Studying!

I am in the midst of an exciting time in my life. In about 3 weeks, I will be taking the last series of exams for my Master Sommelier Diploma in London. For those of you that are unfamiliar, this exam is one of the highest achievements that a wine professional can obtain and personally it has been a goal of mine for the past 5 years. As you might imagine, I am busy studying, tasting and preparing for my trip.

Since I am in study mode, I have decided to list some of my favorite sources for wine information, wine books, and wine stores (NYC only). I hope you will check some of them out. Happy studying, reading and tasting!

Wine Stores
Smith and Vine in Brooklyn (www.smithandvine.com)
Astor Wines (www.astoruncorked.com)
Union Square Wines (www.wineaccess.com/store/unionsquarewines)

Websites
www.andreaimmer.com - Andrea Immer Robinson is an amazing teacher and speaker www.appellationamerica.com - Comprehensive grape varietal descriptions
www.champagnemagic.com - Great Champagne information
www.italianmade.com/wines/home.cfm - Everything you need to know about Italian Wine www.decanter.com - General wine site
www.bordeaux.com - All about wine from Bordeaux
www.jancisrobinson.com - Jancis is an extremely talented writer

Books
Wine and War, by Don and Petie Kladstrup
Adventures on the Wine Route, by Kermit Lynch
Cotes d'Or, by Clive Coates
A History of Wine in America, by Thomas Pinney
The Oxford Companion to Wine, by Jancis Robinson
The Complete Windows on the World Wine Course, by Kevin Zraly
Sothebys World Wine Encyclopedia, by Tom Stevenson
Red Wine with Fish, by David Rosengarten and Joshua Wesson
The Taste of Wine, by Emile Peynaud