Michael Broadbent S Pocket Vintage Wine Companion

This updated pocket version of the classic and award-winning "Vintage Wine" presents Broadbent's tasting notes in a handy format that puts his unrivaled expertise at readers' fingertips while traveling, buying at auction, or dining out.

The only pocket-sized resource to offer comparative assessments of vintages for the sophisticated wine drinker, this guide is organized by region--from the Loire to Australia, Italy to the Eastern United States--and gives overall quality ratings as well as a chronological review of vintages. Maps. Charts.

The ultimate report on the world's vintage wines is offered by the man the "Wine Spectator" calls "the world's most experienced taster."

In his 40 years in the wine trade, Michael Broadbent, Master of Wine, has kept meticulous notes on every fine wine he has tasted and a file on every vintage. His knowledge and experience are unique, and they are made available to every wine lover once again. It is the only book to provide expert information on vintages from all the major wine regions of the world. Weather conditions, changes in winemaking techniques and even historical events that might influence the particular vintage are described. The greatest detail is given to the vintages most likely to be available now, but notes on classic vintages from as far back a 1890 make fascinating reading. Given to each vintage is an overall quality rating on a scale of one to five.

Michael Broadbent explains how the vintage makes the wine and why vintages are so important. He answers basic questions about what a vintage is and what conditions make a good or poor vintage. He explores the effect of vintage not only on the style and quality of the wine, but also on the quantity produced in a given year. The vintage years are listed in chronological order for ease of reference, and there is also information on the character and readiness to drink of a wide array of wines. More than a century of wine vintages are covered. Quick-reference quality ratings for each entry are also included.Â

Michael Broadbent almost certainly knows more about fine wine than anyone else alive. Recruited by Christie's in 1966 to revive their wine auction business, he has, according to The Oxford Companion to Wine, 'traded in and tasted a greater number of fine and rare wines than anyone else in the world.' He has meticulously recorded his impressions of every wine he has ever tasted, now over 90,000 of them in 148 notebooks. His original large-volume Vintage Wine was published in 2002 and quickly became a classic reference book for members of the wine trade and collectors worldwide, winning top awards in the UK, USA, Germany and Switzerland. This pocket edition distils the best of Michael's over fifty years' knowledge of fine wine and covers wines that are being collected, consumed, traded and appreciated by wine enthusiasts in all corners of the globe. The tasting notes are written with Michael's trademark wit and elegance.

The only pocket-sized resource to offer comparative assessments of vintages for the sophisticated wine drinker, this guide is organized by region--from the Loire to Australia, Italy to the Eastern United States--and gives overall quality ratings as well as a chronological review of vintages. Maps. Charts.