Customer Review: An Excellent Guide to Wine Tasting

For any reader seeking to learn about wine tasting, you're in luck because there a dozen or more books available on this topic and this particular book is an excellent one.

The book is well organized and nicely covers all of the basics in appraising a wine. After first describing how to approach and evaluate a wine from the perspective of its appearance, aromas and taste on the palate, the book then offers insights into putting this knowledge into practice with different types of wine. Subsequent, brief (2 to 4 pages each) sections cover: tasting Young white wines; White wines for laying down; Red wines; Young red wines; Aged red wines; Rose wines, Sweet wines; Vin janes; Sparkling wines and other kinds of wines. But, it doesn't stop there; it offers tasting insights for armagnac, cognac, malt whiskey, and rum, each in its own sections.

Most books on wine tasting are written for the average consumer, with a small number diving into the topic much more extensively, written mainly for wine professionals. This book is clearly written for the wine consumer, although it offers some insights a professional would likely find worthy and useful.

While I rated it 5 stars, my true rating for this book is 4.5. It's not the perfect book on wine tasting, however, it is an excellent one and most readers would learn a lot, likely everything they need to know, from this book. I highlight all books I read and this one ended up with a lot of highlighting, a characteristic I find very indicative of a book's merit in hindsight. Highly recommended.

Mark Vincent

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Professional wine consultant Richard Vine offers an in-depth look into wines, wine making, wine varieties, wine appreciation, and wines throughout the world.

Customer Review: Insightful and Indepth

I also took Dr. Vine's class at Purdue and worked for his enologist, Ellie Harkness. Dr. Vine's knowledge goes beyond just academic as he was the director of the largest wine lab in California. This book gives great insight about not just wine, but about how it is produced and why grapes growing on a hill are better than on flat land (struggling vine theory). I would recommend this book for anyone really interested in wine and the wine industry.

Customer Review: Well thought out and organized.

I took Dr. Vine's class at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana. His book is quite thorough, from the scientific principles of fermentation and how wine gets its color, to the historical influence of Charlemagne, to pragmatic instruction in how to read a label and properly serve wine. There is so much information on wine, it is key that the book is well organized. Focuses on a different wine region of the world including France, Germany, US, etc. in enough detail to be useful, but not so much as to bore the casual reader. Not snobbish in the least, the information is presented in a way that it is quite easy to absorb and retain.

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Exploring the roots of resurgent evangelicalism in the United States, Stephen Warner tells the story of one small-town church from 1959 to 1982, the Presbyterian Church of Mendocino, California. This book chronicles the actions of the men and women who struggled with and against one another to shape their church.

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The Port-Wine Sea is a rousing parody of the best historical fiction ever written. It is a story about a British naval captain during the Napoleonic War, and his friend, a naval physician/espionage agent. They set sail once again aboard "H.M.S. Aghast" during the War of 1812 to demonstrate to the upstart Colonies the errors of their ways.

The doctor/spy tries to establish liaison with the Creek Indians to create a diversion to the main British assault. Meanwhile the noble Captain is diverted by a teenaged Maryland vixen. Along the way, they encounter a skittish horse, a demure skunk, a whooping crane, and an escaped colony of termites aboard the ship.

Customer Review: Have the Purser Issue this woman a sense of humor

I love the Aubrey novels. I love a good parody. I love an atrocious pun. I love clever and obscure wit. I hate...well no...I dislike this book. It is dull, clunky, disjointed, repetitive and unimaginitive. I sense that Mrs. Wenger was unsure if she was writing a parody, or trying to write a story for inclusion in the series. The author alas demonstrates how so many bright people are also seen to be dreadful bores. I am halfway through the book and I fear I will do what I almost never do...put a book away unfinished. No greater disrespect can I show for any book. Don't waste your time or money.

Customer Review: Slow, forced, weak parody. Disappointing.

Its a shame, but i'm only up to chapter four and I'm having trouble keeping awake. The author is perhaps a bit too proper to write a good parody. This O'brian series is a delight but it is also plump and ripe for a rollicking, wicked, down-and-dirty lampooning. Mrs Wegner just isn't up to it (as if you couldn't tell she's just too nice of a lady from her picture). So far the jokes are tedious, thin, and lacking in depth. I really really wanted this to be good, but its not, which is a shame after all the work I had to go to to locate a copy. Don't waste your time, this would do better as fan fiction on a web page. Me...I'm going to reread Bored of the Rings to remind myseld of what a parody is supposed to be. (To be fair parody is tough...the harvard lampoon failed pretty badly on their 2nd try, Doon.)

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Customer Review: Great source of basic information on cholesterol.

This is the second copy that I have purchased for myself to lend to those I care about. This book is simple yet explains how to effectively lower ones cholesterol and improve their diet.It's a quick read for a short attention span without all of the medical terminology.

Customer Review: Good reference

Helpful in finding ways to lower cholesterol. I use it as a reference.

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Customer Review: a must have for all

As a professional sommelier I read a lot of wine books. this is a must have for beginners and pro's alike. Great to start your passion with a good book behind you but also informative enough for me to be reading every word and learning more about the basics. The grape guide is awesome with Doug's personal take on most of the grapes I have ever encountered. Easy and fun to read
Go Doug Go
the cork dork rules

Customer Review: Very nice indeed, Doug knows his juice

Doug lives here in my home town, writes a column for the local paper. So I'm an old fan. This is a book I can recommend without reservations, I only give it 4 stars because I wish there were a few more chapters. Combine this one with Andrea Immer's 'Great Wine Made Simple' and you're good to go.

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When National Geographic sent Charles O'Rear to photograph a little-known region of Napa Valley for a book about rural America, he was immediately enthralled by the area's natural beauty and vibrant tradition of winemaking. He soon made the valley his home and in the twenty-three years since, he has watched it grow from an obscure, secluded hollow in the California landscape to an internationally recognized food and wine destination. O'Rear has accumulated thousands of photographs of his idyllic environs, the best of which are brought together in this awe-inspiring volume. Each photo exhibits an artistry and grandeur imbued with the familiarity and immediacy that can only be gleaned by a Napa Valley local. From the people who grow the grapes and create the wines to the variety of winery architecture and unrivaled vistas that distinguish the land, NAPA VALLEY offers a personal and stunning look at the places, people, and events that have shaped this now-famous region. Without a doubt, O'Rear's collection is the most original and comprehensive treasury ever assembled on Napa Valley.

Customer Review: Captures the essential qualities of the Valley

I have been visiting the Napa Valley for 10 years now and this excellent book captures the Napa Valley extremely well. The photography is up to the high standard set by National Geographic phtotograpers. Highly recommended from someone who does know the Napa Valley.

Customer Review: Great book for anyone wanting to retire a gentleman farmer.

This is a great book. It details the Napa Valley and the families in a great photographic format. I was completely fascinated by the imagery and the passion that they conveyed about wine making. Mr.O'Rear is a skilled photograher teller that weaves a silent story about the lives and art of wine making into one great book. One of my desires is, after I retire from futures trading, is to own a vineyard. Mr.O'Rear has written a book that has convinced me that is what I should do.

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Customer Review: Treasures sometimes land in our laps as this one did.

Treasures sometimes land in our laps at times at the oddest of times and circumstances and I had the pleasure of meeting an author and purchasing his book or treasure. The book "Garlic, Wine and Olive Oil", by Thomas Pellechia, much too my surprise was a heartfelt book packed with history, recipes and a slice of life so sincere that I feel like I have experienced the things that I have read. Maybe it's because Thomas and I share the memories and culture of a time lost and yet found in his book.

The way the author Thomas writes is the type of style that grabs you by the arm and won't let go until you are done with the book. I found it very easy to read and very informative. Thomas leaves a few clues as to his age in the book so one can date the timeline as well some of the most compelling history even quoting biblical verses and great historians and some of the best minds in the world and all this is interwoven the story of "Garlic, Wine and Olive Oil". While embarking on a journey from thousands of years ago up to the modern era you are drawn in by the hook, health and history and the human experience many different cultures.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone who has a passion for life and wants to understand more about Garlic, Wine and Olive Oil and how it has interwoven itself in the human experience called life. Thomas has been imbued into my mind and forever changed the way I perceive this world and I might add given some of the best recipes for many dishes. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who has an open mine and who wants to take a ride and surf the crest of history and stay healthy.

John D.Zuccarino

Customer Review: Great Book for the Novice and Learner

The blend of literature, personal story, information and recipes makes this book a warm and helpful companion. Not only are the resulting meals a delight, but they are richer for the narrative that goes with them. Warning: do not read this book on an empty stomach - it could cause a trip to the market!

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Did you know that boxed wine keeps longer than expensive bottled wine? Or that inexpensive wine, paired with the right food, can have a better taste than pricey bottles? And the screwcaps you find on bargain jugged wine enhances flavor for longer periods of time than corks, giving you more for your money?
With Mr. Cheap's Guide to Wine, you will learn how, why, and which inexpensive wines can be as good, if not better, than their pricier counterparts! This engaging and informative guide briefs you on all the secrets of bargain hunting, including: