Wine Conversations: Exploring Meaning, Mystery and Myth features 16 conversations with wine experts who bring insight and perspective to connoisseurs who already cherish wine and to those novices seeking to expand their wine journey.

Keith Herndon, a certified wine sommelier and certified wine educator, led the conversations over several months and compiled them into a collection he described as an intensely personal project. “I reconnected with my wine roots through this book and made new friends as well,” Herndon said.

The conversations include the proprietor of a winery where Herndon has been a member for over a decade and the owner of the shop where he hosts periodic wine tastings. Herndon also engaged with the makers of his favorite wines, the mentor who encouraged his formal training, an Atlanta sommelier recognized with the famous Michelin award, a Napa Valley grape-growing legend and several emerging superstars who have overcome many obstacles to achieve success in the challenging wine business. Readers will gain an appreciation for the special meaning wine contributes to life’s important moments while also discovering fascinating mysteries and learning that what we think we know about wine is often a myth.

Wine Conversations was produced by the team behind the award-winning podcast, Wines We Drink, a summer series Herndon created in 2021 along with co-host Charlotte Varnum. She served as the book’s editor. Wines We Drink won twice in the 2024 Taste Awards as the people’s choice for Best Food or Drink podcast and Best Lifestyle podcast.