Wine For Dummies

by Ed McCarthy, Mary Ewing-Mulligan

Overview

The fast and easy way to demystify and enjoy wine

Wine enthusiasts and novices, raise your glasses! The #1 wine book has been updated! If you're a connoisseur, Wine For Dummies will get you up to speed on what's "in" and help you take your hobby to the next level. If you're a newbie, it'll clue you in on what you've been missing and show you how to get started in the wonderful world of wine.

• Wine 101 — discover which grapes are used in winemaking, the basic types of wine, how wines are named, and how to properly taste wine
• Pour your heart out — find out how to shop for wine, decode restaurant wine lists, remove those stubborn corks, and pair wine with food
• Visit the old world — take a tour of the major wine regions of Europe: France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Germany, Austria, and Greece
• Get in with the new — adventure to Australia, New Zealand, Chile, Argentina, and South Africa, and then take a look at the major wine areas in the United States
• Catch the wine bug —get the lowdown on how to describe and rate wines, store wine properly, and pursue your love of wine

Open the book and find:

• How to decipher cryptic wine labels
• Hands-on info on how to pair wine with food
• How to open, aerate, and store wine
• Where to get deals on great wines
• Tips on choosing wines that please your palate
• How to taste and rate wine like a pro
• Plain-English explanations of wine terms

Learn to:

• Understand grape varieties and wine styles
• Decipher wine lists and wine labels
• Appreciate wines from around the world
• Select, store, open, pour, and enjoy wine

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781118288726
Publisher:	Wiley
Publication date:	09/19/2012
Series:	For Dummies Books
Pages:	432
Product dimensions:	7.20(w) x 9.20(h) x 1.10(d)

About the Author

Ed McCarthy is a wine writer, Certified Wine Educator, and wine consultant. McCarthy is considered a leading Champagne authority in the U.S. He is the Contributing Editor of Beverage Media. Mary Ewing-Mulligan is the first woman in America to become a Master of Wine, and is currently one of 50 MWs in the U.S. and 380 in the world.

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Table of Contents

	Foreword	xxiii
	Introduction	1
	Welcome to Our Third Edition	1
	How to Use This Book	2
	Icons Used in This Book	3
	Wine Is for Everyone	4
Part I	Getting Started with Wine	5
Chapter 1	Wine 101	7
	How Wine Happens	7
	What Color Is Your Appetite?	9
	Other Ways of Categorizing Wine	14
Chapter 2	These Taste Buds Are for You	19
	The Special Technique for Tasting Wine	19
	Parlez-Vous Winespeak?	26
	The Quality Issue: What's a Good Wine?	29
	What's a Bad Wine?	32
	The Final Analysis: Do You Like It?	33
Chapter 3	Pinot Envy and Other Secrets about Grape Varieties	35
	It's the Grape Whodunit	35
	Grape Royalty and Commoners	40
	A Primer on White Grape Varieties	41
	A Primer on Red Grape Varieties	45
Chapter 4	Is It a Grape? Is It a Place?	51
	What's in a Name	51
	The Wine Name Game	52
Chapter 5	Behind the Scenes of Winemaking	61
	A Reality Check for Wine Jargon	61
Part II	Close Encounters of the Wine Kind	67
Chapter 6	Navigating a Wine Shop	69
	Buying Wine Can Intimidate Anyone	69
	Wine Retailers, Large and Small	70
	Choosing the Right Wine Merchant	74
	Strategies for Wine Shopping	76
Chapter 7	Navigating a Restaurant Wine List	81
	The Restaurant Wine Experience	81
	How Wine Is Sold in Restaurants	82
	How to Scope Out a Wine List	85
	How to Ask for Advice	90
	How to Ace the Wine Presentation Ritual	91
	Restaurant Wining Tips	94
Chapter 8	Everything You Need to Know about Serving and Using Wine	97
	Getting the Cork Out	97
	A Special Case: Opening Champagne and Sparkling Wine	104
	Does Wine Really Breathe?	105
	Does the Glass Really Matter?	108
	Serving Wine Not Too Warm, Not Too Cold	112
	Storing Leftover Wine	114
	Entertaining with Wine	115
Chapter 9	Judging a Wine by Its Label	119
	The Wine Label and What It Tells You	119
Part III	Around the World of Wine	129
Chapter 10	Doing France	131
	The French Model	131
	France's Wine Regions	134
	Bordeaux: The Incomparable	135
	Burgundy: The Other Great French Wine	145
	The Hearty Rhones of the Valley	161
	The Loire Valley: White Wine Heaven	164
	Alsace Wines: French, Not German	166
	The South and Southwest	167
	Other French Wine Regions	169
Chapter 11	Italy, the Heartland of Vino	171
	The Vineyard of Europe	171
	Reds Reign in Piedmont	175
	Tuscany the Beautiful	179
	A Cornucopia of Northeastern Wines	184
	Snapshots from the Rest of Italy	187
Chapter 12	Elsewhere in Europe	189
	Intriguing Wines from Old Spain	190
	Portugal: More Than Just Port	196
	Germany: Europe's Individualist	198
	Switzerland: Stay-at-Home Wines	204
	Austria's Exciting Whites (and Reds)	205
	The Re-emergence of Hungary	206
	Greece's Ancient (and Modern) Treasures	208
Chapter 13	The Brave New World of Wine	211
	Australian Wine Power	213
	The Rise of New Zealand	217
	The Old and the New of Chile	218
	Argentina, a Major Player	220
	New Hope in South Africa	222
Chapter 14	America, America	225
	The New World of American Wine	225
	California, USA	227
	Napa Valley: As Tiny as It Is Famous	230
	Down-to-Earth in Sonoma	235
	Mendocino and Lake Counties	238
	San Francisco Bay Area	239
	Santa Cruz Mountains	240
	Down in Old Monterey	241
	Thar's Wine in Them There Foothills	242
	San Luis Obispo: Mountain Meets Maritime	243
	Santa Barbara, California Paradise	244
	Elsewhere in California	245
	Oregon, A Tale of Two Pinots	246
	Wine on the Desert: Washington State	249
	The Empire State	252
	Oh, Canada	254
Chapter 15	Bubbling Beauties	257
	All That Glitters Is Not Champagne	258
	Sparkling Wine Styles	259
	How Sparkling Wine Happens	261
	Champagne and Its Magic Wines	264
	Other Sparkling Wines	271
	Serving Champagne and Sparkling Wines	275
Chapter 16	Wine Roads Less Traveled: Fortified and Dessert Wines	279
	Timing Is Everything	279
	Sherry: A Misunderstood Wine	280
	Marsala, Vin Santo, and the Gang	287
	Port: The Glory of Portugal	287
	Madeira, M'dear	292
	Sauternes and the Nobly Rotten Wines	294
Part IV	When You've Caught the Buy	299
Chapter 17	Insider's Guide to Wine Buying	301
	Wines That Play Hard to Get	301
	Playing Hardball	302
Chapter 18	You Never Graduate from Wine School	311
	Back to the Classroom	311
	Armchair Travel	317
Chapter 19	Describing and Rating Wine	325
	Words Cannot Describe	325
	When It's Your Turn to Speak	327
	Rating Wine Quality	330
Chapter 20	Marrying Wine with Food	333
	Matchmaker, Matchmaker	333
Chapter 21	To Have and To Hold--or To Sell	339
	Which Kind of Wine Buyer Are You?	339
	Strategies for Collectors Great and Small	342
	Organization Is Next to Peace of Mind	345
	A Healthy Environment for Your Wines	346
	Investment Wines	351
	Selling Your Wine	353
Part V	The Part of Tens	355
Chapter 22	Answers to Ten Common Questions about Wine	357
	What's a good wine?	357
	When should I drink this wine?	357
	Is wine fattening?	358
	What grape variety is this wine made from?	358
	Which vintage should I buy?	359
	Are there any wines without sulfites?	359
	Are there any organic wines?	360
	What's new oak?	360
	What is a wine expert?	361
	How do I know when to drink the special older wines I've been keeping?	361
	Do old wines require special handling?	362
Chapter 23	Ten Wine Myths Demystified	363
	Wine is for experts	363
	Wine has to be expensive to be good	363
	Imported wines are better	364
	White wine with fish, red with meat	364
	Numbers don't lie	365
	Vintages always matter/vintages don't matter	365
	Wine authorities are experts	366
	Old wines are good wines	366
	Great wines are supposed to taste bad when they're young	366
	Champagnes don't age	367
Part VI	Appendixes	369
Appendix A	Pronunciation Guide to Wine Terms	371
Appendix B	Glossary of Wine Terms	375
Appendix C	Vintage Wine Chart: 1982-2001	383
	Index	387

Editorial Reviews

“A great book that tells you all you need to know about wine” (Frost Magazine, November 2015)

From the Publisher