Bacchus and Me

Jay McInerney on wine? Yes, Jay McInerney on wine The best-selling novelist has turned his command of language and flair for metaphor on the world of wine, providing this sublime collection of untraditional musings on wine and wine culture that is as fit for someone looking for "a nice Chardonnay" as it is for the oenophile.

On champagne: "Is Dom P rignon worth four bottles of Mo't & Chandon? If you are a connoisseur, a lover, a snob, or the owner of a large oceangoing craft, the answer . . . is probably yes."

On the difficulty of picking a wine for a vegetarian meal: "Like boys and girls locked away in same-sex prep schools, most wines yearn for a bit of flesh."

On telling the difference between Burgundy and Bordeaux: "If it's red, French, costs too much, and tastes like the water that's left in the vase after the flowers have died, it's probably Burgundy."

On the fungus responsible for the heavenly flavor of the dessert wine called Sauternes: "Not since Baudelaire smoked opium has corruption resulted in such beauty." Includes new material plus recommendations on the world's most romantic wines and the best wines to pair with a meal