Champagne Baby

How One Parisian Learned to Love Wine - and Life - the American Way

De: Laure Dugas

Narrado por: Christine Williams

Fresh, charming, and wholly irresistible, Champagne Baby turns a familiar tale on its head: Instead of yet another American seeking the French secret to good living, a Frenchwoman finds her purpose - much to her surprise - in America.

Laure Dugas is a champagne baby, born into a family of winemakers from two storied regions of France: Champagne and the Rhône Valley. When Laure was an infant, her mother would dip a finger in wine and dab it on Laure's lips to acclimate her to the taste and aroma. But Laure wants little to do with the family business. It is only at age 23, when her uncle offers to send her to New York City to learn English and represent his wines to the American market, that Laure bids adieu to her boyfriend and begins her journey of discovery.

The job, it turns out, is both harder and easier than expected. Laure must speak in a new language about a subject in which she has no expertise. But an experienced wine saleswoman shares the secret to faking it: "Always. Be. French." After all, who could claim to know more about wine than a Frenchwoman? With the pedigree of an expert, even as she feels like a fraud, Laure dives into an industry still dominated by men, winning over restaurateurs and sommeliers, diligently developing her palate, and traveling across the vast country that is her new home.

For the first time, Laure is able to distinguish among the famous wines of her native land. She learns to greet a wine by the nose and judge a bottle not by its industry rating but by the balance of its flavors. Overcoming homesickness, culture shock, and the trials of a long-distance relationship, Laure manages to settle into her new milieu, her wine-glass-half-full attitude turning an eight-month stint into a three-year adventure.

Part coming-of-age memoir, part travelogue, sprinkled throughout with wine recommendations, Champagne Baby imparts the critical lessons that pair with both wine and life: You're better than the cheapest bottle, there's always occasion for champagne, and trust your palate. It encourages listeners to view themselves and their surroundings with newfound appreciation and to raise their glasses with open-mindedness and joy.

©2016 Laure Dugas (P)2016 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Reseñas de la Crítica

"Christine Williams narrates both English and French with clear enunciation and vibrant enthusiasm. She savors the descriptions of wine tastings and confidently relays the inner workings of the wine industry.... A delightful listen for oenophiles, as well as for those eager to learn more about wine." ( AudioFile)

Weak Production of a Fairly Interesting Book

This book wasn’t for you, but who do you think might enjoy it more?

The NARRATOR wasn't for me. I liked the book. Why is the narrator have this totally Mid-Western accent when the author says her English is so bad people can't understand her? She didn't sound European at all; and this is a first person story. I don't get it.

What other book might you compare Champagne Baby to and why?

Sideways.

How did the narrator detract from the book?

I hate to be mean; maybe this is the producer/director or author's fault. Don't get me started. I realize a heavy accent would be bad, but when the narrator can't say Pinot Noir correctly?!?!?

If you could play editor, what scene or scenes would you have cut from Champagne Baby?

None.

Any additional comments?

These review questions are getting weirder and weirder. Now Audible is tailoring them to the star count. Twilight Zone.
I loved the content of the book, so I decided to buy a hard copy and chuck the audio version.

Nice blend of story and useful information.

An enjoyable read that also is instructional for beginning and intermediate wine drinkers. Easy to stop at each chapter and return later.