Victoria James 
Wine Girl 
A sommelier’s tale of making it in the toxic world of fine dining

Winner of the Fortnum & Mason Food and Drink Awards Drink Book Award 2021Longlisted for the Andr Simon Food & Drink Book Awards 2020’Hugely entertaining’ Jay Rayner’A brilliantly Bourdain-ish tale of a young woman making her way through the sexist American fine-dining world’ Observer Aged twenty-one, Victoria James was named the US’s youngest sommelier, working in Michelin-starred restaurants, serving the finest wines. The groping patrons she learned to handle, but, behind the scenes, the world of high-end dining was a mess of fractious relationships and unacknowledged abuse. It would take hitting rock-bottom for Victoria to find her way back to the industry she adores. Wine Girl is the memoir of a young woman breaking free from her traumatic childhood. It’s the story of overcoming a notoriously misogynistic business, and of the restorative power of a glass of wine with friends.’Addictive’ Stylist ’A must-read’ Daily Telegraph’I glugged at the gossipy bits and sipped at the sad parts . . . you’ll raise a glass to her extraordinary resilience’ Sunday Times**NOW WITH EXCLUSIVE ADDITIONAL CONTENT: WINE PAIRING RECOMMENDATIONS FOR EACH CHAPTER OF THE BOOK**