The Book
99 Bottles: A Black Sheep’s Guide to Life-Changing Wines, published 2019
The Author
André Hueston Mack, a sommelier also known for his popular wine series on Bon Appétit’s YouTube channel.
Quick summary of the book
André Hueston Mack chronicles his life through memorable experiences, and the drinks he paired with those experiences.
The Opinion
Okay. To be honest, I had not originally intended to provide book opinions on books not related to history. But I enjoyed this book too much to not include it.
99 Bottles is written by André Hueston Mack, and chronicles his life through noteworthy drinks. Well, sometimes the drink is noteworthy and sometimes the story makes the drink noteworthy.
For those who don’t know, Mack is an African American sommelier. As he points out in the Introduction to his book, this gives him a different perspective. His perspective allows him to think about beer, wine and spirits and educate in a way that makes it all more relatable. There are no stuffy French stereotypes here.
Mack’s approachable style, and relaxed attitude to the sometimes stodgy and formal world of wine teaches viewers that good wine comes at all price points and should be fun. He also does a great job of teaching you the vernacular of wine in a way that is easy to understand.
One thing I enjoyed was learning about the many varieties of wine I did not know existed. That is one of the advantages of learning from a professional like Mack. His depth of knowledge opens up the wine world even more. There’s not just Merlot, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. But also Sauternes, Királyudvar, and Albariño. There’s not just France, Italy, and California. There’s also Alsace, Germany, and Washington State.
If you enjoy Mack on YouTube, you will like this book. The communication style is the same. Educational, approachable and friendly. You want to open a bottle of wine while reading the book, and it would be even better if you could share it with Mack.
In his YouTube series, Mack eschews the typical points rating list and system, and he does the same in his book. He instead uses wine baseball cards to provide you with the basic information about the drink, such as the name, price point and where to find it.
One thing to note is that his pairing suggestions are non-traditional. I feel like I should have expected that, but I didn’t. Mack provides some “typical” pairings like steak or french fries, but most suggestions are experiences. In a way, it seems like he is encouraging to create your own 99 stories.
If you are looking to learn more about wine, and you want to do it in a slightly less traditional way, this book is an excellent choice.
An Important Note
Please drink responsibly. It’s okay to take a break from drinking, and that break can last as long as you want. If you do need help, please reach out to a medical professional, friend or family member.
Extras
Are you interested in more book opinions? Check out Appendix A for more.
