Product DescriptionIn this friendly introductory guide, food and wine writer Leslie Brenner tells how to: Pour and taste wine Develop a taste memory Order from a wine list Select a wine at the store Match food with wine
In addition, helpful sidebars illuminate such subjects as: How--and why--to swirl without sloshing Disarming a snotty waiter Ten great wines to bring to a dinner party Going beyond California Chardonnay Starting your own cellar for under $100
Along the way, Lettie Teague's funny and informative cartoons enhance the text and make great devices for remembering the most important facts. Before long, your old standby, Chateau Screwtop, will be a distant memory. Accessible and concise, Fear of Wine will appeal to anyone who wants to know a little bit about a subject that can bring great pleasure.
At last, a guide that is as fun to read as wine is to drink!
What Others Say
GREAT BOOK
A friend of mine gave Fear of Wine: An Introductory Guide to the Grape about 9 years ago, I enjoyed it then and I still go back and read it now, it has been one the best wine books I have, easy to read and very helpful, it sure gave the information I needed to star my wine cellar.
Great for those who wish to learn and not get overwhelmed!
This is a wonderful book. It's accurate and EASY to READ. You will not get overwhelmed or confused while reading this material. The illustrations help a LOT. Best introductory wine book out there. A must buy for beginners!
Nothing to fear
I'm a wine person anyday, but I've been separated for a year or so from my wine-loving family, and suddenly I'm going crazy to learn more about the divine juice I grew up with. I checked Fear of Wine: An Introductory Guide to the Grape out from the library because it was the only wine book they had; I thought the title was silly and I didn't expect to get much out of it.
Maybe I was starting to turn into a wine snob; Fear of Wine: An Introductory Guide to the Grape is fun! The title refers to a cultural phenomenon: wine is chic now, so those "in the know" are revered by those who want to be, and the wannabes spend their time around wine worrying about how wine-smart they are instead of enjoying their wine.
With this is mind, the book is devoted to teaching anyone who wants to know enough ... Read More
We Need an Update!
Fear of Wine: An Introductory Guide to the Grape is very informative and entertaining -- so much so that an update would be much appreciated! Much has happened in California wine country and other U.S. wine-producing areas since the book was originally published in 1995. I ask the author to consider updating the book.
Good Overview
Fear of Wine: An Introductory Guide to the Grape has a good overview of many subjects, but tends to try to answer so many questions too quickly. The early section on making wine is good, but I felt like I was taking a 3-hour tour of San Francisco. Granted that the subtitle is "an introductory guide to the grape", it could have been less rushed and used the same amount of space. The sections on the different AVAs are excellent -- some of the best informative condensed coverage that I have read. The list of preferred producers of each type is very good, without tying down to specific prices or vintages. The brief list of 10-bottle and 20-bottle starter collections at the back is very helpful (and very similar to what I started with!). Good book. The informative casual cartoons convinced ... Read More
