What a fun read. I didn't know much about the central characters before I dived into this nonfiction book, so each page was a surprise. I also learned an enormous amount about wines, how they age, and which brands are the most hoity-toity; I could probably pretend to be a terrible snob now. Unfortunately, several years ago I took a vacation that included several visits to wineries and sadly determined that although I can (sort of) tell the difference between a 10 dollar wine and an 80 dollar one, that's about it. Anything aside from the cheapest wines seemed to taste the same to me.

My most high brow experience from that trip was probably the glass of (relatively cheap) Chateau Margeaux that tasted velvety soft with all sorts of berry and woodsy flavors commingling in one glass--a very cool sensory experience. Mostly all I remember is how mean all the other wine aficionados were. On one tour, an American couple asked a question about the "toast." I did not know what that word meant and piped up, "What's toast?" before enduring their withering glares. The tour guide was happy to educate, but the other guests were put out. I often think that learning is a life-long adventure if you can side-step all the know-it-alls that try and protect the currency of their knowledge. I guess that's what good books are for.

Speaking of which, the book read a bit like a suspense novel, with more and more allegations piling up to condemn various members of the inner circle. It's too bad that most of the pivotal characters were men, except for the despised Serena Sutcliff and the ignored woman from Monticello, but I did get a peek into the strange world of wine super collectors. This book also made me interested in reading more about Thomas Jefferson, whose meticulous attention to detail is awe-inspiring, among his many, many other awe-inspiring qualities.
I strongly recommend this book to wine drinkers, connoisseurs, and fans of movies similar to Catch Me If You Can.
Cheers!