You Had Me at Pet-Nat: A Natural Wine-Soaked Memoir
- Downloads：2497
- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2021-10-20 10:19:18
- Update Date：2025-09-07
- Status：finish
- Author：Rachel Signer
- ISBN：0306924749
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
Reviews
Katie Mac
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I received an eARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。2。5。 I wanted to love this， but I didn't connect with the writing style--it didn't feel like a memoir so much as a treatise on wine-making and natural wines with a hint of romance thrown in。 With the lack of detail about herself， Signer comes across as a little entitled， so I didn't connect with her either。 The parts about wine-making were mildly interesting， but I'd have preferred more details about her journey and I received an eARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。2。5。 I wanted to love this， but I didn't connect with the writing style--it didn't feel like a memoir so much as a treatise on wine-making and natural wines with a hint of romance thrown in。 With the lack of detail about herself， Signer comes across as a little entitled， so I didn't connect with her either。 The parts about wine-making were mildly interesting， but I'd have preferred more details about her journey and her feelings。 。。。more
Gina
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I greatly enjoyed reading this book。Rachel Signer had a vision for her future。 It revolved （but wasn't limited to） living in an old， gorgeous apartment somewhere in beautiful Paris where she could sit back， watch the world go by from her windows， and sip on her beverage of choice - a great glass of wine。Life had other ideas。 Paris？ Try New York City。 Lounging in an old Paris apartment with a glass of wine？ Try struggling to make it as a free lance journalist while waiting tables to pay the bills I greatly enjoyed reading this book。Rachel Signer had a vision for her future。 It revolved （but wasn't limited to） living in an old， gorgeous apartment somewhere in beautiful Paris where she could sit back， watch the world go by from her windows， and sip on her beverage of choice - a great glass of wine。Life had other ideas。 Paris？ Try New York City。 Lounging in an old Paris apartment with a glass of wine？ Try struggling to make it as a free lance journalist while waiting tables to pay the bills that seem to come with alarming frequency。 Her love life was about as exciting as her paying job was - meaning， nope。Little did she know that her life was about to take a turn， thanks to a glass of pétillant-naturel （the abbreviated "Pet-Nat" in the title"）。 Pet-Nat is an all natural wine， free of the extra additives and chemicals commonly used in the beverage。 You'll have to get the book to see how one little glass of Pet-Nat changes her life in ways she could never have imagined， and how it led to travels throughout Europe - and even Australia， and how it led to her finding the path she was always meant to take。 。。。more
Kirsten Clark
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I've read several wine related memoirs， but none like this。 Modern and very well written。 You felt like you were there with Rachel。 Experiencing what she was and feeling what she was。 For younger wine professionals or those thinking of breaking into the field I highly recommend this read。 Sometimes you stumble upon things and you have no idea how greatly they will affect your life and change it， this book demonstrates how just one encounter， one decision can snowball and change everything。 I've read several wine related memoirs， but none like this。 Modern and very well written。 You felt like you were there with Rachel。 Experiencing what she was and feeling what she was。 For younger wine professionals or those thinking of breaking into the field I highly recommend this read。 Sometimes you stumble upon things and you have no idea how greatly they will affect your life and change it， this book demonstrates how just one encounter， one decision can snowball and change everything。 。。。more
Dylan
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Reading this made me want to learn about （and drink） natural wine。 It gave me a case of wanderlust as well， and an urge to break from the 9-5 routine， as the author traveled country to country。 It felt a bit long though， and perhaps a tad slow。 And the romance - while interesting to see the complications of loving someone but being forced to change lifestyles to be with them - was a bit unsatisfying。 Which is weird to say about a memoir。 Also， the end was very sudden。 But here I am googling the Reading this made me want to learn about （and drink） natural wine。 It gave me a case of wanderlust as well， and an urge to break from the 9-5 routine， as the author traveled country to country。 It felt a bit long though， and perhaps a tad slow。 And the romance - while interesting to see the complications of loving someone but being forced to change lifestyles to be with them - was a bit unsatisfying。 Which is weird to say about a memoir。 Also， the end was very sudden。 But here I am googling the Lucy Margaux Farm and other wines mentioned， so something about this read did resonant with me。 3。5 。。。more
Grace T
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You Had Me at Pet-Nat is a fun memoir covering Rachel Signer's journey into the world of natural wine。 Along the way， she meets new friends （and lovers）， starts a magazine， and creates her own wine blend。 Throughout the book， Signer travels all across the world and beautifully captures the feel of each place。 Whether it's a small cafe in Paris or a sprawling hillside in Australia， you really feel like you are there with her。 It was really fascinating reading about her experience actually pressin You Had Me at Pet-Nat is a fun memoir covering Rachel Signer's journey into the world of natural wine。 Along the way， she meets new friends （and lovers）， starts a magazine， and creates her own wine blend。 Throughout the book， Signer travels all across the world and beautifully captures the feel of each place。 Whether it's a small cafe in Paris or a sprawling hillside in Australia， you really feel like you are there with her。 It was really fascinating reading about her experience actually pressing her own grapes; I'll have to give her wine a try！There were a handful of times when the book felt a little dry （pardon the wine pun）。 In the third act， Signer skillfully writes passages about the history of wine making and different regions of the world， but it was so far removed from what was happening with her in that moment that it read as somewhat disjointed。As other reviewers have pointed out， there is a lot of both personal and financial privilege on display in this book。 If you approach it as a light beach read， for example， that may not bother you。 If you start to think too much about the countless round trip flights to Australia， however。。。not sure。Thank you to Netgalley and Hachette Books for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Joann Langdon
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Never received book
Megan
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I love a good memoir and coupling that with the story of a journalist turned winemaker， well I was sold！ Rachel Singer’s memoir takes us from life as a journalist and wine seller to becoming a winemaker in Australia and weaves in a love story along the way。 I found the book to be charming and educational at the same time。 There are sections which delve deeper into the winemaking process itself and can be a bit slow for readers not interested in learning the background/techniques behind， but thes I love a good memoir and coupling that with the story of a journalist turned winemaker， well I was sold！ Rachel Singer’s memoir takes us from life as a journalist and wine seller to becoming a winemaker in Australia and weaves in a love story along the way。 I found the book to be charming and educational at the same time。 There are sections which delve deeper into the winemaking process itself and can be a bit slow for readers not interested in learning the background/techniques behind， but these parts are easy to move through。 One part I would say may be a bit challenging was the wine terminology and French words laced in the story without definition。 I am fortunate to have a background in wine， so it was familiar to me， but others may not have an easy time with this。 I could see how sections might get skimmed over or a reader might become frustrated having to stop to look things up。 Overall， a very interesting and enjoyable read。 3。5 star， rounded to 4。 Thank you Net Galley and Hachette Books for an e-galley in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Carol Hays
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Even as a novice in wines， I found I couldn't put this book down once I started reading it。 Reading about the author's quest to find love and make "natural" wine was enthralling and entertaining。 The author made me see all the places see traveled to from Paris to Australia， and I could almost taste the wonderfully yummy dishes they sampled and the wonderful， refreshing wines that they sampled。 The author also provides a chance to learn about all the hard work and trail and error that goes into m Even as a novice in wines， I found I couldn't put this book down once I started reading it。 Reading about the author's quest to find love and make "natural" wine was enthralling and entertaining。 The author made me see all the places see traveled to from Paris to Australia， and I could almost taste the wonderfully yummy dishes they sampled and the wonderful， refreshing wines that they sampled。 The author also provides a chance to learn about all the hard work and trail and error that goes into making a great wine。 。。。more
（a）lyss（a）
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I received a copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。This is a beautiful memoir！It's very character-driven and is full of travel， love， and wine。 Especially reading in quarantine it has sparked that wanderlust and is a cute and romantic read。 Signer talks about wines and shares lots of information on classification and how wine is made。 It's a surprisingly informative read！ Signer also opens up about her relationships and her experiences learning about wine and her t I received a copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。This is a beautiful memoir！It's very character-driven and is full of travel， love， and wine。 Especially reading in quarantine it has sparked that wanderlust and is a cute and romantic read。 Signer talks about wines and shares lots of information on classification and how wine is made。 It's a surprisingly informative read！ Signer also opens up about her relationships and her experiences learning about wine and her travels。It's thoughtful， intriguing， and an interesting read！ 。。。more
Tara
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Rachel Signer has written a captivating， original memoir。 I enjoyed reading about the process of natural wine making and the subculture of aficionados around the world in this book。 It was fun to "travel" with Rachel to Europe and Australia and follow her romance and her mindset as she ventures into a new life overseas。 Thank you to NetGalley and Hachette Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review。 Rachel Signer has written a captivating， original memoir。 I enjoyed reading about the process of natural wine making and the subculture of aficionados around the world in this book。 It was fun to "travel" with Rachel to Europe and Australia and follow her romance and her mindset as she ventures into a new life overseas。 Thank you to NetGalley and Hachette Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Anastasia Artayet Shepherd
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I learned SO MUCH about wine with this book and need a wine tasting event and purchasing list to go with this book launch。 Am I about to track down bottles and wineries mentioned now？ Absolutely。 Do I yearn even more for travel now？ Yep。
Michelle Ardillo
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When requesting this book to read and review， I thought it was a novel， but I have since learned from Googling the author that it is a memoir。 I've read a lot of biographies， autobiographies， and memoirs over the years， and this book reads more like a novel to me。 It was great learning the difference between natural wines and wines that were not made using the natural process。 I didn't know any of this before; I drink wine， of course， but I only know that I like all reds and only some white， and When requesting this book to read and review， I thought it was a novel， but I have since learned from Googling the author that it is a memoir。 I've read a lot of biographies， autobiographies， and memoirs over the years， and this book reads more like a novel to me。 It was great learning the difference between natural wines and wines that were not made using the natural process。 I didn't know any of this before; I drink wine， of course， but I only know that I like all reds and only some white， and that rosé is my favorite。 Now， I will look at labels and the names of vineyards in a different way。 I think I would have enjoyed this book more if it was less technical with respect to the world of wines。 For me， the abundance of information on certain labels， and some of the terminology unique to the wine-making industry， were a bit overwhelming， and the story of the author's life took a backseat。 However， it is clear that the author knows a great deal about wine in general， and about natural wines specifically。 I also felt like at times the author was trying to shock me with some of her decisions， both those planned as well as those spontaneous。 Overall， a novel about a waitress-turned-wine expert and her journey through Europe might be more entertaining to me。 Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an advanced ebook edition of this book to read。 。。。more
Trish
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You Had Me at Pét-NatRating: 3/5🌟Rachel Signer had always dreamed of a life in Paris - the cool Parisian ease of drinking a glass of good wine in a café and exploring a life that was so different from her lackluster cramped apartment in NYC。 Then she had her first taste of natural wine。 Now， the editor of a natural wine focused magazine and burgeoning indie wine maker， Signer takes us in the journey from her waitressing days to making her own wine on a farm in Australia her now-husband。 You Had You Had Me at Pét-NatRating: 3/5🌟Rachel Signer had always dreamed of a life in Paris - the cool Parisian ease of drinking a glass of good wine in a café and exploring a life that was so different from her lackluster cramped apartment in NYC。 Then she had her first taste of natural wine。 Now， the editor of a natural wine focused magazine and burgeoning indie wine maker， Signer takes us in the journey from her waitressing days to making her own wine on a farm in Australia her now-husband。 You Had Me at Pét-Nat follows Signer from the bustling streets of Brooklyn to the rolling hills of Adelaide and back again， as she follows her passion for natural wines and discovers herself along the way。 A perfect read for any wine lover and naturist， this memoir will have looking for your next great glass of wine。 I really found myself on the fence with this book - I loved following Rachel’s trajectory from waitress to wine maker， but at some points it was hard to really understand her。 The overload of info about wine making read more culinary than biographical and I struggled to connect with Rachel the person vs Rachel the professional wine reviewer。 The ending was swift and really did a disservice to her and ‘Wildman’’s relationship - there was obviously some strong personal development that happened here that would have been interesting to work through with Signer after the lead in。 Overall， a great book about wine， but I struggle to see it as a full fledged memoir。 Read if you like:+ Wine & it’s history+ Food & culinary travel+ Memoirs about self discovery Thank you so much to Rachel Signer， Hachette Books and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review！ 。。。more
Mackenzie Cool
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**Thank you to NetGalley and Hachette Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review。**Before reading this memoir， I was not too familiar with natural wine and the labor that goes into producing each bottle。 I was fascinated by Signer's stories and the inner workings of this world， particularly the people she met along the way。 The fact that so many of them were living vintage to vintage， their livelihoods staked against the perfect combination of weather and fermentation， gave me a deeper a **Thank you to NetGalley and Hachette Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review。**Before reading this memoir， I was not too familiar with natural wine and the labor that goes into producing each bottle。 I was fascinated by Signer's stories and the inner workings of this world， particularly the people she met along the way。 The fact that so many of them were living vintage to vintage， their livelihoods staked against the perfect combination of weather and fermentation， gave me a deeper appreciation for the wines she described。 Signer's own journey of self-discovery was refreshingly raw and honest， and I think something that so many of us can identify with。 I did find some of the more technical descriptions in the memoir to be a little dry/over my head， and I was left at times with the impression that the wines Signer was describing were out of reach for the average consumer。 Nonetheless， I finished the book wanting to embark on my own exploration of natural wine， and I think this memoir is an excellent introduction to those who do not yet know about natural wine or want to learn more。 。。。more
jenwalk
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3。5 stars！Thanks to NetGalley & Hachette Books for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review。Having gotten interested in natural wines a few years ago， I was drawn to this book。 It's easy to feel overwhelmed when diving into a new world， and I felt like I was learning with the author as she shared her growth of knowledge relating to wine。It was a fascinating read even if you only cared about the wine， but I also enjoyed her descriptions of her life experiences。 This book makes me want t 3。5 stars！Thanks to NetGalley & Hachette Books for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review。Having gotten interested in natural wines a few years ago， I was drawn to this book。 It's easy to feel overwhelmed when diving into a new world， and I felt like I was learning with the author as she shared her growth of knowledge relating to wine。It was a fascinating read even if you only cared about the wine， but I also enjoyed her descriptions of her life experiences。 This book makes me want to explore new wines and new countries。。。at least one of those is a possibility at the moment！ 。。。more
Sarah Stevens
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3。5 stars rounded up to 4！ As a heavy wine drinker， I love to read wine-based memoirs to improve my knowledge of that secret world！ This memoir reminded me of my favorite foodie/wine memoirs， “Sweetbitter” and “Wine Girl” Our author travels through incredible countries， sharing intimate details of her travels。 We meet the unique cast & crew of the natural wine world。 We watch our author fall in love， travel and make decisions about her future。 I appreciated the author’s honesty and candor about 3。5 stars rounded up to 4！ As a heavy wine drinker， I love to read wine-based memoirs to improve my knowledge of that secret world！ This memoir reminded me of my favorite foodie/wine memoirs， “Sweetbitter” and “Wine Girl” Our author travels through incredible countries， sharing intimate details of her travels。 We meet the unique cast & crew of the natural wine world。 We watch our author fall in love， travel and make decisions about her future。 I appreciated the author’s honesty and candor about her own personal life in addition to her knowledge of wine。 My favorite parts were the descriptions of the organic winemakers and their vineyards。 I felt as though I was getting a behind-the-scenes peak at how wine is made in Georgia， France and Australia。 This is why I read these kind of books。。。to feel like I am a part of that insular community！ What struck me was that this was not an easy read。 Even as someone who has done 250 wine tastings， some of the vocabulary and references went far over my head。 There were some sections that were far too detailed on the nuances of wines I could never afford to drink。 Although wine is clearly the focus of this memoir， I do believe it could have been made a bit more accessible。 I loved parts of this book。 Some parts were just not the kinda wine I like。 。。。more
Shelby Thompson
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I was raised by two oenophiles， so this book intrigued me from the start。 I grew up going to wine tastings and exploring our friends’ wine cellars， but it wasn’t until the last year that I started branching out into “natural wine，” which is basically wine’s cooler， younger， less inhibited sister。 I loved the parts of this memoir that dealt directly with the wine-making process， as well as the vignettes of Signer’s travels to lesser known locales， like Slovenia and Tblisi。 She is an exciting and I was raised by two oenophiles， so this book intrigued me from the start。 I grew up going to wine tastings and exploring our friends’ wine cellars， but it wasn’t until the last year that I started branching out into “natural wine，” which is basically wine’s cooler， younger， less inhibited sister。 I loved the parts of this memoir that dealt directly with the wine-making process， as well as the vignettes of Signer’s travels to lesser known locales， like Slovenia and Tblisi。 She is an exciting and detailed wine and food writer， and those sections drew me in and made me very， very hungry。 However， I struggled with the more personal aspect of this memoir。 Signer lives what many would call a charmed life， but seems to lack the self-awareness to be appreciative of what she has in any given moment。 The crux of the memoir centers around her having to choose between starting a wine-bar in Paris with her best friend， or moving to Australia to make wine with the love of her life。 While I’m sure this was a difficult decision to make， the way that she describes her thought-process in the book made it difficult for me to muster up much sympathy， and at times tested my patience。Overall， I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to go beyond a basic understanding of wine （I learned a lot！）， likes travelogues， and loves reading about Paris。。。like， a lot。 。。。more
Melissa
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