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Books for Winos |
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What? You don't believe the stuff you read from the experts at WinoStuff? You want to hear it from a "published" expert? (As if being published somehow legitimizes one.) Very nice. WinoBob sacrifices his liver DAILY so that you can have the most up-to-date wine info and what does he get? Just a low priority spot on the liver transplant waiting list. If you really must check other sources, try one or more of the following recommended books from the staff here at WinoStuff. Just don't tell WinoBob. You know, the alcohol, the depression, the suicide music downloads from Napster... I just don't think he can take it. Andrea Immer's Wine Buying Guide for Everyone ANDREA IMMER is one of only ten women in the world to hold the title of Master Sommelier. She is the wine and spirits columnist for Esquire and is dean of wine studies at the French Culinary Institute. Ms. Immer is the author of the critically acclaimed GREAT WINE MADE SIMPLE. This
book boasts:
The
World Encyclopedia of Wine
Secondly, this hard cover book makes a beautiful coffee table display. Not being one to own a coffee table or to know what to do with a coffee table if I did own one, this book is perfect for the idea Kramer put forth of having a coffee table book that is large enough to be a coffee table. On
the serious side, this book is a great foundation for the noble grapes, the
regions they are produced in and an understanding of wine. I submit to you the first in my series of wine books to build your library with that also help you stock your wine cellar. WinoBob The World Atlas of Wine - (Fifth Edition) - Hugh Johnson and Jancis Robinson First published 30 years ago, this is a comprehensive book on all wine regions of the world. Complete with 178 color maps, this book takes you to the places where wine is made and tells you about the major producers in each area. Mr. Johnson has collaborated with British author/TV commentator Jancis Robinson to publish the fifth edition. In the intro, Hugh refers to the 30 years since his first edition as “the most eventful and fruitful years in the whole history of wine.” If there’s a single book that you should have in your wine library, it’s this one. It’s not designed for browsing due to the voluminous information packed inside. Windows on the World Complete Wine Course - (Millenium Edition) - Kevin Zraly
It’s not the destination, but rather the journey that dreams are made from… A cornerstone for any Wino in their unending quest for the perfect wine, this book is a great reference and looks snappy on your coffee table. A portion of the proceeds from the purchase of this book will assist the families of those who passed away in the tragedy on September 11th.
A compilation of
articles appearing in Jay’s column for House & Garden Magazine, this
well know novelist meets wine drinking head on.
Refreshing and witty, Jay approaches the high-society of wine with
a down to Earth Attitude, as sited by his comments on Burgundies
containing “ scents of lilac and violet as said to be found in the
glass. In the earthier
Burgundies the nose tends more towards the barnyard, and even to the great
raw material for the flower beds, namely horseshit.”
Mr. McInerney crafts eloquent anecdotes and witty analogies around
the finest wines the world has to offer.
The difficulty for the everyday wino (namely ME) revolves around
the need for a dictionary to get the joke, an art history masters to
appreciate the analogies, a small fortune to afford the wines (1955 Lafite-Rothschild,
1949 Château d’Yquem) and a social elite guest pass to lunch with Helen
Turley, Robert Parker, Henri Duboscq, Francois Mitjavile and everyone else
that is in the top echelon of the wine world.
As a wino, this book left me thirsting for cash, social status and
intellect. I will be trying one of the McInerney recommendations, Lillet-
a $14.00 aperitif from Bruno Borie’s Cru Bourgeois Bordeaux winery in
Podensac.
True to our Roots- Fermenting a Business Revolution - Paul Dolan, President of Fetzer Vineyards
The
bigger problem I have with the book deals with the cornerstone of his
philosophy - To define a sustainable company you first must live by the
fact that your business is part of a larger system.
On the surface that is fine, but the supporting details have me at
odds. His insistence on
everyone moving to electric cars, alternative energy, organic farming and
a 100 per cent recyclable waste stream is great for the larger system of
the planet, but it completely devastated the existing supply chain which,
in turn, affected the bottom line of other companies.
His vision addresses the natural resources of the earth but
negatively impacts the human resources of the economy that once hauled
their garbage, recycled their waste, manufactured their barrels, and
fueled their tractors. The
impact of this book could have been so much better had he addressed the
number of lost jobs as he changed the way Fetzer does business.
More Wine Books Champagne
for Dummies – Ed McCarthy Don’t
let your ego get in the way of buying these titles.
Both authors are very qualified wine writers and provide an
excellent education on the topic. Larousse
Encyclopedia of Wine – translated from the original written in
French. Dominated by
references to French wines. The
Wine Bible – Karen MacNeil On
Wine – Doug Frost – great choice for the anti-wine snob Exploring
Wine: The Culinary Institute of America’s Complete Guide to Wines of the
World, 2nd Edition – Steven Kolpan, Brian Smith, Michael
Weiss – 800 pages Wine
Essentials – Le Cordon Bleu – this text is aimed at restaurateurs
or aspiring sommeliers Napa
Stories: Profiles, Reflection & Recipes for Napa – Michael
Chiarello Oz
Clarke’s Encyclopedia of Grapes – Oz Clarke and Margaret Rand How to
Taste – Jancis Robinson Wine:
An Introduction – Joanne Simon The
New Sotheby’s Wine Encyclopedia – handy resource for serious
shoppers Decantations:
Reflections on Wine – Frank J. Prial Red
and White: Wine Made Simple
– Max Allen Roots of the Present: Napa Valley 1900 to 1950 – Lin Weber Vintage Wine: Fifty Years of Tasting Three Centuries of Wines by Michael Broadbent (Harcourt, 2002) $50 - In 1952, British writer Michael Broadbent began keeping notes on wines that he tasted in a little red book. He recently finished book number 134. Broadbent was trained as an architect, but encouraged by his mother to enter the wine trade after he failed the architecture exam in England. His specialty is the classic wine regions of Europe: Bordeaux, the Loire and Germany are his special passions. He’s also a leader of the ABC movement (Anything But Chardonnay). Wine Cook
Books The
Perfect Match: Pairing
Delicious Recipes with Great Wine – Brian St. Pierre Magic
in the Kitchen – Jan Bartelsman Mustard’s Grill Napa Valley Cookbook – Cindy Pawlcyn with Brigid Callinan Lidia’s
Italian American Kitchen – Lidia Bastianick Sweet Seasons: Fabulous Restaurant Desserts Made Simple – Richard Leach |
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A
book about the business aspects of sustaining a wine brand in today’s
economy piqued my personal interests.