Love by the Glass

Book excerpt: “I am deeply inspired by this heartwarming story of how two people found love and—even better—a way to get paid for drinking wine.” —Dave Barry Internationally renowned journalists Dorothy J. Gaiter and John Brecher present a captivating memoir about falling in love with each other and with wine. She grew up in the all-black environment of Florida A&M University in Tallahassee. He was raised in Jacksonville, Florida, where his was one of a handful of Jewish families. When they met on June 4, 1973, in the newsroom of The Miami Herald, she says, “I felt in my bones like I had known him forever.” And he says, “I felt the instant I saw her that we had always been together, and knew we always would be.” That passion for each other and for wine has made their column a must-read for millions of neophyte and veteran wine lovers, who also follow their appearances on Martha Stewart’s TV show. The annual global celebration of wine that they created, “Open That Bottle Night,” encourages readers to finally drink that special wine they have been keeping. As Dottie and John write, “Wine can conjure up memories in a way that few other things can,” whether it’s a rare Burgundy or a bottle of cold duck. Frank J. Prial of The New York Times said of their first book, The Wall Street Journal Guide to Wine, “Their enthusiasm for the grape . . . is exceeded only by their enthusiasm for each other. It spills over on every other page.” Indeed, John and Dottie say they don’t write a wine column; they write a column about more important things. This book follows them from love at first sight, through a life of journalism, to a triumph on the basketball court at Madison Square Garden. You’ll discover the joys of wine along with them, but you’ll also discover that wine is really about good times, bad times, moments shared with loved ones, and new friends. It’s about memories. It’s about life.