Kevin Zraly's Complete Wine Course

by Kevin Zraly

Let's pop a cork and toast America's very best, most popular wine course--now in a revised edition with new material that wine lovers will savor. This is Kevin's 40th year in the wine business, and to celebrate, he has updated all the material on vineyards in Austria, Hungary, Greece, New Zealand, South Africa, Chile, and Argentina. Plus, he completely refreshed the tasting section with flavor profiles that also discuss winemaking; created a new Best of the Best chapter; and included more than 20 smart phone tags throughout the book that link to videos of Kevin talking about wine. As always, the book offers Wine Basics, Tasting Wine, Matching Wine and Food, Frequently Asked Questions About Wine, and a Selected Glossary. Zraly goes region-by-region, with the wines organized from simple to complex--allowing readers who follow Kevin's order to experience the finest wines and a wide diversity of tastes, styles, regions, and countries. More than ever, this is clearly the wine guide against which all others are judged.  

Genres: Wine, Nonfiction, Cookbooks, Cooking, Reference, Food and Wine

336 pages, Hardcover

First published September 6, 2011

Reviews

[Dana · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book in just over a week as last minute preparation for my level 1 sommelier test. I really enjoyed it and found it very helpful for my test (though it couldn't be the only book you read for the sommelier test). It was easy reading, interesting, and entertaining. It is also very useful in helping you pick out wine at your local wine shop as Zraly shares his expert opinion on many wine producers and good vintages to look for. I highly recommend this book to anyone wanting to learn more about wine and for those who want help in their wine shopping. I also appreciated how down to earth Zraly seems and his passion for wine.

[Evan Leach · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great introduction to the world of wine. I liked how the book broke down wines by country/region, but also had specific chapters devoted to more general matters. Visually appealing with lots of pictures and open space. Zraly is clearly knowledgeable about his subject and his passion for wine is infectious (or, dare I say, intoxicating).

This is definitely an introductory volume, and Zraly only has time to cover specific subjects in brief. For readers looking for an in-depth exploration of the topic, I suspect this book would be superseded fairly quickly. Still, this is a great introduction to wine that I would recommend to aspiring oenophiles. 4.0 stars.

[Em · Rating 3 out of 5]

A dry, and sometimes a bit too commercially-oriented, study of the wine world that is, nonetheless, pretty comprehensive and useful as an introduction to wine.

[Shannon McKenzie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfect for the beginning wine enthusiast this books builds your appreciation for wine's beauty and time honored traditions with every turn of the page. Very straightforward plain language makes this seemingly intimidating world understandable and accessible without discounting any of the details or complexity of the industry. Easy reading and well organized, it's both an education and a reference guide. A great gift for anyone interested in learning about wine and its culture, this book is sure to inspire.

[Claire · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very good introduction to wine. It covers all the important information and is written in a clear, easy to understand manner. I particularly liked the interesting facts written in the margins. Despite its good qualities, I believe that Andrea Immer Robinson's Great Wines Made Simple is a better introductory wine book. Her book is better equipped to give you shortcuts to understanding the vast world of wine without having to memorize a million different individual villages and producers. This book gets a little too bogged down in the details.

[Serge Pierro · Rating 5 out of 5]

The definitive introductory book to wine. I have had many editions of this book over the years (my current copy is the 2009 edition), and have always enjoyed pulling it off the shelf as a "refresher" on the world of wine. Beginners will enjoy the way Kevin Zraly opens up their understanding of the world of wine..

[Wesley · Rating 4 out of 5]

great starter book, and has a lot to offer someone looking to deepen their knowledge as well. it would be more useful if I lived in the states or had a lot more money to spend on wine. the recommendations for further reading are wonderful for newbies as well.

[Jason Canon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice easy reading that provides a good basic introductory purse on wine. Everything except the tasting!

[Tina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Satisfied with the knowledge I took away from this book. So far, it's my favorite Wine book. Gave me all the knowledge I needed to get started and not to much to bore me and scare me away.

[Kristen Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

I recommend this book to anyone trying to build a foundation in wine