Sommelier's Guide to Wine: A Primer for Selecting, Serving, and Savoring Wine

by Brian H. Smith

This updated and revised edition is the essential guide for aspiring wine connoisseurs who are seeking the knowledge and confidence of a C.I.A. wine professional.

Written by a leading wine educator from the esteemed Culinary Institute of America, The Sommelier's Guide to Wine is an engaging, in-depth introduction to the often-intimidating world of wine.

This fully updated guide provides a basic text for wine aficionados. Created in a handy size and format, it gives wine lovers the confidence and savvy to navigate the wine list in a restaurant or the aisles of the local wine store. Foodies, wine expert wannabes, wait staff, and wine lovers alike can learn how to present, serve, drink, and store wine just like a sommelier. The guidebook explains different wine styles, grape types, wine regions, and includes tips on how to properly pair wines with specific foods. Learn about all the new wine trends, too. It's the perfect introduction to the complex world of wines.

Genres: Wine, Food

208 pages, Hardcover

First published October 20, 2003

Reviews

[Jason Pettus]

One of my New Year's resolutions for 2016 is to become better educated about wine; and this is the first of many books at my neighborhood library that I decided to pick up in that effort, mostly because I liked the idea of getting an "insider's" look at how to think about the subject. And it was a really informative and interesting read, I have to say, although I agree with what its critics say as well; for a book that has "Sommelier's Guide" right in the title, it's an awfully basic book, something right up my particular alley as someone who didn't know anything about the subject beforehand, but that will frustrate people who already have a handle over the basics and were looking for something that would teach them the sommelier-like nuances. Misleading title aside, though, this is a quick and interesting read; and as a fairly new book on the subject, I appreciated its concentration on the very latest of "New World" topics in the wine world, such as the rise of South American and New Zealand vineyards. Now, onward and upward!

[Kerry]

This book promises to present the information simply and, for the most part, it delivers. The author does neglect discussion of a percentage of the wine-producing world, but likely it is written for those shoppers who have access only to the wines from main wine-producing regions. (Some mention of lesser-known regions, and the qualities of those wines, would have at least acknowledged their existence.)

Nevertheless, this is a decent starter guide to anyone who wants to know more about buying, tasting, and serving wine. Its discussion of wine production and what factors go into creating sweet vs. dry, red vs white, or light vs. full-bodied wines is presented without complexity and can be immediately applied to the more sophisticated explanation of grape varieties and wine regions. Particularly interesting is how climate, including variable night and day temperatures vs. steady temperatures, affect the end product.

The writer assumes the reader might have never even ordered a bottle of wine in a restaurant, which is good, because he recommends the proper etiquette for doing so without sounding judgmental. (Clearly, he cringes when the entire table stops to watch the waiter uncork the proffered bottle.)

Even more interesting is the advice on pairings. Of course, pairing wine and food takes practice, but the author gives enough information for the reader to begin experimenting, armed with the knowledge gained from reading the chapters about wine types and regions. Probably some failures await the beginner, but advice for what pairings to avoid is also offered.

[Shon]

A pretty decent primer on how to read a label, what grapes come from what regions, and a bit on how to order/store/select wine. Overall great for me, being a novice, but I can't say its much better than any other wine primer out there. I just happened to pick this one up in the used section of my local brick-and-mortar shop.

[Elizabeth]

A great foundation for understanding and appreciating wine.