Loving Wine and Writing About it: The Light Touch

“A guy walks into a bar…” I assume that’s how a good book on the humor in wine begins. Experientially, that is. Verbally, an excellent book on this topic begins: “Que Syrah Syrah”. That book is Vintage Humor for Wine Lovers, written and compiled by Malcolm Kushner. And not only is Mr Kushner an author, he is also a great promoter of his work and so you may have seen this book reviewed elsewhere.

In fewer than 150 pithy pages, Kushner takes us in short sips through puns, proverbs, and just plain funny stuff. Organized into 13 chapters by topic, the book exemplifies Kushner’s core philosophy: wine should start and end with a smile.

I‘ve pulled out some of my favorites but you should gift this book to yourself for those days that you – or your friends—need an extra pour of smiles.

“A regurgitated beverage doesn’t go with anything.”

“ Q: What’s the difference between God and a wine critic? A: God doesn’t think He’s a wine critic.”

Pickup Lines & Responses: “Would you like another glass of wine?” “Do you really think our relationship will last that long?”

A FAIR DEAL: A prominent female executive returns home after a conference in Paris. As she steps off the Concorde at Kennedy Airport, her waiting assistant notices that she is carrying a case of Chateau Petrus 1990. “Nice wine,” says the assistant. “Thanks! I got it for my husband!” responds the executive. The assistant pauses for a second, then nodding her head enthusiastically, says: “Good trade!”

And to end it all, as a paean to our times, there’s the cartoon on page 96 with the punch line: “What’s the right wine to go with severance pay?”

Smile! We’ll all get through these times faster if we can find some humor in the day-to-day!