Patricia Guy

Co-author with Edwin Soon of Wine with Asian Food (Tidemark Press )

Read the review here.

Website: www.patriciaguy.com

When did you start reading, and what did you like to read as a kid?

I read mysteries. The Hardy Boys, Nancy Drew, Perry Mason and adventure stories by Robert Louis Stevenson. And, of course, Mary Poppins.

When you were growing up did you have books in your home?

Yes. We called the spare room "the library" because it was wall to wall books. On the rare occasion we had a sleep over guest, we would pull out the sofa bed and the library would become the guest room. I always got books for Christmas, birthdays, etc.

When did you think about becoming a writer?

I wrote stories before I could spell...there are some that believe this is still the case. I put that dream aside and chose another career path. I came back to writing after I moved to Italy. Before that I worked in the wine trade. I still teach wine tasting.

Was there someone who got you interested in writing?

Reading got me interested in writing. I really love to dive into a novel and live there for a while. I also admire non-fiction books that are written in clear, elegant prose.

How do you write? Do you have a daily routine?

I write every day, usually in the morning. I always have a notebook with me.

What’s good about it? What do you hate about it?

When it is going well writing is wonderful. Writing makes me think deeply about the subject I am addressing. A writer must be absolutely clear about his topic in order to communicate his ideas to the reader. A minor downside (not a hate just a reality) is that after I hand a manuscript in to the publisher I begin to worry about what my next book will be. I feel at loose ends until I find my next project.

Any particular story to tell concerning the writing of this book?

Yes, Edwin and I met in Tuscany on a trip organized for wine journalists. We hit it off immediately. Edwin had brought his camera. I had not. There were some sweet faced vineyard dogs and I asked Edwin if he would send me copies of the pictures he had taken of them. A few weeks later I received a large envelope from Singapore. Inside was a lovely card and the photos. From that point we became e-mail pals and gradually our chat about matching Asian food and wine began to develop. So this book exists because I like dogs and Edwin was kind enough to send me some good dog photos.

Can you talk about how you got into the wine trade?

At the ripe old age of 27 I felt that middle-aged was creeping up on me so I decided to change my life and seek some adventure. I quit my job and gave up my apartment in New York and moved to Paris. I ended up doing odd jobs and traveling. I was in Dijon when I saw a fellow traveler start to pitch a book (IN ENGLISH) into the dustbin. I stopped him and he gave the book to me. It was Wine by Hugh Johnson. A wonderful book. In it Hugh mentioned that the village of Avize in the Champagne region was planted in Chardonnay. It was harvest time and Avize was just a hitchhike away. I worked the harvest. As time went on I found I had a talent for tasting. I worked in Bordeaux and traveled in Burgundy. in New York City (between European escapades) I arranged tastings for the Italian Trade Commission, I worked as a sommelier, I organized tastings for a wine importer and I studied and eventually taught tasting.

Later I moved to London where I studied blind tasting for 3 years with a tasting tutor, Maggie Mc Nie, M.W. In London I brokered Bordeaux and fine Italian wine. When my eventually-to-be husband was transfered to Verona I decided to join him. By chance I met the editor of an important UK wine magazine at Vinitaly, the international wine fair held in Verona. She asked me to give her a tasting lesson and while doing so I told her what was wrong with most articles about Italian wine. At the end of the lesson she said: "That was jolly interesting. Why don't you write for my magazine." I did not even know she had a magazine. The rest is history. I now write for magazines in Singapore, Australia, the UK and, every so often, the USA. I also teach tasting to wine trade professionals.

What some good advice that you’ve received concerning writing? What’s some advice that you could offer young writers?

Write every single day and always carry a notebook.

How did you find the publisher for this book?

The US publisher Tide-mark had published my last book, Wines of Italy and Edwin found the Singapore publisher, Landmark. We introduced them and they agreed to work together.

What are you working on at the moment?

I have just finished writing a memoir about how I, a girl from the midwest, grew up to be a winetaster living an enviable life in Italy. I am looking for a publisher for it now. I am also working on a mystery set in Italy.

What are you reading?

Stacked by my bedside at the moment: Brilliant by Marne Davis Kellogg (loads of fun, a lady jewel thief living it up in France and London), Runaway by Alice Munro (I love to read short stories at the gym) and Dan Leno & The Limehouse Golem by Peter Ackroyd. (I just finished this. I love Peter Ackroyd , William Boyd and Vladimir Nabokov and Amy Tan.)