What is terroir? How do grapes become wine? What are tannins? This delightful portable guide has the answers to these questions and much more. Bernard Klem has whipped up a fun, easily digestible handbook that explains everything the novice needs to know to speak intelligently about wine at the store, restaurant, or table. From bottles and labels to the oenophiles lingo, it describes wine essentials, including: smell, taste, color, and effervescence. The left-hand side of each page features basic terminology, while the right-hand side uses more advanced language. For a tasty finale, theres practical information about matching wine with food, shopping for wine, and even what wine to bring as a guest. Its the witty, wise Wine 101 that every would-be expert should have!
"Secrets of the Wine Whisperer" is an informative, enjoyable and Very Funny chronicle of an innocent couple's descent into wine appreciation. From "how to select a wine glass" to "is a cork really needed" to "how the wine ratings work," the book is filled with vitally useful (and often hilarious) information for both the wine newcomer and experienced enthusiast. The "Wine Whisperer" is not in the wine business and does not make a living from the wine trade. His "ordinary person's" voice brings a sense of discovery that will touch and amuse both the wine beginner and confirmed collector.
This expanded second edition includes new technologies and market changes post-COVID, this comprehensive book covers every element of consultative wine sales, from understanding the market and the customer to providing excellent customer service. It covers the principles, strategies, and practices employed by top-notch wine professionals.
There is no other wine that is as versatile, as utterly unique in its range and production methods—and, unfortunately, as misunderstood—as sherry. For centuries, sherry was considered one of the world’s great wines, spoken about in the same reverential terms as the finest Bordeaux and Burgundies. But in the last few decades, sherry lost its way—and cheap, cloyingly sweet blends sullied the reputation of what remains one of Spain’s oldest and greatest winemaking traditions. Thankfully, sherry is in the midst of a renaissance. Beloved of sommeliers and bartenders in the craft cocktail community, today sherry is being re-discovered and re-appreciated as an incredible table wine and essential component of many classic cocktails. Sherry is essential reading for wine or spirits professionals looking to incorporate this complex wine into their menu, and for adventurous drink enthusiasts who are on the hunt for something unexpected. With a comprehensive yet accessible overview of the different styles of sherry, how they are made, and the people and places that produce it, Sherry demystifies what can be a confusing (and seemingly contradictory) wine. A thorough buyer’s guide lists top producers and profiles the very best bodegas and wines. And a whole chapter on sherry-based cocktails illuminates a completely different side of sherry, featuring classic recipes like the Tuxedo and Sherry Cobbler, as well as modern creations from the country’s top bartenders (Jim Meehan’s East India Negroni, Derek Brown’s Kojo Cocktail). More than a dozen recipes for tapas and other delicious foods—best eaten alongside a glass of sherry, of course—round out this wonderfully eclectic, engaging, and inspiring collection.
Inside Tips from Top Wine Experts Michael Mondavi, Jacques Pépin, Gina Gallo, and Kevin Zraly are just four of the contributors to Wine Secrets—a compilation of tips and tricks from today’s top wine experts, with advice on everything from buying and tasting to cooking and pairing. Readers will discover: • How to find the best wines by sticking to the classics • How to judge whether a wine is “good” • How to act like you know what you’re doing when ordering wine • How to guesstimate wine style from packaging clues • How to taste wine like a pro • And much, much more!
If your interest is in distilling alcohol then this book is for you. It will show you how to build a six gallon electric alcohol still, and use it to turn corn, sugar, or almost anything you can ferment into high proof alcohol. The still heats the wash with a water jacket in which is immersed a 120 volt water heater element. Temperature is controlled with a thermostat. Eventually vapors boil through the rectifying column to the condenser. If you carefully maintain the precese temperature you will get almost pure alcohol.
As a young child in Naples, Italy, Sergio Esposito sat at his kitchen table observing the daily ritual of his large, loud family bonding over fresh local dishes and simple country wines. While devouring the rich bufala mozzarella, still sopping with milk and salt, and the platters of fresh prosciutto, sliced so thin he could see through it, he absorbed the profound relationship of food, wine, and family in Italian culture. Growing up in Albany, New York, after emigrating there with his family, he always sat next to his uncle Aldo and sipped from his wineglass during their customary hours-long extended family feasts. Thus, from a very early age, Esposito came to associate wine with the warmth of family, the tastes of his mother’s cooking—and, above all, memories of his former life in Italy. When he was in his twenties, he headed for New York and undertook a career in wine, beginning a journey that would culminate in his founding of Italian Wine Merchants, now the leading Italian wine source in America. His career offered him the opportunity to make frequent trips back to Italy to find wine for his clients, to learn the traditions of Italian winemaking, and, in so doing, to rediscover the Italian way of life he’d left behind. Passion on the Vine is Esposito’s intimate and evocative memoir of his colorful family life in Italy, his abrupt transition to life in America, and of his travels into the heart of Italy—its wine country—and the lives of those who inhabit it. The result is a remarkably engaging and entertaining wine/travel narrative replete with vivid portraits of seductive places—the world-famous cellars of Piedmont, the sweeping estates of Tuscany, the lush fields of Campania, the chilly hills of Friuli, the windy beaches of Le Marche; and of memorable people, diverse and vibrant wine artisans—from a disco-dancing vintner who bases his farming on the rhythm of the moon to an obsessive prince who destroys his vineyards before his death so that his grapes will never be used incorrectly. Esposito’s luscious accounts of the wonderful food and wine that are so much a part of Italian life, and his poignant and often hilarious stories of his relationships with his family and Italian friends, make Passion on the Vine an utterly unique and enchanting work about Italy and its eternally seductive lifestyle.
52 tips for becoming a wine connoisseur. For absolute beginners and seasoned connoisseurs alike, Secrets of Wine enlightens readers on the flavors and choices that await them. From powering up the palate to learning which glasses are a must, discover the art of the freethinking drinker-and get ready for a guided tour of the amazing world of enjoying wine. - Idea #7: Glass act - Idea #25: A user's guide to sommeliers - Idea #28: California dreaming - Idea #31: Que Syrah, Syrah
Irreverent, informative, and controversial, this book offers indispensable information for beginners as well as for wine enthusiasts. 2-color throughout. 50 line drawings.
“Can I just be Marissa, please? I want to be hilarious and sexy and smart and insanely knowledgeable about wine.” —Mindy Kaling A fresh, fun, and unpretentious guide to wine from Marissa A. Ross, official wine columnist for Bon Appétit. Does the thought of having to buy wine for a dinner party stress you out? Is your go-to strategy to pick the bottle with the coolest label? Are you tired of choosing pairings based on your wallet, instead of your palate? Fear not! Bon Appétit wine columnist and Wine. All The Time. blogger Marissa A. Ross is here to help. In this utterly accessible yet comprehensive guide to wine, Ross will walk you through the ins and outs of wine culture. Told in her signature comedic voice, with personal anecdotes woven in among its lessons, Wine. All the Time. will teach you to sip confidently, and make you laugh as you're doing it. In Wine. All The Time., you’ll learn how to: • Describe what you’re drinking, and recognize your preferences • Find the best bottle for you budget and occasion • Read and understand what’s written on a wine label • Make the perfect pairings between what you’re drinking and what you’re eating • Throw the best damn dinner party your guests will ever attend • And much more
