Wine: An Introduction

by Joanna Simon, Ian O'Leary (Photographer)

Perfect for any wine enthusiast, a fashionable guide, filled with stunning photographs and illustrations, covers every aspect of wine, from tasting to buying, and features a unique "If you like this...try this" section that demystifies the often confusing process of selecting wine. Reprint.

Genres: Wine, Food and Drink

224 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2001

Reviews

[Christina · Rating 5 out of 5]

At some point I decided I needed to educate myself about wine so that I could use more than guesswork, a nifty label or just rebuying what I got last time to pick out a bottle at the store. The first book I tried claimed to be a guide to wine. It turned out to be a guide to buying very expensive boutique wines from small Napa Valley producers. I was looking to drink the stuff and pair it with meals, not to stock a wine cellar, start an investment, show off to my friends or break the bank. So, that book was a bust.

This was the book I was looking for. Joanna Simon knows her subject inside and out, and even better, can explain it well. This is a very complete reference to the basics of all things wine without the snob factor. It even explains the logic behind those very confusing French wine labels, and the very confusing in a completely different way German wine labels. However, you can use just three chapters and it will well be worth the price of admission. Do you favor medium-bodied reds, but are tired of drinking merlot? Prefer a steely, flinty tang to your whites instead of strong fruit or flowery aromas? Turn to the chapter on wine styles, look up the red or white you prefer, and read about what grapes and regional wines fall into your category. If you wish to branch out and try something different, but maybe not too different, read the chapter on exploring wine. If you want to know more about the grapes involved, there's an entire chapter on that. With that, you're pretty much set.

In addition, there's everything about the fundamentals of how wine is grown and made, how those tastings that reviews are based on are done, which wines can be stored for a few years if you want to start a cellar and how to do that properly, how to open a bottle, how to choose a glass that will bring out your wine's flavor without spending a fortune on glassware, and how to store leftovers when you don't finish the bottle. There's a chapter devoted to pairing wine with food that teaches the essentials of balancing acids and tannin with various flavors, including tricky ones like chocolate, smoked or oily fish, and artichokes. (If you need more detail than this chapter provides, Ms. Simon has also written an entire book on the subject.) In short, this comprehensive wine book is pretty much the only one I needed. Cheers!

[Brenda Hicks · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love DK. These publishers have a talent for producing visually appealing reference books that make learning a pleasure. A good gift or coffee table book, This one will be added to my personal collection of reference books as my birthday treat this year. Happy Birthday to me.