two or three times a year for a week or more. I recently had the privilege of attending a wine tasting class with Olivier (the author) and was greatly entertained for several hours while we drank excellent wine and he teased young American girls about their overly-sensitive feminist world views. A good time was had by all!A couple of months later, I was able to bring my wife to Paris for the first time. She immediately picked up on how different it was from the US. It was, for lack of a better word, "non-homogenized". Les français have preserved a culture where rare book vendors can not only survive, but thrive (book stores are a rare thing these days from where we come from). And amidst the ever present megabrands which line all of downtown Paris, lie these wonderful boutiques and artisans from which one can purchase treasures which will last generations. Such a relief from the bland, corporate, planned obsolescence world we've come to accept in the US.Into Wine will give you that same sense of local culture that I treasure in France. In this book, Olivier brings an honest, funny and genuine perspective to the world of wine (and many other areas besides). I remember him as being one of my favorite French personalities and this book is an authentic record of his quirky and dynamic personality.Mind you, I don't always agree with him (neodynamic growing... really? It's just cow poop and prayer). Yet, he's unapologetic, unpretentious, and daresay a bit sexist (and funny!). He may not be your perfectly PC cup of tea, but like a good wine, he displays a lot of terroir. I heartily recommend this book as a good read, an excellent primer on wine, and an invitation to share a glass of excellent vin at O Chateau.

Olivier's voice needs to be heard more in the world of wine. The status quo has got to change. Yes, with the explosion of technology and social media anyone can make it seem that they are experts if they can cleverly exploit it with no legitimate experience or knowledge, just an opinion. Then at the other end we have the famous names that write the "commandments of great wines" and provide the scores the reviews that shalt not be challenged.Olivier is a breakthrough, this book is a breakthrough that anyone from those who like a glass of wine every once in awhile with dinner to those who are trying be more knowledgeable to those who would be considered experts should read. I met Olivier about 8 years ago when I visited Paris and did a wine tasting with O Chateau his first venture and it was a wonderful experience that inspired me to keep learning so I was wondering why he didn't write this sooner. He is legitimately passionate about his love of wine and most important he relates to you. He wants to share and experience his journey with you. That style helps you understand and learn and then develop your own opinions and perceptions much faster and more accurately. He is breaking down the right barriers, and the opening doors to a pleasurable experience. Read the book, its fun and you will learn fast and unexpectedly come away with a new perspective. Olivier, by the way, next time, lose the footnotes, they are important enough to be in the text. Looking forward to a sequel!

Magny's book is indeed a fun introduction to wine, and it makes the whole subject more accessible and less stuffy. His off-hand and informal way of discussing wine is very entertaining. But if I had been his editor, I would have eliminated most of those footnotes! Nobody wants to have to constantly scan to the bottom of the page (and there are footnotes on virtually every page!) to read a remark or bit of information that could have been incorporated into the main text. This book is not a scholarly treatment in which reference must constantly be made to previously published works by other scholars. It is a breezy and casual treatment of the subject, and, although I liked what the author had to say, I found the 438 footnotes annoying.

It may have been five years ago now when I was planning a trip to Paris with my mother inlaw and we set up an off the beaten path wine tasting-pairing class. Upon our arrival to class, we were very surprised to see this young man Olivier Magny holding this class in his one-room studio apartment! The class was full with all tourists. We had a wonderful time and he obviously knew his wines! How pleased we were when we found out that he not only took the initative to move on and try opening a larger place, but now owns and operates the Wine Bar in Paris, plus, has written to witty and informational books on it besides that! We are so proud of him. He makes learning fun and enjoyable! We wish him the best and I recommend this humoring, yet very fun way of learning about wine to everyone. A great read for everyone interested in wine.Brenda M, Hebron, NH USA

You will thoroughly love this book, so buy it, open a bottle of wine, and sit back and enjoy. This book is informative, interesting and entertaining. Olivier effortlessly combines it all and makes the world of wine not so intimidating. I knew a little about wine before getting this book. I definitely enjoyed drinking it. I have picked up other wine books and tossed them aside because, quite honestly, I couldn't understand them, or they bored me. Still, I desired to learn more, so I went ahead and purchased the book. It is quite clear that Olivier truly has a passion for wine, and it makes the book all the more enjoyable. Reading the book has made me appreciate wine even more. I love that the book is so easy to ready, yet packed with so much to learn. I definitely understand terroir! Thank you Olivier for a great wine book.

Was looking forward to reading this and it didn't disappoint.Informative- at every page there are interesting facts, descriptions of wines, grape types,producers etcEntertaining- in places laugh out loud funny, always read with a smile!Thoughtful- the descriptions of what constitutes "terroir", the love of soil, the effect big multi-nationals have had on the industry, and (fortunately) the realisation that more isn't the best are really what made this book for me.OlivierMagny is a very good, entertaining writer- and his wine bar ain't bad either!!

The book is not as much about wines as the superiority of French wine ideals and biodynamic farming. Learned a few things but I purchased in order to learn about wine and not euro centric arrogance.

Commentaires assez éclairés sur les bienfaits du tiroir et de l'environnement pour garder un caractère spécifique aux vins.Ce n'est pas un livre reprenant les divers cépages et les classifications suivant les régions.Commentaires plutôt généraux sur l'art du vin à travers le monde.Ce livre doit sortir en français incessammentà lire absolument pour avoir un angle de vue différent sur l'œnologie

Muito bacana a forma como Olivier trata sobre vinhos e tudo mais que faz parte desse universo. Recomendo a leitura.

I liked this book because it is informative, easy to read and brings a lot of the myths about wine into proper perspective. Well worth reading if you enjoy wine!