Create the Ultimate Wine Club

ighteen years ago, I wrote my first book—The Wine Club—which was the culmination of so many life goals. I had always dreamed of becoming an author, and after years of freelance writing, researching wine, and traveling around the world to immerse myself in wine culture, I knew this was something I wanted to share. 

But the excitement of selling a book quickly turned to panic. 

It was only a few weeks later when I learned I was pregnant…with twins. Pregnancy and wine tasting don’t exactly complement each other, so I had to get creative—the first of many times motherhood would call for a little craftiness. For the last few months before my boys were born, my husband traveled with me. We would slyly switch glasses, and he would whisper the tasting notes in my ear. I was on track to hit my deadline for the manuscript, but as kids do, they threw me yet another curveball and made their debut 6 weeks early. I had a call with my agent while I was in labor at the hospital. I remember my mom saying to me, “See, you can have it all, but who the hell would want it?” 

The birth of my boys came with complications and plenty of pain, but I never pressed Pause. I finished the book, and 5 months later I went on a book tour. And I have “had it all” ever since. 

The Wine Club turned out to be more than a book; it was a lifesaver for me and many women just like me. New mothers, young career women, or those managing both—it helped us find a way to relate as women, not just as moms. A move from Manhattan to Bucks County had me desperate for female connections. Julie, a new friend at the time, was inspired by the book and started a wine club in Yardley. This club, like the hundreds that popped up across the country, became a monthly haven for us to support each other.

Connection is Self-Care

Eighteen years later, which was both a blink of an eye and whole lifetimes all at once, my preemies were headed off to college. I found myself longing for those chaotic moments of breastfeeding two babies, sleepless nights, tripping on LEGO piles on the way to the bathroom, and rushing from soccer practice to swim lessons—the beautiful mess that is raising kids. It felt like in an instant they were 6 feet tall, getting their driver’s licenses and going to prom.

I suddenly realized that for this part of my life, I needed to make those female connections again, just as I had all those years ago. The idea coalesced in my mind that we needed a new Wine Club, one that fit our lives right now—one in which so many of us crave fewer social media and more meaningful connections. And with that, the new and improved Wine Club, A Monthly Guide to Swirling, Sipping and Pairing With Friends, was born. This time I knew it was more than just young moms who needed it. Everyone should have a wine club.

Wine clubs are like book clubs, but better—it’s the perfect excuse to have a little fun and connect with friends. It’s an opportunity to press Pause on our overscheduled lives and feed our undernourished souls. This book is how I am hoping to be of service to the thousands of women out there who need both. So, get your drinking shoes on and join the club!