Discover the Penguin books that shaped us

Thirsty

100 Great Wines and Stories by the Wine Guy

Brought to you by Penguin.

‘I like to talk about wine the way normal humans talk about things they love – it’s not about showing off how many fancy wine terms I know. The point is to share something I love with someone else in a way that makes them want to love it too.’

Thirsty is the story of Tom Gilbey (The Wine Guy) and his life in wine, a celebration of the bleedin’ beautiful people who make it, and a history of his family’s love affair with winemaking – and let’s be honest, drinking – since the 1800s.

Learn how to:
- read a label (even if you can’t speak the language)
- talk wine without sounding naff
- choose wine in a restaurant
- explain why some wine smells like your granny’s cardigan

Along the way you’ll discover 100 Wine W*nker approved bottles: wines for friendships and long lunches, for autumn afternoons and winter evenings. Whether yours is a Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Kylie Minogue’s rosé or – God forbid – orange wine, Tom will help you find the good stuff, always.

Let Tom show you how this gloriously gluggable elixir is, at its heart, made to bring pleasure, and that there is no right or wrong to enjoy wine: just go for it.

‘My favourite wine w*nker’ Jack Whitehall

‘Entertaining and engaging’ Helen McGinn of @knackeredmother


© Tom Gilbey 2025 (P) Penguin Audio 2025

About Tom Gilbey

Tom Gilbey has spent his whole working life in wine. From his start in winemaking to running a flagship city wine merchant, Tom's unwavering passion for wine is part of his DNA and shines through in every wine his company promotes and every wine event he does. His energetic videos answering popular wine questions have been gaining increasing traction online, especially since his recent video tasting 25 glasses of wine while running the London marathon went viral. Tom has over 800,000 followers across Instagram and TikTok.
Details
  • Imprint: Vintage Digital
  • ISBN: 9781529968682
  • Price: £14.00
All editions