Alpana Pours: About Being a Woman, Loving Wine, and Having Great Relationships

by Alpana Singh, Robert Scarola (Collaborator)

Alpana Pours is a unique lifestyle book with wine as the centerpiece. Since American women purchase and consume more wine than American men, 77% and 60% respectively, a voice is needed to help women understand that their busy professional and social lifestyles can be well paired with wine. Master Sommelier and successful television host Alpana Singh, twenty-nine, happens to be just the person who can help them do it. Alpana Singh is uniquely qualified to talk about wine, contemporary women and relationships. At age twenty-six she became the youngest woman to be inducted into the world’s most exclusive sommelier organization, the hundred-and-twenty-member Court of Master Sommeliers. She spent five years as sommelier at a world famous four star restaurant, Everest of Chicago. While there she closely observed the sometimes humorous, sometimes absurd, social interactions between men and woman at all stages of their relationships. Her mental journal of these “social observations” came in handy as she wrote her first book, Alpana Pours . Alpana Pours reaches readers in playful language they will understand, and in a highly entertaining manner they will enjoy. Women want to know how to select wine when entertaining important clients, pair wine with food they and their partner are preparing together, choose the right wines for hostess gifts, bridal showers, a first meeting with a boyfriend’s parents and what wine to, or not to, order on a first date. Alpana Pours supplies tips on these and a myriad of other topics including “dating” and “dealing with guys.” The book’s gender riff on wine and lifestyle is unique and will definitely grab reader’s attention.

Genres: Nonfiction, Memoir

220 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2006

Reviews

[Christine Zibas · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Alpana Pours” is not like any wine book you’re likely to see on the shelves of your local bookstore. Instead of overwhelming you with arcane facts and vintages, Alpana Singh (TV hostess of Chicago’s “Check Please” restaurant review show on PBS) has written a lifestyle book centered on the subject of feeling comfortable around wine. It seems that for most people, wine can be a little intimidating. Most of us go to a nice restaurant, get handed a wine list, and then proceed to squirm in our seats, unsure what to order yet wishing to appear confident that the wine we select will be worth the big bucks we will pay out to enjoy this pleasure.

Alpana has taken all of the mystery, but none of the fun, out of enjoying wine. Noting that 77 percent of American women buy and consume wine, she has chosen this group to focus on in her book, although her lessons (and wine tricks) will be just as usable by the male species.

Singh worked for years at one of Chicago’s most glamorous (and expensive) restaurants, Everest, as a Master Sommelier before taking on the role of TV show hostess. Engaged in the business of wine from an early age, she relates to young women and their tastes and anxieties. She breaks down wine into easy-to-use categories, while never diminishing the complexity of her subject. Instead, she presents tools to show her readers how to select a wine depending on their own tastes, for food pairing, for party purchases, and for the sheer enjoyment of a great glass at home.

This is a wonderful book for anyone (and that probably includes most of us) who wants to know more about wine, how to choose it and enjoy it to the fullest capacity. This makes a fun gift for the holidays or would make a great housewarming present. While everyone may not care about the dating and relationship information that makes up a share of the book, there is so much practical knowledge about enjoying wine that it would be easy to skip over and get to the heart of the subject.

Singh addresses wines at all price levels. She talks about how to get the best out of a cheap bottle, which glasses and gadgets you really need, how to determine which wine would work best at various meals (including something as perplexing as a potluck!), and a host of other topics that you will put to good use on a regular basis. “Alpana Pours” is a tiny gem in a sea of wine tomes, and there isn’t a higher recommendation than that!

[DaShannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alpana Singh is a master sommelier and shares her love for wine, wine shopping, wine sipping, and lifestyles around wine. Although it looks like a book just about wine it interestingly focuses on relationships around wine. Wine brings people together and Singh tells stories about people and the wine that was there. I keep this book in my kitchen for easy reading.

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

No matter if you are a novice wine drinker or one with long experience, this book is for you! A great deal of information is presented in an easy to read style and format. A thoroughly interesting and fun read!

[Angie · Rating 4 out of 5]

There's a little bit of "men do X while women love to do Y" that seemed dated or grating. But overall this is a very fun and informative read. You really feel like Alpana's voice comes through and that she genuinely wants us to enjoy wine, keep an open mind, and have some fun with it all.

[Mary Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

i learned a lot in a enjoyable way. Would recommend it to anyone interested in wine.

[Liz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun, fast read. It would have been on-the-nose-applicable to me stage 24, but as I've shockingly matured a bit since then, I was proud to think to myself, "oh, well of course, I totally know that" when Alpana described some of the finer points of selecting the right reds and wines based on occasion and taste. For example, I'm proudly past my "just run to the grocery store and grab the yellow tail Shiraz for ladies' BYOB night" and I know enough about what I personally like to make educated decisions at a restaurant and in the wine shop. I learned some cool things, though, and was most interested when Alpana went into food pairing and wine geography. She definitely talks about wine in a way that is relatable, not condescending, and easy to understand, and most importantly for me she dispelled a bunch of pretentious assumptions that I've fallen prey to in the past. Bottom line is that the book totally makes me want to be friends with Alpana and drink wine incessantly and tell witty jokes to each other. She's the coolest.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a good little wine book. I like Alpana on Check please! As I somehow "know" more about wine than pretty much all my friends and family, they usually defer to me to choose in restaurants and the like. What I like most about this book is that it will help those who aren't comfortable selecting wine to see that drinking wine is like enjoying art--nobady can tell you how to do it. You like what you like, and everyone experiences each glass differently. This is a good way for the wine-shy and champagne-meek to gain confidence and get out there and drink wine!!

One thing to note, Alpana directs this more towards the female, but that doesn't preclude a guy from enjoying it or from learning something.

[Kerry · Rating 3 out of 5]

So I was really excited to read this book about wine written by the cool host of Check Please. She is a Master Sommelier and I was really curious about how she came into the field, etc. I was also interested in her advice on wine. Unfortunately, the biographical piece was far too brief for my tastes. The wine advice is the most solid and handy part of the book. The whole thing is set up in very brief sections and it lends itself to reading bit by bit...while commuting, for example. However, I found the way she tries to relate to and customize the book towards women a bit hokey and cheesy.

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lot of information if you are interested in wines. If you are a true beginner, as I am, it may be a little overwhelming. I'm not really very familiar with different types of wines, I tend to stick to a few. But, I think the author is easy to read, the format is understandable, and there is lots of good info. The primary point that I took away is that even though I am a novice when it comes to wines, I can still make informed decisions about wines to choose for parties and dinners to coordinate with dinner or the occasion.

[Tgaylord · Rating 3 out of 5]

My rating has more to do with 2 things that aren't the fault of the author: that I'm not a woman, to which gender this book is geared; and I have a pretty extensive knowledge of wine, such that a lot of the information was not new to me. I do, however, love Alpana, so I bought it (an autographed copy) and read it anyway.

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

An accessible, practical guide to wine, with great tips. One of my favorite features is an easy-to-remember chart for pairing food and wine (e.g., when you think chardonnay, think butter, and pair it with any food that you'd put butter on). I also like her party pointers. Need a bottle of something that goes with everyone's entrees at your table? Get a champagne or a sparkler.

[Katarzyna Bartoszynska · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not as fun or as funny as it wants to be, but informative and useful nonetheless. I learned a bit, and the overall insistent message about feeling more comfortable and confident with wine made an impact. The relationship/life advice was less annoying than I expected it to be, but every bit as uncompelling. Still, it's a quick, easy read, and I'm glad I did it.

[maria · Rating 2 out of 5]

220-pages of cloying cosmo girl-talk, set in a big font with swirly graphics, with about ten pages of simple wine facts interspersed. yet, those ten pages were news to me, earning this trashy read a second star.

[Jenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book- the author is humble and relatable, which is especially refreshing for a book about wine. Cheesy metaphors and excerpts relating wine and relationships, but more tongue-in-cheek style. Most importantly, I learned a lot about wine!

[Monika · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! This is a fascinating book that is perfect for any wine lover. Whether you understand wine or are wanting to learn more about the juice, this book appeals to the masses in a funny, female-friendly way.

[Claudia · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great beginner book about wine. It removes a lot of the intimidation and let's you relate to the wine using familiar terms and examples. Alpana does a decent job keeping you entertained and wanting to learn more.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a cute little book about wine. I did get a better understanding of the different types of wine and now feel a bit more confident in trying wine. It's not a deep book, nor does it challenge your mind, but it's an easy book to start with on your wine journey.

[Holly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Since Alpana is a chicago television personality hosting, Check Please, i had to read this book. Alpana offers great wine advice for any level of wine drinker! She writes with a great sense of humor and her pairings are interesting.

[Carrie · Rating 2 out of 5]

not very well written in a very conversational, "girlfriendy" style. basic wine tips with unexciting and uninteresting side stories.

[J · Rating 3 out of 5]

Aphana is engaging, if not a little man-hating.

[Alyse · Rating 2 out of 5]

A good book about wine, but she gets kind of obnixous. I was actually racing to get finished with it so I didn't have to "listen" to her voice any more. But, I love the show "Check Please".

[Jan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book---light, fun reading, good practical recommendations. I'm giving it as a gift to a fellow female wine-lover.

[Academy Chicago · Rating 5 out of 5]

She's an Emmy award winning host, a Master Sommelier, and can tell you the perfect wine to get hammered on and buy a pair of stelletos.

[Nicole Javvaji · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fun, informative read about wine.

[Connie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such an accessible, informal wine guide...very easy read.

[Beth Lokenvitz]

This book about wine is very interesting. Darryl even picked it up and read it before I could get to it.

I got the book from Jill so'll pass it on to Mom next.

[Deborah · Rating 3 out of 5]

easy to read, great for someone wanting to get to know about wine.

[Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kinda cutesy - I like her a lot we watch Check Please - not sure it gave me any info I didn't already know.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you love wine, you will love this book!

[allison · Rating 2 out of 5]

Almost unspeakably silly.