Ottawa author pens wine-soaked guide

Bali, Indonesia ~ This isn't exactly the wine capital of the universe. In fact the lovely resort where we're staying has one of the smallest wine lists I've ever seen on a menu.

Four-five varieties tops -- and one they're always out of.

But I'm getting my vino fix from Natalie MacLean's delightful wine guide called Red, White, and Drunk All Over. Here's the description of it from the back cover:

In this bodice-ripping wine book, Natalie MacLean takes her love for wine on the road, traveling from the cellars of Champagne to examine the myths and mystique of bubly, to the sun-soaked vineyards of alifornia, where she pulls on sturdy boots to help with the harvest at winemaker Randall Grahm's Bonny Doon...As funny and engaging as she is knowledgeable, MacLean has an unconventional wit, curiosity and obsession with all things related to wine that make for a tour both amusing and informative.

I'm on chapter seven of ten, and am savoring every page as I sit by the pool. I learned more about champagne and the Champagne region in 20 minutes and now realize why I'm such a big fan of the bubbly. It's the best!

In fact, I'm already planning our next trip to France, which will revolve around the Champagne region.

This is a fun, non-uppity wine book by an accredited sommelier and award-winning food and wine writer. Pick it up -- best read with a glass of your favorite red or white.