Vintage: A Novel
Written by David Baker
Narrated by Jeff Cummings
4/5
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About this audiobook
A humorous and evocative debut novel about a food journalist’s desperate attempt to save his career—and possibly, his marriage—by tracking an extremely valuable bottle of wine stolen by the Nazis over half a century ago.
Ten years ago, Bruno Tannenbaum was a passionate food journalist with a respected newspaper column, a popular segment on the evening news, and a bestselling guide to relationships through food. These days, Bruno is a passionate “has-been” living on his mother’s couch, separated from his wife and daughters, eating his way through an ever-dwindling bank account, faced with the gnawing doubt that he’ll never be the writer he once was.
Then Bruno stumbles on the secret to a “lost vintage” of wine, stolen by the Nazis during the Second World War and presumed lost to the world for good. Recognizing his one chance at reviving his career, he scrapes together his last resources and sets off on an exciting food-filled quest that leads him from the rolling hills of Burgundy to a raucous wedding in Moldova, to a Beaune Bacchanal, and the greying walls of a Russian prison, as he attempts to find this extremely valuable wine and prove himself as the writer, father, and husband he knows he can be.
Vintage is an exhilarating debut that reads like a delectable food memoir combined with a comic travelogue, including mouthwatering recipes and wine pairings. It is a deliciously scintillating story.
David Baker
David Baker is a history and science writer for SimonWhistler.com who holds the world's first PhD in Big History, studying under David Christian. He has delivered award-winning lectures at Macquarie University and the University of Amsterdam, is a visiting lecturer at the University of Paris-Sorbonne, and wrote the YouTube series Crash Course Big History, hosted by John and Hank Green in partnership with the Gates Big History Project. He is the author of The Shortest History of the World, and his forthcoming book is The History of Sex.
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Reviews for Vintage
8 ratings3 reviews
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5I freely chose to review this book as I was curious, but I never expected that the chapters were either food or wine instead of numbers and found it suits the book perfectly as Bruno Tannenbaum, an author for his first book that was published a decade ago, and a food critic for a Chicago newspaper was trying to write another book on his dad's old typewriter instead of doing his job. With warnings after warnings he still put off working and staying drunk his until he was fired, with his last pay check he bought groceries and returned to his ex-wife and two daughters hoping to settle his wife down when he admitted he was fired. This was the freedom to travel to Europe and begin his next book hoping for the success he had a decade ago. I will never look at food again without thinking of Bruno!
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5This author takes us on a really interesting journey through food, drink, and life.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Liked this read although the main character is not very likable and is driven by his love for wine, woman and fine food. Characters are interesting and the book moves at a good pace. The story line moves from Chicago, France, Germany and finally to Russia where the author has written about an unusual and improbable meal in prison. The mystery surrounding a particular wine and conclusion were a surprise. Throughout the tale the choices he makes are always in conflict with his family which he tries to amend with wine and food.