You know that one friend you have that knows wayyyyy more than anyone should know about some super esoteric topic that no one else gives a shit about?
Like every Philadelphia Eagles statistic from the 1990s, or a bunch of obscure bands that no one has heard of, or the intimate details of the WWI battle of Whogivesafuckistan, or the plot of every Simpsons episode.
And usually they are an insufferable know-it-all prick about the topic and they shove it down your throat every chance they get.
I’m that guy. Except with wine.

I’ve spent the last twenty-five years reading, studying, and traveling all over the world to wine regions, meeting the people and drinking the wine, and generally being an obsessive asshole about the topic.
If you want more cred, I’m also a certified sommelier. And a certified specialist of wine. More importantly, I’m on deck to become America’s 46th person ever to qualify as a Master of Wine. If I can pass the final goddamn tasting exam.
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I also started the entire wine industry in the Kingdom of Bhutan in the Himalayas. (True story – google that shit.)

And I’ve written a handful of books about wine. You can check those out here, if you’re interested. I also own the world’s only Punk Rock Old World Wine Bar.

Trilby was a champion “blinder.” A champion in the art of identifying wines in blind tastings&#8211;and an even more avid gambler on the competitions. Yet Trilby’s luck has turned and his debts to Chinese Mafia kingpin Johnny Tan, who runs the games, have nearly destroyed his once impressive fortune.
Along comes Bobby, a clumsy, poorly dressed hick from Nebraska with an astonishingly accurate talent for recognizing wines. Desperate for an opportunity to save himself from ruin, Trilby lures Bobby into the seamy yet sophisticated world of underground wine tasting competitions. With Trilby’s help, Bobby shocks everyone by winning, and winning again, until he wins an invite to the biggest wine tasting stage of all&#8211;La Paulee.
But Trilby is far from the only high stakes hustler. As he and Bobby celebrate their success with wine and women, Johnny Tan schemes. Nothing is as it appears, as Bobby and Trilby face Trilby’s old nemesis, the greatest blinder of all time. Will Trilby ride Bobby to the most improbable championship of all? Or will he be outplayed on and off the competition table?
Written with an insider’s perspective by sommelier Michael Amon, Blinders is a wild journey into the dark underside of wine obsession.

Blinders

Burned from their last heist, a hell-bent on revenge Trilby goes on a mission to track down Bobby. He finds him playing poker in Biarritz with a billionaire French nationalist. Unknowingly, he has stumbled into a plot to destroy the best vineyards in Napa Valley, while simultaneously cornering the investment market on fine wine options. Reunited by fate, Trilby and Bobby team up to turn the tables on the people planning the caper and make a few millions of their own.
This action packed sequel to the thrilling wine heist novel Blinders reunites Trilby and Bobby in a fast paced, global set of misadventures. As with Blinders, the plot is full of wild settings and characters, from Amsterdam sex dungeons to 15th century French mansions, insane wine geneticists, black ops mercenaries, and drunken Irish crop duster pilots. Part Oceans 11, and part viticultural textbook, Double Blind is a non-stop thrill ride from start to finish.

Double Blind

Trilby and Bobby are back in the third installment of the Blinders series. This episode finds the duo reunited &#8211; this time to track down the origins of a strange and mysterious bottle of wine. Amon over delivers again with a fast-paced plot replete with the usual cast of curious characters, lots of wine, and a hilarious story line that will keep you guessing until the end.

Blind Faith

Wine fiction writer Michael Amon is at it again, this time with an array of short stories all tied somehow to Champagne. As usual, Amon brings a cast of diverse characters: urban drug dealers, Nazis, Instagram celebrities, gay conversion therapists, Champagne remuaers, Internet billionaires and many more, in powerfully crafted settings with compelling dialogue that grabs you by the throat and pulls you in.
Master of plot twists and the endings you never see coming, Amon turns his writing prowess and expert knowledge of wine to short stories that will make you howl with laughter, sob like a baby, and need to go take a long shower.

The Champagne Tales

Want a recommendation for the best California Chardonnay to bring to your next dinner party? If so, don’t buy this goddamn book. Forget you even saw this. Purge it from your memory. This book is not for you.
Unless…
Do you want to become the most knowledgeable person in your social group about wine? Do you want to uncork a bottle of whoop-ass on every winedouche and uppity sommelier? Do you want attractive people to hurl themselves at you?
And are you too lazy to spend any time whatsoever learning things?
This might be your jam. The Greatest Wine Book Ever – written by the World’s Leading Wine Influencer.
Adapted from the hugely popular Drinking &amp; Knowing Things blog, this book provides fifty-two specific wine recommendations. All you gotta do is spend five minutes each week reading the weekly wine recommendation, and then go out and drink a bottle of it. Within three months you’ll be wine conversant. Within six months you’ll become the de facto sommelier of your social group. And by the end of the year, you’ll be taking somms to the mat and doing James Bond level wine shit.
Legal Notice: Michael Amon is in no way responsible for any maniacal wine passion you develop by going down this rabbit hole or any sultry situations you may find yourself in. He is also not responsible for your feelings. If you’re timid or easily offended it’s probably better if you opt out now.
If you’re still reading, buckle up. Shit’s about to get real….

Drinking & Knowing Things

I started Drinking &amp; Knowing Things for my friends who wanted to get more into wine, without having to spend any time actually studying or reading anything (I have lazy piece of shit friends).
The point is to make wine fun and interesting again, without any of the winedouchery, and also the ability to drink copious amounts of it without having to follow any of the “rules”.

DISCLAIMER: If you are offended by strong opinions, vulgar language, or shit talk, you should just close your browser window now and go back to your oaky California Chardonnay. I am in no way responsible for your feelings.

Now I’m letting you all in on the party.
It’s easy – just click the “Change My Life” button and enter your email address.

The point is to make wine fun and interesting again, without any of the winedouchery.

Check Out Books I’ve Written