Sniffing the Cork: And Other Wine Myths Demystified

by Judy Beardsall

Overview

From the warm and funny perspective of nationally known wine expert Judy Beardsall, Sniffing the Cork: And Other Wine Myths Demystified shares tips that will help you cut through the snobbish opinions of clerks and waiters to find wine you truly enjoy for all occasions.

After twenty years in the wine business, trailblazer Judy Beardsall shares her passion with the world through this entertaining guide to all things wine and why it should be savored, not sipped.

Perfect for those intimidated by wine and connoisseurs alike, Beardsall takes readers on a tour of the wine world, offering guidance that will help anyone understand what to look for, what to spend, and how to communicate when purchasing wine.

Readers will as find answers to the myths surrounding the wine world, such as why you should not sniff the cork, as well as the secrets to understanding “winespeak,” the nutritional and therapeutic benefits of wine, the keys to properly serving, storing, and collecting wine, and multiple suggestions of affordable wines—perfect for both connoisseurs and those daunted by wine shops and wine lists.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780743453943
Publisher:	Atria Books
Publication date:	05/11/2010
Sold by:	SIMON & SCHUSTER
Format:	eBook
Pages:	224
File size:	2 MB

About the Author

Judy Beardsall started her career at the prestigious Sherry Lehmann wine store in New York, where was the first woman manager. She was then director of wine sales for Peerless Importers, New York's largest wholesale distributor of wines. She is currently the president of Beardsall & Associates, Inc., creators of world-class wine cellars and managers of high-end wine portfolios. As the "Wine Lady," Judy has been profiled, interviews or cited in W, The Wall Street Journal, The Financial Times, Decanter magazine, and The Ritz-Carlton Magazine.

Editorial Reviews

A rather unhelpful introduction to wine from Beardsall, a wine professional, that may well leave neophytes with more confusions and doubts than when they started. Not that this expert doesn't have intelligent things to say about sommeliers and wine-shop clerks, storing wine and types of glasses, and (most important of all) making sure you have fun drinking wine. To this latter end, she affects a breezy, carefree style: "Wines go with everything and there really are no hard and fast rules to worry about." But then Beardsall will go on to tell you to be careful about salads and asparagus and never drink a dessert wine except for dessert. In fact, she has plenty of rules and opinions, many of which are purely subjective. That's fine-wine is all about subjectivity-but it underlines the need for experience and further daunts the newcomer. Beardsall's reading of a wine list is a case in point: "I would be unlikely to order a $72 bottle of Merlot, especially since I don't know the producer." How does this help the aspiring oenophile? She notes the importance of terroir and producer, but never clearly defines their relative merits. "Whatever the wine from whatever grape or region, what's really important is the human element in the wine-making process," Beardsall comments at one point; then a few pages later states, "wine-making is not about human intervention, but as I've emphasized throughout, it's about soil and climate." She chides one reviewer for saying a wine reminded him of red brick, "even though of course, he most likely never tasted brick." Then she refers to wine as "velvety," leaving you to wonder if she has been chewing on the curtains. Other peculiar bits of advice include: "If thewine is great, drink it room temperature to coolish. If it's mediocre, or worse, the colder it should be." This is advice? Why drink mediocre (or worse) wine at all?

Kirkus Reviews