Martha Cisneros Paja is an Engineer, Cava Educator and WSET Level 2 certified, founder of Latinas Wine Club Inc. and author of Mexican Wines: A guide to Fall in Love with Wines of Mexico . Read more about one of the most hard-working Latinas in Wine here.
As a writer and an educator, I am an avid reader, for me, wine and words are always bleeding into one another, shaping how I experience the world. This guide marks the inauguration of a new tradition: a dedicated curation I will create for every summer. Consider this the official Volume One of a series designed to continually update my personal bookshelf. However, I will continue to update the books to fall in love with wine list for those wine lovers that want to focus only in reading about wine and drinks.
As we lean into the heat of Summer 2026, my nightstand has become a revolving door of culture, grit, and sweetness. To be an avid reader is to be a traveler of the mind; to be a “Winedivaa” is to ensure that the mind has a perfectly paired glass in hand. From the concrete resilience of the Bronx to the rolling vineyards of the world, the sugar-dusted bakeries of Italy, and the complex streets of Brooklyn, here is your essential summer list.
If you want to understand the heartbeat of New York, you read Rossana Rosado. Her memoir, “Bronx Attitude,” is a masterclass in rising through the ranks while keeping your soul, and your heritage, intact. From a basement apartment in the Bronx to the highest levels of state government, Rosado’s journey is a “must-read” for anyone who has ever felt like they were stepping into a room that wasn’t built for them.
For those of us who use our vacation days to chase the perfect pour, this new addition to the “Fifty Places” series is your roadmap. It covers everything from the classic hills of Tuscany to wild, unexpected gems like a winery in an old nuclear plant in Finland or the Great Rift Valley in Ethiopia. It’s equal parts coffee table eye-candy and practical “If You Go” advice. Did I mention that yours truly is quoted here recommending Valle de Parras in Mexico?! Now you understand why this is a must read.
Why: Don’t settle for one glass. Buy three bottles from regions mentioned in the book that you’ve never tried—perhaps a Mexican Cabernet Sauvignon, Greek Assyrtiko, a Georgian Qvevri wine, and a Texas High Plains Tempranillo. Taste the world from your patio.
This book is a star-rated journey through “the Boot,” focusing on natural flavors, Mediterranean spices, and regional secrets. I’ve been obsessed with the Pabassinas (Sardinian iced raisin cookies) and the Baci di Alassio (chocolate-hazelnut kisses). They aren’t just desserts; they are edible history.
Why: To stand up to the anise, cloves, and nuts in these recipes, you need a dessert wine with soul. A Passito (made from dried grapes) offers apricot and honey notes that make a simple cookie feel like a celebration. If you’re having the chocolatey Baci, go for a neat pour of a dark, herbal Amaro to cut the sweetness.
I have been following Xochitl Gonzalez writting in the Atlantic and enjoy her analysis. Now, I know she has many other New York Times Bestsellers but I am captured by Last Night In Brooklyn.. It’s an intimate character study filled with quick wit and the heavy friction of growing up, moving up, and growing apart. The book takes place in 2007 or so when Brooklyn Fort Greene neighboorhood went under many changes. His characters are poignant, sharp, and occasionally portray uncomfortable look at relationships, class dynamics, and nostalgia.
I am such a big fan of Lena Dunham “the voice of our generation”. I watched Girls from beggining to end and I have been waiting for her book Famesick and finally read through it. It delivers a brilliant, funny, and deeply perceptive essay collection examining our modern obsession with visibility, influencer culture, and the quiet loneliness of the digital age. It is laugh-out-loud funny but carries a weight that forces you to look at your own screen time and societal habits.
Whether you are seeking the heavy structural lessons of a New York political powerhouse, diving into the bittersweet streets of Brooklyn, or slow-baking your way through Sardinia, there is a bottle waiting to unlock the deeper flavors of the text. Remember: we don’t just pair wine with food; we pair it with moments, moods, and stories.
Are you more of a “Memoir and Merlot” reader, or do you prefer “Cookbooks and Cocktails” when the sun stays out late? Let me know in the comments below, and stay tuned for Volume II later !
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