The Booklovers' Guide To Wine: A Celebration of the History, the Mysteries and the Literary Pleasures of Drinking Wine

Patrick Alexander originally developed the Wine Appreciation program when he worked at the University of Miami as Director of the Office of Professional Advancement. In the summer of 2011, after Patrick had left UM in order to focus on writing, Mitchell Kaplan suggested he offer his program at Books & Books during the quiet summer months. “It seems a pity to waste all that research” Mitchell said “and you never know; our book customers might enjoy learning about wine.” Four years, nineteen sold-out classes, and three-hundred satisfied students later, Patrick Alexander's Wine Appreciation Program has become one of the highlights of Books & Books event programming. Previously Director of the Wine Appreciation program at the University of Miami and a judge for the Florida International Wine Challenge, Patrick Alexander has been teaching these wildly popular and critically acclaimed classes at Books & Books for over four years. Patrick is also a published author and his writings include "Marcel Proust’s Search for Lost Time" and "The Nigerian Letter."

Mitchell is a co-founder of Miami Book Fair International and serves as the Chairperson of its Board of Directors. He also serves on the steering committee of the Florida Center for the Literary Arts, Miami-Dade College's literary center. Mitchell recently served a two-year term as President of the American Booksellers Association (ABA) and continues an active involvement with the organization. He also serves on the Board of ABFFE, the American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression.