Acclaimed importer and wine guru Terry Theise, long known for his top-notch portfolio and his illustrious writing, now offers this opinionated, idiosyncratic, and beautifully written testament to wine. What constitutes beauty in wine, and how do we appreciate it? What role does wine play in a soulful, sensual life? Can wines of place survive in a world of globalized styles and 100-point scoring systems? In his highly approachable style, Theise describes how wine can be a portal to aesthetic, emotional, even mystical experience—and he frankly asserts that these experiences are most likely to be inspired by wines from artisan producers.

Terry Theise, winner of the James Beard Foundation Award for Outstanding Wine and Spirits Professional, is an importer of boutique wines from Germany, Austria, and Champagne. His articles have appeared in The World of Fine Wine magazine. He was Wine & Spirits magazine’s Man of the Year in 2001 and Food and Wine magazine’s Importer of the Year in 2006.

“This book . . . does offer some interesting insights into wine and how some people can become quite passionate about it.”—Salinas Californian

“Terry Theise isn’t just an acclaimed importer of Teutonic wines and French Champagnes. He’s a philosopher, a dreamer and an inspiring writer whose catalogs have a following among lovers of the written word. . . . ‘Reading Between the Wines’ is a chance to wallow in Theise’s delicious world, a place in which the love of wine is both cerebral and profoundly intimate.”—The Oregonian

“We've previously looked at importer Terry Theise's ‘Reading Between the Vines,’ which brings his fractal, florid prose about wine's essence into long form. What's noteworthy about the paperback edition is Theise's new foreword, which occupies itself with the soulfulness of loving wine. In a mere 11 pages, he wipes away all the artifice of quantifying the stuff and putting it in little boxes. It's just the thing for a long holiday plane flight.”—San Francisco Chronicle

A beautifully written book on wine and the families that make it. . . . It deserves a place in every serious wine library.”—Visitvineyard.com

“As thoughtful of a rumination on wine and the beauty of being human, in all of our fragility, that you are ever likely to find in a wine book or any book for that matter. Theise shepherds us down a meandering path of enlightenment that encompasses a practical and metaphysical take on understanding our palates, a highly subjective take on the world of wine including a set of principles for what matters in vino, an assault against the dumbing down of wine, a parenthetical reference that lasts nearly 30 pages, a vivisection of sacred cows like points scoring, a carving of his Mount Rushmore of wine varietals and a discrete tour of his portfolio of wine via anecdotes.”—Forbes

“A wine book that's so stunning, your glass will never look the same.”—Serious Eats

“A terrific read, between the wines, so to speak, and one of the books of the season.“—Jancisrobinson.com

“For me, Terry Theise's "Reading Between the Wines" is the Wine Book of the Year. Its sphere is not wine journalism but wine literature.”—Howard Goldberg

“A beautiful collection of importer Terry Theise's thoughts on wine. . . It's so poetic we couldn't help reading parts of it out loud.”—Serious Eats / Pithy & Cleaver

“He's a lucid, passionate, and philosophical missionary evangelizing about artisanal wine. . . Amanual of wisdom about why wine is meaningful. “—Chow

“A broad, insistent and eloquent meditation on wine in general and why it matters. ‘Passion” is one of the world’s most overused words, ‘commonsense” is unfortunately not, but both apply equally here. . . . Not many wine books make you think, or laugh out loud; this does both.”—Decanter

“For someone with a true passion for wine, Theise's book is an affirmation and a joy to read.”—San Jose Mercury News

“I plan to reread it at least once a year to remind me of what wine is really all about. And because it's for the nascent wine geek in all of us, this is my wine book of the year. “—Santa Barbara News-Press

“The book is a compelling read.. . . It draws you in as a thinker, makes you wonder and even compels you to argue back at times.”—The Kitchen

“A small and intensely personal book, almost a love letter to the appreciation of wine. His thoughtful takes on wine tasting and wine scores are worth the price of the book. Although I've read it several times, it still sits on my nightstand, and I find myself reaching for it to reread favorite passages.”—Charlotte Observer

“Should be required reading for wine aficionados and also for newcomers who might not yet have put voice to their appetites for new and interesting wines. “—Washington Post

“For years, importer Terry Theise has written catalogs that are impassioned manifestos for the sort of wines he admires, notably grower Champagnes and German rieslings. This is his first book, and it packs all that passion and opinion into a wide-ranging look at the beauty and aesthetics of wine”—Seattle Times

“A thoughtful and reflective memoir by one of the wine world's top gurus.”—San Francisco Chronicle

“Might contain the year's most literate wine writing. Theise, well-known for his lyrical wordsmithing, avoids the usual memoir take and instead pens a rhapsody to the wines he loves, and to the very beauty of wine itself.”—Sf Chronicle

“In this inspiring and superbly written book, acclaimed importer Terry Theise muses on what constitutes beauty in wine and how to best appreciate it.”—Fine Cooking

“In this inspiring and superbly written book, acclaimed importer Terry Theise muses on what constitutes beauty in wine and how best to appreciate it. “—Fine Cooking

“Thiese is a man I’d like to drink with. Any wine. “—Bloomberg News

“A consequential book, rich in ideas and powerful in feeling.”—New York Times

“It's not even wine that Theise is really tackling. It's aesthetics. As such he skillfully reminds us of wine's timeless place in culture.”—Sf Chronicle

“Savvy wine drinkers should savor Theise's essays as a voice of passion and reason.”—Pittsburgh Tribune Review

“Wise and funny, committed and sincere, but never dogmatic. . . .A passionate defense of the importance of wine.”—The World of Fine Wine

“Terry Theise, perhaps more than any other person, knows how to convey in words just how magical wine can be, and the world needs more of that.”—Vinography

“An instant classic and rightful companion to what is now a holy trinity of modern wine books.”—Good Grape

"I read it almost in one gulp: he writes beautifully, uninhibitedly... almost, one might say, drunkenly... a man after my own heart."—-Hugh Johnson

“Theise first demystifies how to experience wine, then remystifies it by reinstating pleasure as what it’s all about.” STARRED REVIEW—Library Journal

“The most uplifting wine book of the year.... A wonderful antidote to the points-and-lifestyle wine coverage.” —Jancis Robinson, MW, Jancisrobinson.com

"There is only one reason that the American wine enthusiast is now completely enamored with German and Austrian wines: Terry Theise! This glorious book not only brilliantly showcases one man's love affair with all the beauties that can flow from the bottle, it definitively makes the case for the wines that are the most superbly suited to be served with food."—Chef Charlie Trotter

"Terry Theise's humane, subtle and engaging book illustrates the superiority of wisdom to mere knowledge. Read and be richer."—Andrew Jefford, columnist for Decanter and The World of Fine Wine

"Impassioned, insistent, and inimitable, Terry Theise is America's foremost wine philosopher. Lots of writers can explain the "what" of wine. Terry, uniquely, inspires us with the 'why'. I devoured Reading Between the Wines; it's the single best book I've ever read on why wine matters."—Karen MacNeil, author of The Wine Bible

"If you think you know something about wine, try Terry Theise's Reading Between the Wines because until you do, you haven't really started."—Tom Stevenson, author of Sotheby's Wine Encyclopedia

Shortlisted for the Andre Simon Book Award
Best Drinks Literature Book from the United States, Gourmand World Cookbook Awards

Read a review in Forbes

Learn about Terry Theise's movie, Leading Between The Vines