Barrel of Laughs

Wine books for the funny bone

The Cork Book of Nostrildamus: A Humorus Guide to the Wine Experience

Tom Robertson — aka Vito Corkleone — of Eugene shares his love of wine, words and witticism with his tome of tongue-in-cheek wine terms, such as “corkism: a collection of humorous one-viners.” It only gets corkier from there. Order on www.etsy.com. 63 pages; spiral-bound paperback; 1989 self-published.

The Illustrated Winespeak: Ronald Searle’s Wicked World of Winetasting

English artist Ronald Searle takes a satirical look at some of the pretentious phrases used to describe wines by comically assigning those characteristics to people. Brilliant! A must-see, must-read and must-laugh. Search for this title at your favorite used bookstore. 104 pages; hardcover; 1992 Souvenir Press.

The Exes in My Glass: How I Refined My Taste in Men & Alcohol

Wine blogger Lisa Mattson’s dating memoir sends readers on a raucous journey from rural Kansas to California wine country, and steamy points in between. Her colorful, romantic relationships help fuel Mattson’s narrative of a “young woman thirsty for worldliness and starving for love.” In the end, sparks and corks fly, with laughter at almost every turn. 353 pages; paperback and e-book; 2015 Createspace. www.lisamattsonwine.com

Corkscrew: The Highly Improbable, but Occasionally True, Tale of a Professional Wine Buyer

Peter Stafford-Bow’s series centers on Felix Hart, a British prep school reject who’s found himself in the cut-throat world of wine retail. Part thriller, part self-help manual and part drinking companion, “Corkscrew,” the first of three books, is a laugh-out-loud, sardonic novel filled with suspense, sass and out-right silliness. 402 pages; paperback and e-book; 2020 Lume Books. www.peterstaffordbow.com