This selection of wine jellies represents some of the classic winemaking regions in Italy. Made from the finest wines, they are rich in flavor and aroma and complement fine cheeses. Gelatina di Recioto di Soave is created from the finest wine from the northeastern region of Italy. A small company is nestled in the foothills of the Alps in the Veneto region. The wine base is bright yellow in color with hints of acacia honey and wild flowers. The bouquet is harmonious and full-bodied with almond accents. Enjoy this jelly with fresh cow's milk cheeses, such as Monte Veronese or Taleggio. Gelatina di Vin Santo:Made from one of the most famous DOC wines from Tuscany, this jelly has a warm amber color. Pressed from partly dried grapes and aged in small wooden barrels, Vin Santo can be an exquisite dessert or aperitif wine. It is best with Tuscan and Sardinian pecorinos. Also a pleasing partner to foie gras. Gelatina di Marsala: From the southern Italian island of Sicily, this wine jelly carries the warmth of the hot summer sun. Fortified Marsala wine has always been made using a process called in perpetuum, which is similar to solera system used to produce Sherry in Jerez, Spain. This sweet wine is a blend of Grillo, Cataratto, Ansonia and Damaschino with the addition of distilled alcohol. This jelly is best matched with seasoned spicy cheeses, and blue cheeses with a semi-hard paste such as Stilton and Mountain Gorgonzola. Recioto della Valpolicella: This red dessert wine is produced on the hills west of Verona, in the Valpolicella area, which is also famous for Amarone wine. This wine jelly has sweet perfumes of mature cherries and it goes well with medium-aged cheeses and cheeses matured in wine. Varieties sold separately.

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Customer Review: A Decent Gift

I purchased this as a gift and included some wine. It made a nice compliment to the wine, although I'm somewhat reluctant to say it would hold up on its own.

Customer Review: It's very easy to keep your eye on the prize...

I found that with this kit I was able to stay focused on what to look for in each tasting. The tasting sheets helped me tremendously when there were characteristics present that I couldn't identify. The book inside is quite easy-to-read and flip through. I loved everything about this kit and will continue to use it as a guideline in future tastings.

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Customer Review: Another nice entry in the Eyewitness Companions series

I have come to be enchanted by this series of books. This marks, if memory serves, the fourth of these books that I have enjoyed.

The book provides a nice service by beginning with context for a description of current French wines by region. The slender volume begins with a history of wine in general, and then French wine in particular. The author, Robert Joseph, notes that French wine was around before 500 B. C. Then, a section on wine making. For those interested in the nitty gritty of wine, there follows a description of the variety of raw materials--grapes from red to white, from Carignan to Viognier (plus some miscellaneous varieties to boot). And so on. . . . I learned a lot about the basics in the first segments of this book, including how different wines are made. Then, we get to labels, and my eyes glazed over! The discussion of the grades of wine, culminating in Appellation d'origine controlee. Arcane, to say the least! But fascinating! What's meant by bouquet? Elegant? Stalky? The book goes through each term.

The heart of the book follows, with a region by region description of wines and the wine producers. This section begins with Alsace and Lorraine and concludes with miscellany. I like a nice red Bordeaux. So, naturally, I went to the section on this region of France wine-making. Nice discussion of a tour of the region and its history. From pages 92-111, there is a description of a series of wines coming from this region. Chateau Margaux, Chateau Lafite-Rothschild, Chateau Mouton-Rothschild (famously headed in the latter part of the 20th century by Baron Philippe de Rothschild), and so on. Delightful writing and neat little tidbits abound.

And on it goes, region by region. Some of the arcane facts leave me a bit dizzy and not sure that I'm "getting it." But that's part of the fun! If you want to get an enjoyable introduction to French wine, this little book is a good start!

Customer Review: ANOTHER COMPLETE WINNER FROM EYEWITNESS

First, let me state that I dearly love these Eyewitness Companions! This series of books is absolutely top quality, informative and a pure joy to read and own. Secondly, I have to admit to not being much of a snob when it comes to wine. I am usually pretty happy with a mid priced domestic wine and have difficulty telling a cheap bottle of French Wine from a top end one. Now I am a snob when it comes to French Cheese (actually, I am not a big fan of French cooking at all - I know, at worse I am a cultural barbarian, at best a peasant) and am a snob when it comes to olive oil. That is really beside the point of course, and one of the reasons for my reading this work was to gain a greater appreciation for wine from this part of the world. This book did the job!

As with the other books in this series, this one is beautifully designed and more than easy to use. It starts with a general history of wine then moves into a history of French wine. It covers the subjects of how wine is made, wine tasting, the language of wine (an area in which I was totally lacking), serving wine, food and wine, investing, vintages and touring the wine country of France. Now fear not. You really do not have to actually travel to France (although that would be nice) to enjoy this book or to enjoy French Wine. Many of the varieties featured here are available in the United States and more are becoming available each year.

The book then addresses most of the major types and brands of wine in the country of France. It gives detailed maps and descriptions of the region, the type of grape used and the process in which it is made. The author has done us a favor in that he has placed more emphasis on the actual wine maker and not specific vintages (although he does address this) which I feel so often is a mistake as it makes much on the information in a wine book obsolete before the ink even get dry on the book. This work is well illustrated with plenty of beautiful pictures and, thank goodness plenty of maps. Now this book is also set up as a great travel guide for those that are fortunate enough to be planning a trip to this part of the world. This is certainly one little volume you will want to pack.

I might suggest a companion book to go along with this one; The Wines of France by Jacqueline Friedrich. Between these two books, the average person, like me, will be able to ferret out enough information to make the drinking and use of French Wine a much more enjoyable experience. You of course will not become an over night expert on the subject, but then you really do not need to be one of those critters to enjoy good drink and good food, do you.

Recommend this one highly. I cannot see how you could go wrong by owning it.

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This selection of wine jellies represents some of the classic winemaking regions in Italy. Made from the finest wines, they are rich in flavor and aroma and complement fine cheeses. Gelatina di Recioto di Soave is created from the finest wine from the northeastern region of Italy. A small company is nestled in the foothills of the Alps in the Veneto region. The wine base is bright yellow in color with hints of acacia honey and wild flowers. The bouquet is harmonious and full-bodied with almond accents. Enjoy this jelly with fresh cow's milk cheeses, such as Monte Veronese or Taleggio. Gelatina di Vin Santo:Made from one of the most famous DOC wines from Tuscany, this jelly has a warm amber color. Pressed from partly dried grapes and aged in small wooden barrels, Vin Santo can be an exquisite dessert or aperitif wine. It is best with Tuscan and Sardinian pecorinos. Also a pleasing partner to foie gras. Gelatina di Marsala: From the southern Italian island of Sicily, this wine jelly carries the warmth of the hot summer sun. Fortified Marsala wine has always been made using a process called in perpetuum, which is similar to solera system used to produce Sherry in Jerez, Spain. This sweet wine is a blend of Grillo, Cataratto, Ansonia and Damaschino with the addition of distilled alcohol. This jelly is best matched with seasoned spicy cheeses, and blue cheeses with a semi-hard paste such as Stilton and Mountain Gorgonzola. Recioto della Valpolicella: This red dessert wine is produced on the hills west of Verona, in the Valpolicella area, which is also famous for Amarone wine. This wine jelly has sweet perfumes of mature cherries and it goes well with medium-aged cheeses and cheeses matured in wine. Varieties sold separately.

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Jay McInerney on wine? Yes, Jay McInerney on wine! The best-selling novelist has turned his command of language and flair for metaphor on the world of wine, providing this sublime collection of untraditional musings on wine and wine culture that is as fit for someone looking for “a nice Chardonnay” as it is for the oenophile.

On champagne: “Is Dom Pérignon worth four bottles of Mo‘t & Chandon? If you are a connoisseur, a lover, a snob, or the owner of a large oceangoing craft, the answer . . . is probably yes.”
On the difficulty of picking a wine for a vegetarian meal: “Like boys and girls locked away in same-sex prep schools, most wines yearn for a bit of flesh.”
On telling the difference between Burgundy and Bordeaux: “If it’s red, French, costs too much, and tastes like the water that’s left in the vase after the flowers have died, it’s probably Burgundy.”
On the fungus responsible for the heavenly flavor of the dessert wine called Sauternes: “Not since Baudelaire smoked opium has corruption resulted in such beauty.”

Includes new material plus recommendations on the world’s most romantic wines and the best wines to pair with a meal

Customer Review: 'Adventures' with a grape nut.

"Since I have no real training in the official vocabulary of wine tasting--or for that matter, in gardening--you are more likely to find me comparing a wine to a movie, a poem, or a pop song than to an herb or a flower. These are the notes of a passionate amateur, a wordsmith with a wine jones" (p. xxiv).

Jay Mcinerney (1955) is not only a bestselling novelist (Bright Lights, Big City; Ransom; Story of My Life; Brightness Falls; The Last of the Savages; The Good Life), he is also an amateur oenephile (a "grape nut") and the wine columnist for House & Garden magazine. In his first compilation of wine essays drawn from his "Uncorked" column, McInerney proves he is "the best wine writer in America" (Salon), writing about his "first love" (Bordeaux), his initial prejudice against California wines ("Ripe, yes. Fruity, yes. So is Baywatch."), his nervous admiration for Helen Turley ("the wine goddess"), the "cult of Condrieu," champagne ("Beautiful Bubbleheads"), Burgundy ("If it's red, French, costs too much, and tastes like the water that's left in the vase after the flowers have died and rotted, it's probably Burgundy."), the most romantic wines, and pairing wine with food. McInerney brings his unique gift of terroir, wit, and opinion to these essays, making his book a must read for anyone who, like me, has a passion for really good wine and really good writing. And for those readers left wanting more wine adventures with McInerney, check out A Hedonist in the Cellar: Adventures in Wine (2006), ISBN: 978-1400044825.

G. Merritt

Customer Review: Prada and nothing but trash.......

As an employee in the wine business, and an everyday drinker, I personally know that I cannot afford purchasing 2nd or 3rd growths on a regular basis, never mind 1st growths and '55 and '28 vintage Chateau d' Yquem. This book, although some chapters were very entertaining, was nothing but a name dropping debacle. Rather than focusing on the everyday enjoyment of wine, the book strived more towards depicting the great parties Jay McInerney has attended and all snobbishness that comes with it, i.e.; a rich man turning down Cristal champagne because it was not Krug, McInerney's fear of getting wine stains on his prada clothes, and the infamous Millenium Party where he and other famous wine and food representatives had the pleasure of trying everything under the banner of luxury. I personally do not know Jancis Robinson or Sommelier Jean-Luc Le Du, and likewise I know at last 30 people who do not know them either; hence, speaking about their parties on almost every chapter (and this is not a long book, 250 pages) does not help me choose an everyday wine. Although I can imagine what an experience it must be to taste such wines, I do not need some name-dropping writer telling me that I can only enjoy wine by taking out my credit card and purchasing Petrus at $5,000 a bottle. I know I can have just as much fun, on an average day, with my girlfriend and a $20 bottle of Guigal's Crozes Hermitage.

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Wine is made in the Vineyard. It s the mantra of many a winemaker. But what does it mean, really?

Esteemed winemaker and biodynamic pioneer Nicholas Joly believes a wine that is well-made in the vineyard must express its unique terroir: the character imbued by a vine s particular plot of well-tended earth.

In Biodynamic Wine, Demystified, Joly shares the core philosophy behind biodynamic viticulture and why such practices result in wines of regional distinction. This process treats the vineyard as a self-perpetuating ecological whole influenced not only by terrestrial forces but those of the sun, moon and cosmos. He explains why the use of foreign substances like pesticides and fertilizers in the vineyard, and aromatic yeasts and enzymes in the cellar, as well as mechanisms like electric motors and pumps, disrupt this synergy and are ultimately counterproductive to a wine s best, consistent expression.

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Made with Merlot wine, a very light taste. Try with cream cheese and crackers, as a cheesecake topping, on croissants, crepes or bagels with cream cheese.

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