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BookmarkIf you're interested in expanding your wine horizons to include the reds, such as Merlot, Pinot Noir, or Cabernet, Red Wine For Dummies will help you through the maze of red wines. Wine connoisseurs Ed McCarthy and Mary Ewing-Mulligan have tasted their way through the wine-growing regions of Northern California and France (as well as Oregon, Washington, New York, Australia, South America, and South Africa). The result of their ventures is a handy guide featuring more than 1,000 red wine recommendations, tips to help you pair red wine with food, a complete glossary of wine jargon, and a helpful wine vintage chart. You won't want to explore the world of red wine without this handy reference at your fingertips.
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I’m glad to see that so many people do not mind applying the term “dummy” to themselves when it comes to trying new things. Even though the black and yellow cover clashes horribly with my copies of Emmerson and Tennyson on the bookshelf, I am not ashamed. I would hope that the self-professed “snob” who wrote one off these reviews has the sense not only to use his large vocabulary with caution, but also to spell “label” properly when communicating how snobbish s/he is.
As I wrote in a previous review of The Sommelier’s Guide to Wine, I am just beginning my introduction to the fascinating world of wine. While the former book has been invaluable, so has this – Red Wine for Dummies.
As always, the language is very accessible and the subject material easy to understand, even when some of the more difficult or intimidating aspects of wine are discussed (such as when and why to decant, picking a wine, a guide to wine terms, etc.)
The descriptions of the grapes themselves are marvelous. For example, here is the description for a Zinfandel (yes, Zinfandel is a red grape – White Zinfandel [all apologies to those who like it] is a wine made by ruining the grape): “The Zinfandel grape gives good color to the red wines made from it, along with bramble-berry fruit flavors and aromas and a spicy character. The intensity of the wine varies according to where grapes grew and how old the vines are; some very old (80 to 100 years) vineyards make wines that are full bodied and dense with flavor. More typically, Zinfandel makes wines that are medium bodied, with succulent fruit and medium tannin.” Sure there are descriptions in fancy wine magazines that are more complete, but chances are you wouldn’t have the slightest idea what they’re talking about.
This book also covers regions where wines are made, climates, soil, and everything that goes into producing a good red wine. It’s a superb book for a beginner.
Liked the presentaion of the information – like most of the Dummy series, the book is well researched and useful even as a quick reference or to read through cover to cover.
What a joy. This quick, fun read is well worth your time.
Wine for Dummies is like having your own personal expert with a sense of humor.
I live in Europe and applied this book to my “studies” of wine by buying bottles and tasting. The lessons in the back are fun and fantastic.
Good reading and tasting!
Tired of the fact that you can’t get straightforward answers to the questions that beginners have? This is the book for you. The authors don’t pretend to be exhaustive, but rather they provide an overview that can impart a significant amount of material quickly and understandably.