Tim Gaiser is an internationally renowned wine expert, educator, and blogger, and one of less than 300 individuals worldwide to ever attain the Master Sommelier title. He is the former Director of Education and Education chair for the Court of Master Sommeliers, Americas.

Unlock the secrets of professional wine tasting with Master Sommelier Tim Gaiser, an industry expert with over three decades of experience with teaching thousands of students at every level. Whether you’re a student preparing for a certification exam, an industry veteran looking to improve your tasting, or a consumer just getting into wine, Message in the Bottle: A Guide to Tasting Wine is an invaluable resource.

The book offers practical how-to instructions with detailed explanations for a comprehensive and easy-to-read experience. Here’s some of what you’ll discover inside:

  • Tips for selecting the glassware, setting up your tastings, and the best techniques for smelling and tasting wine
  • An in-depth explanation of the deductive tasting grid and method
  • Detailed descriptions of classic white and red varietal wines
  • How to consistently and accurately assess the structural elements in wine
  • Approaches to using pattern recognition in blind tasting
  • Instructions for writing thorough and effective tasting notes and tech sheets
  • A list of producers for tasting practice
  • Methods for tasting exam preparation
  • Strategies for improving focus, concentration, and smell and taste memory

Message in the Bottle: A Guide to Tasting Wine is an indispensable reference for any professional, student, or consumer.

EXCELLENT
32 reviews on
Micaela Maestas
Micaela Maestas
2023-11-17
Brilliant Book Message in the Bottle is for anybody looking to start their tasting journey or take it to the next level. Tim Gaiser has a way of demystifying and breaking down complex wine content and making it fun. I’m thrilled that this book exists, and it is officially my new point of reference when tasting wine blind or tasting wine in general. You will never again mistake Nebbiolo for Sangiovese. Buy it now!Cheers!!
Amazon Customer
Amazon Customer
2023-11-04
A Must-Have for Wine Professionals of Any Level This book has been an essential part of my development since early on, and every time I go back to it, I learn something new. It takes a rare talent to be able to be able to make complex topics accessible to a novice yet educational to experts, and Tim nails it with this book. For anyone wanting to get serious about tasting or becoming a sommelier, this is one of 4-5 absolutely essential books for your library.
Liana Reynolds
Liana Reynolds
2023-09-29
Essential for Wine Students!!! Time Gaiser does a great job breaking down the key points to mastering tasting in a logical and easy to follow manner. Highly recommend!
Tyler A
Tyler A
2023-09-19
Priceless Perspectives Tim has a remarkable ability to distill critical concepts into points that can help both beginners and seasoned professionals; he also takes the time to discuss some subjects that other books usually bypass completely. (Be sure to check out part 3!) If you are working to improve your tasting skills, this book is for you....read it immediately and enjoy the journey! Highly recommended.
Alfonso Cevola
Alfonso Cevola
2023-09-04
One of the most comprehensive books on WINE TASTING ever written! Tim is a mater sommeleir but dont hold that against him. What he offers is an easy to understand way to aprreciate and evaluate wine better. I highly recommend this book to beginners and "masters" alike.
Patti M.
Patti M.
2023-08-30
A must for all who love wine! This book will give you more confidence in understanding what wine you like and why. Why be disappointed in a bottle of wine just because you didn’t take the time to educate yourself? A must for anyone wanting to get into the weeds a bit more or enjoy thumbing through the chapters that mean the most to you! Tim has decades of experience to share with you. Great as a gift for fellow wine lovers too!
DB
DB
2023-08-27
A Magnum Opus for wine tasting Message in the Bottle is the quintessential reference book for wine tasting and evaluation.On my own journey to becoming a Master Sommelier, I've encountered countless books claiming to demystify the act of tasting and assessing the quality of wine. "Message in the Bottle: A Guide to Tasting Wine" is the first to accomplish it.It is clear the author has spent decades teaching and perfecting the discipline of wine tasting and pours all that experience into the pages of this book. He seamlessly blends the sensory journey with the scientific aspects of cause and effect that define the deductive approach in this exhaustive yet accessible exploration of the art and skill of wine evaluation. He effortlessly describes how the complexities of grape varieties, terroir, climate, viticulture, winemaking, the nuance of aging and so many other factors combine to reveal themselves in the glass in a manner that is both elegantly penned, and easy to understand.Message in the Bottle encourages readers to develop their palates, refine their senses, and ultimately cultivate a deeper appreciation for the wine in their glass. Though the most effective feature of the book is the author's ability to translate such a deeply personal sensory experience into meaningful and meticulous tasting notes, the approach is as much about mindfulness and sensory awareness as it is about understanding the hyper technical aspects of blind tasting. It encourages readers to approach each glass with an open mind and to embrace the symphony of aromas, textures, and flavors that unfold on the palate.It is an essential addition to the library of anyone who seeks a greater appreciation of wine, and it will be an indispensable resource for professional sommeliers, seasoned connoisseurs, and aspiring enthusiasts alike.
james l bube
james l bube
2023-07-20
World Class Tasting Resource Man, I really wish I had this book when I was studying! Tim is both a very talented writer and an absolutely incredible tasting mentor. Even among Master Sommeliers, he stands apart as someone who's devoted an incredible amount of time developing a robust system for understanding what makes the classic wines truly classic.If you're studying for either the Court of Master Sommeliers exams beyond the Intro or WSET / MW this book is indispensable. The methodology emphasizes both the physical best practices of tasting as well as a deep dive into the decision-making matrices that will allow for reliable deduction of the wines.In it you'll find deep breakdowns on how to decipher easily confused wines, the internal, mental game, lists of classic producers, and an interesting exploration of subjective vs. objective experiences in tasting. Interspersed are musings, anecdotes and essays that break up the requisitely dense information therein.Probably the most interesting "innovation" to the tasting approach is Tim's incorporation of visualization and aspects of neurolinguistic programming. Our brains are curious and mercurial and learning how to harness the powerful aspects of it can be very high leverage when it comes to recall. While the "memory palace" technique is very helpful for memorizing lists, Tim breaks down how to harness similar aspects of the mind's preference for visual recall to benefit your tasting game. Very cool stuff.For those newer to wine but looking to dive a bit deeper, the clear, quick descriptors of classic wines and concise explanations of a load of common industry jargon is great. What does "full bodied with gritty tannin" mean? It's all here.Walk, don't run. You don't want to miss this if you're serious about taking your tasting to the next level.
pfcomaskey
pfcomaskey
2023-04-30
Such an important book for the profession! Tim’s knowledge and skill of wine tasting is indisputable. He has created a source for novices and professionals alike to feel confident in their ability to achieve new levels of understanding and appreciation for the nuances of wine tasting. It’s a must have, must read for all those interested in quenching their thirst for knowledge in all things tasting related. Cherry on top? Tim is a great writer and wonderful teacher!Get a copy for yourself and anyone else in your world with an interest in the skill of tasting -they’ll thank you.
timothy sullivan
timothy sullivan
2023-04-17
Absolute wine professional treasure! This book is a must for any wine professional who wants to learn to taste wine professionally. The book is second to none. Master Somm Tim Gaiser reveals the secrets to tasting wine accurately as a professional. What only a master knows through years of practice & training, Tim reveals so that the serious wine student can become the master after learning the tricks and techniques, developed by Tim after 30 years of training & teaching professionals. This book is an instant & perennial classic in the cannon of wine books. In essence, for the price of the book, you receive 30 years of mastery dispensed in easy to follow techniques that will unequivocally enhance your tasting ability! All sommeliers must have this book!