Customer Review: A superb introduction

This is a thoroughly revised and updated edition of the 1989 book by a popular Wine Spectator writer. Much has changed in the world of wine since 1989, Kramer writes. "I can say, without exaggeration, that the 1990s were the most transforming ten-year span in the history of fine wine." Kramer does a fine job of explaining these changes.

Kramer is a regular contributor to the "Oregonian", "The New York Sun", and of course "Wine Spectator". At the annual Spectator wine weekends, Kramer always presents an intensely personal lecture, very different from anything else on offer, and year after year he wins the award for the best presentation from the 1000 plus audiences.

I personally subscribe to the "Sun" online simply to read his work on a regular basis; he always has something interesting to write about. Here's a recent example so you can judge his style and his insights:

"Although wine seems somehow fixed, even staid, the facts tell a different story. The past few decades have seen two revolutions that have permanently rearranged the landscape on both sides of the aisle, as it were.

"From the wine-producing side, the great revolution was the rise and current preeminence of estate bottling, where the grower makes wine only from his or her own grapes and sells it under his or her own label. Prior to the 1960s, estate bottling was a rarity everywhere in the world. Today, estate bottling is commonplace.

"On the consumer side, the upheaval is the worldwide democratization of wine. Where once wine was unapologetically elitist, today all are welcome -- indeed, aggressively pursued. Everything about wine -- the way it's labeled, how it's distributed, and, not least, how it's talked and written about -- has been profoundly altered by democratization.

"The paradox is that these two revolutions are almost, but not quite, mutually antagonistic. Estate bottling, by its very definition, is a dinner party with limited seating.

"This, in turn, conflicts with the premise of democratization. Encouraged to participate, consumers expect to find what they're looking for with no more difficulty than in buying any other household item. "

Customer Review: Must Read for any Wine Enthusiast

Will further your interest in becoming a connoisseur (even if you don't know you'd like to become one yet). Best for thoes with at least a basic appreciation. Read after Andrea Immer's "Great Wine Made Simple," which provides a great introduction. "Making Sense of Wine" is more general in content.

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