Would-be wine connoisseurs will not only learn how to recognize and enjoy a good vintage from this informative guide, they'll also gain a terrific repertoire of sparkling conversation. They'll understand the difference between aroma and bouquet, and organic and biodynamic. They'll master classic wine recipes, from Coq au Vin to Beef Bourguignon, and find out how to give a toast in 20 different languages. And they'll be able to dazzle their companions with apt wine quotations by famous authors from Omar Khayyam to Oscar Wilde. It's all charmingly illustrated with cartoons, wine labels, and other fascinating wine-related artwork.

From the first sip to the last drop, wine is spiffingly jolly, and this sozzled collection of retro photos and frightfully funny captions capture everything to love about a bottle of plonk.

Wine is now one of the most popular drinks in the world. Many wine drinkers wish they knew more about it without having to understand every detail or go on a wine course. In The 24-Hour Wine Expert, Jancis Robinson shares her expertise with authority, wit and approachability. From the difference between red and white, to the shape of bottles and their labels, descriptions of taste, colour and smell, to pairing wine with food and the price-quality correlation, Robinson helps us make the most of this mysteriously delicious drink.

"Wine," Benjamin Franklin wrote, "is proof that God loves us and loves to see us happy." The late Patrick Baude added that wine writing is not really "about wine as such" but rather "the good life to which wine might be a tool." In this wide-ranging collection, the much-loved professor at the Indiana University Maurer School of Law reflects on wine, spirits, beer and their relationship to that good life. As he explores how wine fits with local food, changing seasons and even his own family dynamics, he pairs Bloomington's rich cuisine and culture with timeless wisdom and universal truths. Drawing heavily on his writings for Bloom Magazine--with revised and expanded material and tributes from family and colleagues--the voice of Professor Baude, who passed away in 2011, lives on here.

This book showcases the best and most humorous quotes from George R.R. Martin's favourite character Tyrion Lannister, the worldly, jaded, funny, highly intelligent, cynical, womanizing star of the books. A perfect stocking-filler for every fan of the books, and of HBO's award-winning television series.

"Whether wine is a nourishment, medicine, or poison is a matter of dosage."—Paracelsus For the wine lover on your list, this clever collection entertains and reminds us that it's always time to drink wine. Lift a glass, kick back, and enjoy the wit and wisdom of Frank Sinatra, William Shakespeare, Dorothy Parker, and other jovial imbibers. Now is the time to drink!—Horace A man ought to get drunk at least twice a year . . . so he won't let himself get snotty about it.—Raymond Chandler Keeping one's guests supplied with liquor is the first law of hospitality.—Margaret Way