I Don't Know Much About Wine But I Know What I Like

by Simon Woods, Steph Coathupe (Illustrator)

Simon Woods tackles an often stuffy subject with light-hearted, tongue-in-cheek insight while providing useful information on buying, drinking, and enjoying wine. The book describes how to spot a grape variety as against a wine style, the difference between a good wine deal and a bad wine deal, and where to shop for that special occasion. From wine on the web to impressing with taste this witty guide guarantees fool-proof advice on how to get the most out of drinking wine.

Genres: Nonfiction

144 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2003

Reviews

[Diane Gabriel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun and quick introduction to the world of wine. What I mean by "world", is the types of wines, and also the culture around wines, drinking it, storing it, collecting it, entertaining with it, and how to shop and not get ripped off by advertisements, etc. I received it as part of a World of Wine class series package and it has been helpful. The section I found most helpful is on what new world wines to look out for in regards to a better deal quality-wise, like Spanish and South African wines being on the come up. Overall it's an outline read of the concerns of people interested in wine.

[Robin · Rating 4 out of 5]

It took me waaaay longer to read this short book than it should have, but I’ve been taking notes. Lots of useful information is packed in here, and I hope I can apply it to my future wine purchasing/tasting. A good reference for beginners.

[Daisy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Leuk instapboekje voor absolute wijnnoobs. Of eigenlijk meer voor vinofoben die het idee hebben dat ze iets van wijn moeten weten voordat ze er een mening over mogen hebben. Dit boekje stelt je op dat vlak compleet gerust; de boodschap is dat je altijd gelijk hebt als je het lekker vindt (m.a.w. smaken verschillen).

Meer dan van je vinofobie afkomen doet dit boekje echter niet. Op sommige punten spreekt volgt het zelfs zijn eigen advies niet op. Een van de tips die gegeven over wijnschrijven is namelijk de volgende: "Af en toe een onbekende term is prima, zolang die wordt uitgelegd. Een column vol termen is een afknapper.". Helaas komen in dit boekje wel een aantal nieuwe termen voor die voor mij als wijnleek absoluut niet bekend zijn en niet worden uitgelegd. Dat neemt niet weg dat dit een aardig eerste inkijkje geeft in de wondere wijnwereld en waarschijnlijk wel aanzet tot het doen van meer wijnonderzoek: boeken lezen maar vooral ook gewoon wijn drinken!

[Mark Oppenlander · Rating 3 out of 5]

This pocket-sized book is an entertaining guide to the world of wine. In 50 short chapters, English wine critic Simon Woods walks the novice through the basics of wine production, wine tasting, grape varietals, wine glasses, pricing and much, much more. What could be a dry or didactic text proves fun and witty when delivered in the clever (and sometimes sarcastic) voice of Woods.

I'm not sure if this is a good book to read straight through - I read it in small chunks and still felt overloaded with information. But as a beginner's guide or reference to the mysterious world of oenophiles, you could do a lot worse. I am saving this to put on the shelf with my cookbooks.

[Kari · Rating 3 out of 5]

So, I am going on a wine country trip to California in a few months, and so i have decided to brush up on my wine knowledge. I'm not seeking in-depth knowledge, just to enhance the enjoyment I get out of it. You might see several wine book reviews pop up in the next two months!

What I liked about this book: I do know more than I think I know! The important thing to do is relax, sip, and sample a diversity of wines. How else do you figure out what you like best?

This is the type of research I can really get into....

[Christopher Obert · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great book, I really enjoyed it. It was informative and entertaining. Everything a good nonfiction book should be. If you are curious about wine, this is a excellent first book to read. Two thumbs up.

[Juan · Rating 3 out of 5]

The tittle doesn't clarify to much the content because "much" for Woods implies A LOT so the suggestions and jokes can be useless because of the wrong assumptions.
Nevertheless you can find good tips and nice comments to make during a party.