An all-inclusive, easy-to-use primer to all things wine
Want to learn about wine, but don't know where to start? Wine All-In-One For Dummies provides comprehensive information about the basics of wine in one easy-to-understand volume. Combining the bestselling Wine For Dummies with our regional and specific wine titles, this book gives you the guidance you need to understand, purchase, drink and enjoy wine.
You'll start at the beginning as you discover how wine is made. From there you'll explore grape varieties and vineyards, read labels and wine lists, and discover all the nuances of tasting wine. You'll see how to successfully store wine and serve it to your guests-and even build up an impressive collection of wine. Plus, you'll find suggestions for perfect food pairings and complete coverage on wines from around the world.
- Features wine tasting, serving, storing, collecting, and buying tips, all in a single authoritative volume
- Includes information on California wines, as well as other domestic and foreign locations including the US, Canada, France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Germany, Austria, Hungary, Greece, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Chile, and Argentina.
- Helps you choose the best vintage for your needs
- Also covers champagne, sherry, and port wine
- Ed McCarthy and Mary Ewing-Mulligan are the authors of seven Dummies books on wine including the bestselling Wine For Dummies, 4th Edition, other contributing authors are recognized wine experts and journalists in Australia, New Zealand, and Canada
Whether you're a wine novice or a budding sommelier, Wine All-In-One For Dummies is the one guide you need on your shelf to make your wine experience complete.
Table of Contents:
Introduction 1
Book I: Understanding Wine 7
Chapter 1: From Vine to Bottle: The Hows and Wines 9
Chapter 2: Getting Familiar with Wine Tastes and Names 25
Chapter 3: Buying Wine 41
Chapter 4: Getting the Cork Out (And All That Comes After): Serving Wine 57
Chapter 5: For Slurps and Gurgles: Tasting and Describing Wine 73
Chapter 6: Pairing Food and Wine 87
Chapter 7: Ordering Wine When You’re Dining Out 93
Chapter 8: The Urge to Own: Collecting Wine 105
Book II: France: A Wine Superstar 119
Chapter 1: French Wine Today 121
Chapter 2: Exploring Bordeaux’s Range 137
Chapter 3: Burgundy, Queen of France 163
Chapter 4: Beaujolais, the Fun Red 185
Chapter 5: Robust Rhône Reds and Unique Whites 193
Chapter 6: Champagne: The World’s Greatest Sparkling Wine 213
Chapter 7: Other Wine Regions of France 231
Book III: Italy: Small but Mighty 259
Chapter 1: The Big Picture of Italian Wine 261
Chapter 2: Perusing Piedmont’s Wines 275
Chapter 3: Finding Sparkling Wines and More in North-Central Italy 303
Chapter 4: Northeastern Italy: Where Whites Rule 317
Chapter 5: Tuscany: Checking Out Chianti and Other Tuscan Reds 341
Chapter 6: Getting Acquainted with Central Italy’s Wines 361
Chapter 7: Southern Italy: “The Land of Wine” 379
Chapter 8: Sicily and Sardinia: Focusing on Quality 397
Book IV: California and Elsewhere in North America 411
Chapter 1: Introducing California Wines 413
Chapter 2: California’s Major Wine Regions: An Overview 421
Chapter 3: Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, and Sparkling Wines 443
Chapter 4: California’s Standout Red Wines 461
Chapter 5: Major Wine Regions in the Rest of North America 495
Book V: Australia and New Zealand: Powerhouses of the Southern Hemisphere 507
Chapter 1: Australian and New Zealand Wines: A Success Story 509
Chapter 2: New South Wales: Home to Established Wineries and Upstarts 515
Chapter 3: Taking In the Diverse Range of Wines from Victoria and Tasmania 527
Chapter 4: The Wine Regions of South and South West Australia 549
Chapter 5: New Zealand’s Islands and Their Wines 573
Book VI: And More Wine Regions! 585
Chapter 1: Intriguing Wines from Old Spain 587
Chapter 2: Portugal: Port Wine and Beyond 601
Chapter 3: Finding Little-Known Treasures in Greece 611
Chapter 4: A Sampling of Wines from Germany, Austria, and Hungary 615
Chapter 5: From South America to South Africa: Rounding Out the Top Wine Nations 625
Index 635
About the Author :
Ed McCarthy, CWE, is a wine columnist for WineReviewOnline.com and for Beverage Media.
Mary Ewing-Mulligan, MW, is President of the International Wine Center in New York.
Maryann Egan is the wine writer for donna hay magazine, a leading food magazine in Australia, and is a regular contributor to the Australian Gourmet Traveller magazine.
