A Wine Lover S Guide

The authors offer a guide to wine, food and travel in Portugal, with recommendations of wineries, restaurants, hotels, wine and food shops and places to visit.

A wine book unlike any other,The Food Lover's Guide to Wine offers a fresh perspective via the single aspect of wine most compelling to food lovers: flavor. At the heart of this indispensable reference, formatted like the authors' two previous bestsellers The Flavor Bible and What to Drink with What You Eat, is an encyclopedic A-to-Z guide profiling hundreds of different wines by their essential characteristics-from body and intensity to distinguishing flavors, from suggested serving temperatures and ideal food pairings to recommended producers (including many iconic examples). The book provides illuminating insights from dozens of America's best sommeliers via informative sidebars, charts and boxes, which complement the book's gorgeous four-color photography. Another groundbreaking work from two of the ultimate culinary insiders, this instant classic is the perfect gift book.

An inspirational guide designed with the globe-trotting wine lover in mind--vineyards to visit, seasons to go, vintages and organics to drink, and how to get the most out of each wine region. The adventures featured in this atmospherically illustrated book will fuel the wine lover's imagination with an almost endless array of vineyard visits, must-see sights, and must-do events--harvest festivals, vineyard picnics, wine-region weekends, tasting tours, wine- focused restaurants. Designed to highlight the world's most rewarding wine destinations, this guide spans the spectrum from traditional (a wine luncheon in Bordeaux or touring Portugal's port lodges) to fun and quirky. Some ideas are active--a cycling tour of the Champagne region or grape stomping in the Italian countryside--while others are more urban, such as a tour of Vienna's summer wine gardens or Rome's iconic enotecas. Sidebar panels throughout detail what makes each region special and include lists of the top five local wines to seek out. There is something here for all palates and all levels of expertise--from regular contributors to #WineWednesdays to the budding oenophile just starting out.

Jurassic, basalt, moraine, flint, alluvial, magma: what are these words and what do they have to do with wine? The answers are here in this book. They are geological terms that reflect a bond between wine and the land. Understanding geology, however, is tricky. Geological concepts are obscure; processes can be imperceptibly slow, invisible, and unimaginably ancient. The terminology is formidable, such that even the names of common rocks carry an air of mystery. Geology is introduced plainly, starting with basic principles, all in the context of wine. The emphasis is on the kinds of processes that shape vineyards, and on the minerals, rocks and soils that host the vines. Geological words now commonly seen in wine writings are systematically explained. You will learn the stories behind some of the names, the human face of geology. The book also explores how the geology-wine connection manifests in the finished product and evaluates its importance, particularly in the contexts of minerality, terroir, and wine taste. The fact is that geology is increasingly being promoted in the world of wine; the aim here is to help it be properly understood.

A delightfully informative guide to two of the world’s most rewarding pleasures—fine wine and great literature—that make for an irresistible pairing. Nothing in the world is more satisfying to the soul than a glass of excellent cabernet sauvignon, pinot grigio, bordeaux, or any number of fine varietals—unless it’s curling up by the fire with a truly exceptional novel, history, or collection of short fiction. Now Patrick Alexander, wine aficionado and author of The Illustrated Proust, combines these unparalleled pleasures in a unique guidebook to delight connoisseurs of both Gatsby and the grape. In The Booklovers’ Guide to Wine, Alexander shares his passion for the culture and history of wine and his love of great authors and their enduring works. Eschewing the traditional pairings of food and drink, he explores instead the most pleasing combinations of reds, whites, and rosés with their most compatible writers—be it Shakespeare with sherry, Jane Austin with chardonnay, or J.R.R. Tolkien with albariño. In addition, he examines the most interesting and thought-provoking wine references in literature while providing an intriguing history of the beloved beverage from biblical times to the latest trends. Chock-full of intriguing facts, expert opinions, and entertaining anecdotes, The Booklovers’ Guide to Wine is a book to be savored by anyone who appreciates the complexity of a full-bodied shiraz or the unmistakable flavor of a great author.

Adventures with Old Vines offers an engaging and knowledgeable guide to demystify wine for novice enthusiasts. Richard Chilton provides detailed information about buying and storing wine, how to read a wine list, the role of the sommelier, wine fraud, how wine is really made, and how weather patterns can influence the quality of a vintage. A vineyard owner and lifelong wine lover, the author encourages readers to discover wine by tasting, taking notes, and tasting again. The book also includes a richly illustrated, full-color reference section on a select group of vineyards from all over the world, describing their history, winemaking philosophy, terroir, and top vintages—what Chilton calls benchmark wines. The characteristics of these memorable wines provide the essential starting point to understand what to look for when evaluating any wine. Equipped with this easy-to-read reference, readers will have all the tools they need to begin their own wine journey.

Hundreds of easy-to-scan tips in everyday language let time-starved readers find quick answers. Most people who enjoy wine would like to know more about it, to feel confident in what they like and why, to know the "lingo." Wine lover and writer Wes Marshall helps readers explore the world of wine, offering plainspoken explanations to wine questions that most people have but are hesitant to ask—no question is too simple, no answer too advanced. Like earlier titles in the series, such as the best-selling What's a Cook to Do?, this book offers empowering information in question-and-answer format with pronunciation guides, charts, maps, and step-by-steps—plus the best-bang-for-your-buck wine recommendations from well-known experts. Is Barolo a grape or a place? What do wine scores mean? What about sniffing the cork and which glasses to use? In this newest book in the What’s a ... to Do? series, Wes Marshall presents his years of wine experience and insider tips in everyday language that makes wine approachable and knowable.

Spirits & cocktails.