When my book -- that would be Home Winemaking for Dummies -- came out a couple weeks ago, boxes of copies showed up at my door and got piled in my living room. I emailed friends to let them know it was out, and got many nice emails and promises of orders in return. Soon people I hadn't contacted heard of it and sent more nice notes. I busily set to work organizing launch and signing events hither and yon around the Bay Area. The book showed up in the Amazon rankings, and soon I was checking every few hours as the book made a respectable initial climb.
But I never expected the publication would get me listed in Wikipedia.
My wife Nancy actually discovered this intriguing twist on instant fame -- she was tracking my "celebrity" as well. The entry in question wasn't about me, or about the book; it was a newly-contributed article about Blenheim Vineyards in Virginia. After noting that it's the project of rocker Dave Matthews, the article goes on to describe the lineup of wines, including mention that the Viognier is made with some barrel and some tank fermentation, and with neutral rather than aromatic yeasts.
In footnote 11, the source of the Viognier info is revealed as . . . ^ "Patterson, Tim. "Home Winemaking for Dummies" For Dummies, 2011. p.283." (The repetition of "for Dummies" is apparently an attempt to identify the publisher, which is John Wiley & Sons.) And indeed, Blenheim's winemaker, Kristy Harmon, was one of the dozens of professional winemakers I interview for and quoted in the book. How the book became a source within days of its publication still baffles me.
It's official: I'm a footnote in Wikipedia!
Recent Comments