Overview
"Like a wine meant to be drunk young, this book can be enjoyed now; like a wine that improves with age, this book will impart knowledge and give pleasure for years to come."Tim Mondavi, Managing Partner and Winegrower, Robert Mondavi Winery
"A must-have resource for the weekend novice drinker and the everyday tasting professional."Joseph Bastianich, Restaurateur, Babbo, Esca, Lupa, Becco, Lidias Kansas City, and Lidias Pittsburgh; Proprietor, Italian Wine Merchants; Owner, Bastianich Winery
"A large jewel and a classic. I intend to use it as a reference and for inspiration. SALUTE!"Piero Selvaggio, Proprietor, Valentino, Los Angeles and Las Vegas
"One of the most intelligent, most easily understood books on the subject of winegrowing that I have ever used."Scott Mcleod, Wine Maker, Niebaum-Coppola Estate Winery, Napa Valley, California
"When Im looking for precise, in-depth information about the wines of the world, I always turn to this awesome team. This weighty tome is a must for every wine lovers reference shelf."David Rosengarten, The Rosengarten Report
Editorials
From Barnes & Noble
The Barnes & Noble ReviewEver find yourself at sea in the wine store, dithering between one wine and another? The Culinary Institute of America has taught more than 17,000 aspiring chefs about the principles of wine and the fine art of pairing food with wine. This is the wine reference they use, and now you can, too. Greatly expanded -- by 200 pages -- this second edition is the definitive text for the wine enthusiast and wine professional and a book that can be browsed for hours.
If you have more than a passing interest in wine, you'll quickly get absorbed in the discussion of the major grape varieties, their classic growing areas and new growing areas. You'll learn the basics of wine making, from canopy management to tannins and barrels (oak vs. stainless steel). You can spend hours looking at the tools that the professionals use: the Davis Color Wheel (which shows the different gradations of color, from Partridge Eye to Walnut) and the Davis Aroma Wheel (which gives a whole vocabulary for wine aromas from banana, rose, and bitter almond to skunk and "wet wool, wet dog").
But it's not all technology. Exploring Wine, Second Edition also delivers a thorough tour of the major and minor wines of the world. In each chapter on the wines of a particular country, you'll find an overview of the country's wine production, wine laws, recent efforts, best producers, and best grapes. You'll find out how Cloudy Bay put the New Marlborough Sauvignon Blancs on the map, what the latest developments in Italian wine are (tip: look to the South), and how South African wines are faring in the post-apartheid era. There's an expanded section on American wines, including a whole chapter devoted to California.
Cooks will love the expanded section on wine and food pairing, as well as the expanded vintage charts and pages of menus with carefully selected wines for various dishes. There are sections on wine service, wine labels, and wine storage, too.
This is a handsomely designed book, filled with photos, illustrations, maps, and sidebars, all of which intrigue. It's wonderful to see the actual rankings of the 1976 Paris blind tasting in which the California wines beat out the French. However, I am still musing over the chart of the top wine-consuming nations and wondering why it is that Luxembourg ranks No. 1 in wine consumed per capita. (What is going on in Luxembourg?!). (Ginger Curwen)