There is something mindblowing in Hannah Crosbie’s book, “Corker” in that she’s done the unthinkable. Crosbie, has made wine… fun.
The concept of the book and why it’s so much fun is that Crosbie has humorously and sarcastically paired wines to various life events. I’m curious if it took awhile to shop this book around or not given that all publishers seem to be looking for are “meme books” these days by influencers but I sure hope not as everything about it is a slam dunk.
It’s very easy to say, “Ugh, I’ve just been dumped, I want to get drunk.” but has anyone stopped for a minute to think about how much more appealing that would be with a bottle of Barbaresco? What if you’re the one doing the dumping and don’t want it to be “a thing”? Well, in that case you should opt for a bottle of Pinot Grigio. Finalized a divorce? That’s Barbera land, people. These are but a few of the suggestions that Crosbie makes just to give you a taste of what’s inside.
You may not agree with all the choices as wine choices are a very personal thing. I for one don’t want to huff down a bottle of California Chardonnay after running 5km, but the whole concept of the book is to get people thinking about options and not just assume that Such & Such Event means you do a shot, just ’cause.
The reason this book works so well isn’t just the concept though, it’s Crosbie’s writing. She’s witty, smart, and calls things as they are. I wouldn’t expect any less from a Scot living in London. If she hadn’t been the author, this could have easily been some throw away joke book someone would give you as a stocking stuffer because you “like wine”. Instead, this is nothing short of an everyone’s reference in terms of IRL wine choices.
The only note to make is that Crosbie’s wine picks are very UK-related. Being based in Spain, I’d have trouble finding 90% of the wines she recommends as the lists run very French heavy. Hell, if not in Paris, you’d have trouble finding these in France as wine shops outside the capital are very focused on the nearby regions.
She does however state at the beginning, that these are choices based upon what you can easily find in the UK, so this actually isn’t a bug, but a feature and makes a great deal of sense for a British reader.
Despite this aspect, I’m sure anyone the least bit creative can find equivalents in their local country. For instance, instead of Barbaresco for the dumpee, there are a great many lighter Rioja wines that could work in Spain or instead of Pinot Grigio, Rueda. Am I inferring a certain sadness to Rueda in saying that? Quite possibly.
All in all, it’s a very, very fun book, but also a great introduction to Crosbie’s writing. It also gives me hope that one can find wine writers that are great writers and fresh voices in what is often a stale, not-aging-well segment of the writing world.
If you aren’t already, have a look at Crosbie’s Instagram which is very, very much worth following.
★★★★★
Review copy provided by the publisher
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