Now completely revised and updated, this new edition of the essential consumer guide to wine features all the most current information for today’s wine landscape. The authors, longtime wine educators at The Culinary Institute of America, have added all the latest and most relevant information to their award-winning book, including new picks for the best regional producers, off-the-beaten-path finds, and bargain bottles. With a practical, anti-snob attitude, the emphasis is always on enjoying wine to the fullest in real-world scenarios and getting the best value for your dollar, whether splurging on a special-occasion bottle or deciding on your own “house” wine. All the basics are covered, including the major wine grapes, flavor profiles, and decoding labels, plus up-to-date information on established and up-and-coming regions, advice on pairing wine with everything from Korean short ribs to all-American burgers, opinions on wine gadgets (yea or nay?), and more. Cheers!
Winner, James Beard Award, Beverage, 2009
Praise for WineWise (first edition):
“In WineWise, Steven Kolpan, Brian Smith, and Michael Weiss have written a book for wine-loving consumers who have no ambitions to become sommeliers, collectors, or connoisseurs, but who nonetheless want to know what wine to look for (including how to read the label), how to enjoy it, where to find it, and when. The tone here is casual, quirky, even amusing, but not a word or sentence is extraneous, no detail is unnecessary. Enjoy the conversations in this book, go forth, and be vintage-challenged no more.” --Jerry Novesky, Editor, The Valley Table
“WineWise contains, in an amazingly comprehensive, easy-to-read, and concise fashion, practically everything that I took my entire professional career to learn. Reading it will make wine more engaging for anyone who ever orders a glass of wine in a restaurant, but also will build confidence in the seasoned professionals who sell, buy, and serve that wine.” --Rajat Parr, Wine Director, Mina Group
“Nothing pretentious here. WineWise is fun, friendly, and packed with information on wines of the world, particularly ones that won’t break the bank.” --Tara Q. Thomas, Executive Editor, Wine & Spirits
“An authoritative and easy-sipping primer on the world of wine.” -Bryan Miller, former restaurant critic for the New York Times
“[WineWise] is enjoyable to read, partly because the authors are not afraid to express their opinions, while encouraging readers to drink what they like. Also, the tone avoids stuffiness; readers will be able to appreciate the authors' excitement and entertainment from sharing their knowledge of wine. A reference book in topic and depth, this is also a fun guide that can be read cover to cover or dipped into as curiosity dictates. Highly recommended.” --Kimberly Bartosz, Library Journal
