Wine Conversations: Exploring Meaning, Mystery and Myth features 16 conversations with wine experts who bring insight and perspective to connoisseurs who know and cherish wine and to those novices seeking to expand their understanding of wine. The book launched formally on Feb. 5, 2025, at Tapped Athens Wine Tasting Market. You can order at Amazon, Neighbohood Books, our local distributor, or directly from Innovative Ink Publishing, an imprint of Kendall Hunt.
Our Book Wins Silver!
Our recently published wine book earned a silver award in the Nonfiction Book Awards sponsored by the Nonfiction Authors Association.
Wine Conversations: Exploring Meaning, Mystery and Myth was produced by Keith Herndon as author and interviewer along with Charlotte Varnum, who served as editor. The book, featuring 16 interviews with prominent wine industry experts, grew out of the award-winning “Wines We Drink” podcast, a summer series Herndon and Varnum created in 2021.
Described by the award reviewers as “a beautifully presented compilation,” the book was released in January by Innovative Ink Publishing.
“Herndon, a journalism professor with wine in his veins and a podcast mic in hand, doesn’t just talk about wine. He cracks it open, lets it breathe, and invites you to taste the stories inside. This isn’t a textbook; it’s a backstage pass to the messy, beautiful, sunburnt world of winemakers, sommeliers, and salt-of-the-earth shop owners who’ve forgotten more about terroir than most of us will ever know,” wrote one of the award’s reviewers.
Another added, “Charlotte Varnum, his partner-in-crime on the ‘Wines We Drink’ podcast, sharpens these conversations into something urgent and relatable. Together, they dismantle the ivory tower of wine culture.”
Herndon, a certified wine sommelier and certified wine educator, described the book as a “deeply personal project,” which resonated with the reviewers.
“But here’s the kicker: Herndon never loses sight of wine’s soul,” wrote one reviewer. “He reminds us that the ‘best bottle’ isn’t the one with the fanciest label or the heftiest price tag. It’s the next one you crack open with a friend, laughing over takeout, because wine—at its core—is about connection. Not tasting notes.”
Herndon, who has also served as a judge in the James Beard Awards, said the new season of Wines We Drink, which launches June 11, will use content from the book to inspire its 12 episodes.
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
The photo on the left includes Keith Herndon, Rob White, the owner of Neighborhood Books, and Charlotte Varnum.