Product Description

The bestselling guide that demystifies wine-now revised and updated

Winner of the George Duboeuf Wine Book of the Year

"Smart and totally readable." -Newsday

"Crammed with useful, accurate information." -Wine Enthusiast

"Complete...and agreeably relaxed." -New York Times

The nation's most popular wine primer is now even better. Wine experts Mary Ewing-Mulligan and Ed McCarthy have revised this friendly, unintimidating guide to cover all the latest developments in the wine world: which wine regions are now hot (and which are not), information on new rules for shipping wine and the new vogue for screw-caps, and, of course, updates on vintages, producers, and wine resources on the Web.

As always, the authors deliver just what ordinary mortals need to navigate the wine list at a restaurant or the wine aisle at a store, select a great bottle, and truly enjoy it. They provide an easy-to-understand overview of wine grapes and wine production, a detailed survey of wine regions and producers around the world, tips on tasting wine and pairing wine with food, pointers on wine storage units, and unbeatable guidance on how to choose a decent bottle at an affordable price.

Ed McCarthy (New York, NY) writes for the Wine Enthusiast. His wife, Mary Ewing-Mulligan (New York, NY), one of only fourteen certified Masters of Wine in America, is a wine columnist for the New York Daily News. Both also teach classes at New York's International Wine Center, where Mary is a co-owner and director. They are also the authors of For Dummies guides to red wine, white wine, champagne, French wine, and Italian wine.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #215659 in Books
• Published on: 2003-08-08
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 432 pages

From Amazon.com
In Wine for Dummies, Mary Ewing-Mulligan teams up with hubby and fellow wine educator Ed McCarthy to guide us on an exhaustive, entertaining trip around the enological--that's right, enological--world. Though clearly experts themselves (Ewing-Mulligan is one of a handful of Americans holding the rare title Master of Wine), the authors assure us that even the most basic knowledge will undermine the very notion of wine pretension. It's as simple as this: "This wine is named for a grape variety. This wine is named for a geographical region. When they make this kind of wine, it goes into this kind of bottle." And so on.

By providing the context in which to begin exploring wine, Wine for Dummies can easily become the send-off for a lifelong education. McCarthy and Mulligan deflate many of the wine snob's attitudes; they assure us that most wine sold today is "good wine," and that any further distinctions made about wine are ultimately subjective. The practical, jovial mentoring the authors provide encourages readers to chart their own course toward drinking great wine (although the authors naturally recommend dozens of their own favorites along the way). In later chapters, McCarthy and Mulligan delve into more serious topics such as investing in and cellaring wine. Even these discussions seem appropriate, given that you'll probably find the allure of wine growing as its mystery subsides to the force of this superb introductory text. --Todd Gehman

Review
“…friendly un-intimidating guide to all there is to know about wine…” (Irish News, 14th August 2004)

“…the no-nonsense guide to buying, storing serving and talking about wine…” (Choice Magazine, May 2004)

Ingram
The bestselling, popular classic "Wine For Dummies" has been completely revised to include information requested by readers and retailers alike, plus comprehensive cross-references to IDG's companion wine titles.

Customer Reviews

I love wine !
Although I am no expert on wine, I have been drinking it and enjoying it in a serious way for the last 20 years - during which I have absorbed quite a bit of information (and wine !!). My interest in wine lead me to take a couple of courses on the subject, in order to be able to understand the basics and improve enjoyment; "Wine for Dummies", as explained, is indeed a valid source of information, not only for wine professionals, but regular people who just want to understand a bit more without getting bogged down in tons of theory...the information is presented in a humorous and extremely simple, easy to understand manner, and am pretty sure it will become one of my favourite wine books for quick consultation. Highly recommended !

It is worth 10 stars!
I have always enjoyed drinking wines, but I never knew how to combine them with food, distinguish a good wine from a bad one or how to read a label. I had read some books about this topic before, but none of them was good enough for my level.

This book answered all the questions I had. It is the first step that a beginner has to take in the fascinating world of wines, in order to enjoy more what they drink.

In a very easy to understand language, the authors explain everything you need to know about different types of wine, grapes, how to taste a wine, vintages, what a wine consists of and what we should take into account when we taste it.
Then the reader is presented in details the most important wine regions of the world. It has very interesting tips and charts about wines that you should try at least once in your life.

The explanations are so clear and specific, that at the end of the book you will realise you have no more questions. Read each chapter attentively and try to remember every detail. Only after having done that, move on to the next chapter. So, you won't mix wine denominations, types of grapes and areas.
The book is very entertaining and concise, by far one of the best manuals.

After having read that, I promise, you will no longer be afraid to order a wine in a restaurant or will know what bottle to buy in a wine store by simply reading its label.

Also, don't forget to practice what you read. Everytime you have a bottle of wine on your table, open the book and read. Next time you will remember easily that specific wine, the grapes it was made of and its taste.

The are only two things I regret about the book: it is not updated (the vintage charts end in 1996) and it does not have attached a video tape. It would have been more useful in order to understand better certain chapters.

Wine snobs, beware!
When I was a kid and I got to go out for dinner with my folks, I remember my dad teaching me how to choose a wine. He showed me how to select a wine according to what we were having for dinner, demonstrated swirling and sniffing techniques, and discussed the local California wineries. It was great!

Then I grew up and forgot most of what he told me.

The good news is that this book contains everything my dad told me and more! But what I liked best about this book (besides the refresher course) was that it was written in an easy-to-follow, matter-of-fact manner. The tips were practical, the commentary was light-hearted, and at times I almost felt like I was reading instructions written especially for me by a friend.

A definite "must-have" for anyone who wants to add a bit of practical culture to his or her repertoire!