In my never ending quest to be the best Wino I can be, I devour books on wine making, regions and factoids, wine and food pairings, and other less fun sounding topics in wine (the history of Italian DOCs anyone? Bueller?) at a rapid pace.
Which made my Christmas present from Boyfriend so awesome, it was the best of all worlds. I had previously read the Kindle version of their book "What to Drink with What you Eat" and it is a good quick pairing reference, but this book rocked my world. It is a comprehensive compilation of tips from Master and Advanced sommeliers at some of the best restaurants in America.
But beyond great tips this book is loaded with charts showing ideal serving temperatures and other fun technical things like grape varietals by desired flavors, residual sugar, importers, etc...
The part that really got my inner wine geek going was Chapter 4, "Know Your Wines: The Lists" that contains a comprehensive list of grape varietals and wines listed by region (Bordeaux, Burgundy, etc.). What makes this list special is the authors' easy break down of each by adding info on acidity, tannin, flavor volume, pairings, ideal serving temperature, weight, and prominent flavors. It also adds some info on aging potential and well known producers. This section alone is a gold mine for blind tasters and those of us that can't keep their Asti from their Alba.
I could go on and on about this book, it is a great reference, a fun read, and has some amazing tips from somms at the top of their game. I can see this book will be highlighted and dog-eared more than it already is.
In short winos, go buy this book! It is invaluable to the beginner wino and the hardcore, and if it helps you pick a better wine to go with your chicken and rice on a Tuesday night, then consider it worth it!
But beyond great tips this book is loaded with charts showing ideal serving temperatures and other fun technical things like grape varietals by desired flavors, residual sugar, importers, etc...
The part that really got my inner wine geek going was Chapter 4, "Know Your Wines: The Lists" that contains a comprehensive list of grape varietals and wines listed by region (Bordeaux, Burgundy, etc.). What makes this list special is the authors' easy break down of each by adding info on acidity, tannin, flavor volume, pairings, ideal serving temperature, weight, and prominent flavors. It also adds some info on aging potential and well known producers. This section alone is a gold mine for blind tasters and those of us that can't keep their Asti from their Alba.
I could go on and on about this book, it is a great reference, a fun read, and has some amazing tips from somms at the top of their game. I can see this book will be highlighted and dog-eared more than it already is.
In short winos, go buy this book! It is invaluable to the beginner wino and the hardcore, and if it helps you pick a better wine to go with your chicken and rice on a Tuesday night, then consider it worth it!
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