please read before drinking
wine and word recs for the month of may
Hey y’all.
Sorry for the delay, I promise I’m still here.
I’ve just been struggling to put together a newsletter for the month of May.
I’m not in a creative rut,
the opposite actually;
I’m in a surplus.
Currently, there mut be a hundred zippy, sarcastic, painful paragraphs cluttering my Google Docs.
There is no structure, no atlas, just working titles and half excavated memories that maybe one day, I’ll have time to organize, edit and compile into a tangible dream. I.e. the future book.
But until then, I will try to whip something up for all y’all, because something is better than nothing, right?
Or as one of my least favorite restaurant managers would say: it doesn’t have to be perfect, it just has to exist. Ironic because she would chew our heads off if something wasn’t up to her standards of perfection; like the candle wick being too low, or the windows not being sparkling enough (even if it was raining outside). But that’s the restaurant industry for you. You are the mercy of everyone’s mood swings.
Originally I advertised this newsletter as a safe haven for food essays, wine recs and millennial musings mainly centered around life in Italy. But lately I’ve been wanting to explore more facets of my personality and write accordingly. The problem is, I have more than a few male subscribers so I can’t go full on Carrie (Bradshaw), but I’ve considered it. Especially after reading this piece by Tyler Donohue. Highly recommend. Spoiler, it’s a bit explicit, but in a sexy, editorial way.
The truth is, I am also so incredibly bored with wine media these days. If I have to read about Albariño being THE WINE of the season (somehow every season) I’m going to lose it. In the last two year behind the (wine) bar, not once did ANYone ask for Albariño. Wine publications: can I ask where you’re getting this info? Because no one asked me.
Of course, there are a few exceptions. But as you guessed it, the exceptions are badass women writing about wine a bit differently; for them, wine (and other bevs) are not the whole story, but rather fuel for their stories, hai capito? (that’s Italian for you feel me?) These are the stories I am desperate to read.
If you need an example: Vignette: Stories of Life & Wine in 100 Bottles by Jane Lopes is a great place to start. From the cover, you’d think it’s a coffee table book with accessible wine education, pretty illustrations and anecdotes from Jane’s pursuit of her Master Sommelier certification. But if you read closely, the pages are filled with emotional tellings of her life lived beyond the bottle. Highly recommend.
All this to say, the newsletter this month will focus on the two things I can’t shut up about - what I’m drinking and what I’m reading. Because frankly, I’m desperate to read (and write) stories that make me feel something. And I want wine, and life, to be more fun.
Before I go on, this is a disclaimer that alcohol, when treated irresponsibly, can cause negative cognitive, physical and emotional ailments - and not just for the drinker. However, in my life, wine has brought me more magic than it’s brought harm, and that’s why I continue to write about the beverage with such wonderment. That’s all I can say.
READ #1
I’ve said this before, bartenders are the most interesting people in the restaurant. Every co-worker I’ve had over the last decade has been more interesting than the last. Maybe someone should write a book about them? This first chapter could be this piece recently, written by Lily Montasser I could not put it down. I’ve never bartended in New York City, but this interview with an Upper East Side bartender gave me an inside look of what life might have looked like if I had. There’s also a Part 2. Highly recommend.
After reading I suggest popping a bottle of something sparkling. Like this Glera Frizzante from Bisson. Grapes are grown in the area of Prosecco, but they use a beer bottle cap so it can’t be designated DOC or DOCG. That’s okay, it tastes great anyway. And the bubbles go straight to your tired, overworked head and make writing newsletters a little easier. If you’re a bartender, I also recommend treating yourself to a glass of bubbles while you’re cleaning at the end of the night. It helps heaps.
READ #2
I started the book Writers and Lovers by Lily King. I’m six years late because it debuted in 2020, but I was a bit busy falling in love and writing about it myself. After the first 20 pages, I was reminded that authors have a magical way of understanding your deepest quandaries and answering the most diabolical thoughts, without ever even knowing you. It also feels good to have the text remain still while reading. Haven’t we had enough with videos where the captions bounce around the screen, desperately trying to hold your attention? If the content is riveting, you don’t need tricks. I need to remind myself of that. That’s what Lily’s book proved to me (so far!) Highly recommend.
While reading, I recommend opening a bottle of Calcaneus Etna Rosso 2022, a Nerello Mascalese that went down like butter. Spicy, volcanic, pre-phylloxera vine butter. It’s the kind of wine you open and keep drinking, chapter after chapter, glass after glass. It just flows and you don’t want it to end.
READ #3
You remember, the book I claim to be working on? (I promise I am!) In fact I queried two literary agents last week, because shoot your shot; less qualified people are doing it all the time and yielding incredible results.
A friend asked recently why I’m writing this book about wine & love.
Is there an even audience for it?
It’s a valid question.
Is it too cliche, or naive, to say if I build it, they will come?
Something I learned in college - Marketing 101 - is that consistent brand messaging is key to long term success. Timeless brands don’t compromise their values to match industry trends, because for all we know they could change tomorrow (they usually do). So in answer to my friend’s question: I’m writing this book because I believe in it, and I believe in myself. And I hope others resonate with my stories, my point of view and find solace in knowing they are not the only ones going through it. That’s what Jane’s book, Vignette, did for me.
I don’t know how accurate the TV show Younger is in its portrayal of the publishing industry, but based on the show’s episode arcs, book deals are more or less a popularity contest. I think we’ve seen this play out over the last five years. Rachel Signer writes about the harsh realities of being an author in the age of influencerdom in her newsletter Sangiovese and Sediment, “‘Remember, people don’t read,’ the saying goes now. The books that do sell have million-follower-talent behind them. The actual words within are generally a mere backdrop; it’s about the personality, the virality.” Yikes.
Here’s the problem that remains unfixed.
I want to write a book.
I would ideally like that book to sell,
but I am so stubbornly unwilling to put my face and every thought out there in the form of content, for the sake of growing an audience. An audience that would more or less confirm book sales.
And believe you me, I’ve tried. I spent the last year trying, actually.
After countless recordings of mundane moments and hours editing depictions of my daily life, inside my home(s) (13 of them last year if you remember), I realized how much I value my privacy. Like your virginity, it’s one thing you can’t get back, so be careful who you let in.
Correct me if I’m wrong, but being vulnerable, raw and emotional through writing is so much easier than through video content. What’s that about? In this digital world, you can never really be anonymous, but words act as a mask in a way - whether it’s a book, an article or even a social media caption, I kind of like it that way. My third and final reading recommendation might shed some light on the topic and better illustrate my hesitation to be on display.
Tell Me Everything by Minka Kelly kept me up after work, reading, for three nights straight. The first chapter takes place in the green room of a strip club, the one her mother works at before she moves them both (and then just Minka) from home to home for the duration of her childhood. And when I say home I mean spare bedrooms, storage units, and abusive boyfriend’s couches. Throughout the course of the book, Minka went on to be a model, then actress and her career trajectory was anything but lucky. I don’t want to spoil what her first job was, but her memoir puts into perspective the privilege of privacy and anonymity. HIGHLY recommend.
After you binge this read, you should decompress with a bottle of Malvasia Seco from Los Bermejos, a winery located on the Canary Islands. It’s volcanic and raw and pretty at the same time. J’adore.
Another disclaimer that needs to be put into writing. When it comes to content creation, sharing your life online, through videos or writing, YOU know what you need, and what you want, better than anyone else. If content creation is your speed, go for it! I’m watching it, and cheering you on! I personally just can’t bring myself to do it anymore. If writing is your jam, which I believe it’s mine, then keep going! Just be aware, it might take a bit longer to gain the traction you need to attract the eyes of potential publishers. This is something I am mulling over everyday.
My best friend gave me the best compliment the other day. She told me my writing has gotten so much better because I am such a good reader. This is so true. I read all the time, sometimes in a second language, if I’m feeling up to it. So keep reading, because if nothing else, it may help your writing.
So that’s what I’ve been up to this month, reading, drinking and writing stories. The comment section remains open to any recommendations you have for novels, articles, essays that fit into my weird wine, food and love story universe.
Until then, keep reading (and drinking!) responsibly please :)
Postscript
If you like what you read, please subscribe! Knowing that people are graciously subscribing to my weird litte writing universe is the biggest compliment and encourages me to keep going. I don’t plan on putting up a pay-wall at the moment, but anything helps as far as pledges/subscriptions go.
La tana’s annual plan price costs $30. That is $2.50 a month. With your support I can continue write stories about sustainable food, love, millennial musings and anything else for all of you. Even one founding membership this month would completely change the game for me.
Thank you for reading,
Tana
❤️❤️❤️