We held our formal launch party at Tapped Athens on Feb. 5 featuring complimentary champagne from our launch sponsor Atlanta Beverage. Keith and Charlotte were joined by Rob White of Neighboorhood Books.
Our Book is Published!
Wine Conversations: Exploring Meaning, Mystery and Myth features 16 conversations with wine experts who bring insight and perspective to connoisseurs who already cherish wine and to those novices seeking to expand their wine journey.
The book launched formally on Feb. 5, 2025, at Tapped Athens Wine Tasting Market. You can order at Amazon, but we recommend ordering from Neighbohood Books, an Athens small business. You can also buy it directly from Innovative Ink Publishing, an imprint of Kendall Hunt.
Keith Herndon, our co-host, who is a certified wine sommelier and certified wine educator, led the conversations over several months and compiled them into a collection he described as an intensely personal project. “I reconnected with my wine roots through this book and made new friends as well,” Herndon said. Co-host Charlotte Varnum is the book’s editor.
The conversations include the proprietor of a winery where Herndon has been a member for over a decade and the owner of the shop where he hosts periodic wine tastings. Herndon also engaged with the makers of his favorite wines, the mentor who encouraged his formal training, an Atlanta sommelier recognized with the famous Michelin award, a Napa Valley grape-growing legend and several emerging superstars who have overcome many obstacles to achieve success in the challenging wine business. Readers will gain an appreciation for the special meaning wine contributes to life’s important moments while also discovering fascinating mysteries and learning that what we think we know about wine is often a myth.
The full list of experts featured in the book includes:
• Christian Butzke, oenologist, Purdue• Silvia Cristina Cardoso, sommelier, AmaDouro• Juan Fernando Cortés, sommelier, The Chastain• Benjamin Darnault, French winemaker• Justine Vanden Heuvel, viticulturist, Cornell• Todd Hurt, proprietor, Tapped Athens • Clinton Lee, founder, Asia Pacific Wine & Spirit Institute• Phil Long, founder, Longevity Wines• Nicole Marchesi, winemaker, Far Niente• Leslee Miller, sommelier, Amusée/ Cépage/Sip Better• Mark Neal, owner, Neal Family Vineyards• Tonya Pitts, sommelier & writer-at-large, Wine Enthusiast• Peter Plaehn, sommelier and wine buyer, Surdyk's• Brenae Royal, former director of vineyard operations, St. Supéry• René Schlatter, proprietor & CEO, Merryvale• Chelsea Young, founder, The Oenophile Institute