A smart, witty, and delightfully informative guide to discovering and embracing wine, from the lauded former sommelier of Eleven Madison Park and Momofuku and the founder of Ramona spritzes. Jordan Salcito was drawn to wine from a young age (her father shared memories of making wine with his father in their basement in their Italian American community), but she didn't encounter great wine until she moved to New York and started working harvests at world-renowned wineries in Burgundy.
Over the years of sommelier exams, wine tastings, and creating award-winning programs at top restaurants, she honed her palate and her own criteria for choosing the perfect bottle for any occasion. Using her personal journey as a template, she demystifies this beloved beverage for everyone, sharing vital information so you can be confident in finding wines that you love, too.
Jordan starts with a framework for tasting wine (where it all begins), then leads you through the wine making process, from the importance of soil quality to the best harvesting practices, explaining how each decision influences the final wine. She offers invaluable advice on navigating restaurant wine lists and cultivating your own tastes so you can find your new favorites. Jordan also teaches you how to define a personalized criteria so you can identify what you love, and then drink it.
Full of practical advice on understanding your beverage arsenal, historical tidbits that make the world of wine make more sense, and illustrations and infographs,
Smart Mouth gives you permission to feel smart about wine and then go forth with confidence, drinking what you love. You'll know what wine tools you actually need and what to get instead of Champagne when you're hosting on a budget.
The wine world is large, but figuring out what you love doesn't have to be overwhelming. The only expert in what tastes delicious to you is you.
Smart Mouth will help you discover what that is.
Author: Jordan Salcito
Publisher: Ten Speed Press
Published: 10/28/2025
Pages: 256
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 1.25lbs
ISBN: 9781984858825
About the Author
Jordan Salcito is an award-winning sommelier turned entrepreneur. She founded Ramona, oversaw the beverage programs for David Chang's Momofuku restaurants, worked as a sommelier at Eleven Madison Park, and spent her vacations working at some of the world's most storied wineries, from Comte Liger-Belair, Mugneret-Gibourg, and Domaine Dujac in Burgundy, to Bodega Chacra in Patagonia. She is a Wine Enthusiast 40 Under 40 honoree and a two-time James Beard Award semi-finalist for Outstanding Wine, Spirits, or Beer Professional, and one of a handful of individuals to pass her Master Sommelier "Blind Tasting" Exam on her first try.
