Who is Eric Asimov? “I’m a shrink,” he informed the group assembled at the Darien Library. “I’m like a priest that people confess to.”

OK, so his description might not have been literal, but as the evening unfolded, it turned out to be strangely accurate.

In reality, Asimov is a respected journalist who writes a weekly column on wine for The New York Times.  He also contributes to their Diner’s Journal blog and created the popular $25 and Under restaurant reviews.  His most recent achievement, though, is authoring a full-length book entitled How To Love Wine, that he presented at the Darien Library on Thursday December 13.

Although Asimov is an established commentator, he still retains the fun wit of an entertainer.  The evening felt like a cross between an educational seminar and a stand-up comedy routine.  As the event coordinators started off the evening by pouring the guests wine, he remarked, “It’s a strategy of mine to get the crowd liquored up.”

Asimov began by outlining the two major impetuses for writing what he refers to as his “memoir meets manifesto.”  First, he wants to introduce people to the growing number of exciting, esoteric wines available in today’s ever-expanding market.  “This is the greatest time in history to be a wine lover,” he announced.  “There are more points of view than ever before.”  He explained that small-scale producers in Europe have produced delicious, yet unknown wines for years.  In the past twenty years, new laws and more adventurous consumers have made it possible to get them here.