Hitting the Books with Gary Thorne: "American Wine: A Coming-of-Age Story"

Tom Acitelli's "American Wine: A Coming-of-Age Story," published in 2015, tracks the explosion in wine sales in the U.S. since the 1960s and the how our culture that had generally ignored wine became the No. 1 wine market in the world.

To say the change occurred quickly is putting it mildly. Acitelli names the names in the wine business that pushed this rapid growth, how they did it and the cultural shift that created wine popularity.

Those that impacted this growth were not only in the vineyards growing the fruit. Outside the vineyard, those who impacted the business include the indomitable chef Julia Child, the "Sideways "movie, the critic Robert Parker and the 1976 Judgment of Paris, where U.S. wines outdid their French counterparts.

This 1976 sip heard round the world is a tale of how a moment in history can alter the future. The impact the moment had on the American physic and the turn to uncorking is an interesting tale of human response.

Yes, I enjoy wine. Anyone who does will enjoy this work. Even if you don't imbibe, the stories of wine in the U.S. to be found herein are fun to read.

I have not read another of Acitelli's works, "The Audacity of Hops," which seeks to cover the craft beer revolution in the U.S. If done with the quality of research and presentation found in "American Wine," it should be a good read.

"I cook with wine, sometimes I even add it to the food." - W.C. Fields

Librarian Deborah Taylor, school and student services coordinator at the Enoch Pratt Free Library, offers us this recommendation:

"My recommendation is 'Darius and Twig' by Walter Dean Myers. It is a compelling story about friendship between two high schoolers: Darius, a writer, and Twig, a long-distance runner. The narrative focuses on each young man using his talents to overcome obstacles. Twig is hoping his athletic skills will result in a college scholarship and the plot shows the ups and downs of that dream."

This book has received outstanding reviews and is an honor book in School Library Journal. It is recommended for young adults (13 and older) and everyone else.

Thanks, Deborah.

Gary Thorne is the play-by-play voice of the Orioles on MASN, and the 2016 season is his 10th with the club and 31st covering Major League Baseball. His blog will appear regularly throughout the season. The Govans Branch of the Enoch Pratt Free Library will host "Veggie Gardening 101" on Friday, April 22 at 3:30 p.m. at 5714 Bellona Ave. Learn to grow vegetables, in containers or in your yard, and take home some plants to test your gardening skills.

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