The updated edition of the classic introduction to wine for everyone, by Master Sommelier Andea Immer Robinson. Great Wine Made Simple established Andrea Immer Robinson as America’s favorite wine writer. Avoiding the traditional and confusingly vague wine language of “bouquet” and “nose,” it instead discussed wine in commonsense terms. Now, thoroughly revised, this edition lives up to its title by making selecting and enjoying wine truly straightforward. You will never again have to fear pricey bottles that don’t deliver, snobby wine waiters, foreign terminology, or encyclopedic restaurant wine lists. You’ll be able to buy or order wine with confidence—and get just the wine you want—by learning the “Big Six” basic styles (which comprise 80 percent of today’s top-selling wines), how they taste, how to read any wine label, and how to pick a wine off a restaurant menu. Ten new flavor maps show what to expect from climates around the world. A refreshing blend of in-depth knowledge and accessibility, Great Wine Made Simple is a welcome resource for those who are intrigued by wine but don’t know where to start and makes it easy to master the ins and outs of choosing a wine that you and your guests will love—on any budget.

Ever been baffled by a wine list, stood perplexed before endless racks of bottles at the liquor store, or ordered an overpriced bottle out of fear of the scathing judgment of a restaurant sommelier? Before she became a James Beard Award—winning food and wine writer, Dara Moskowitz Grumdahl experienced all these things. Now she presents a handy guide that will show you how to stop being overwhelmed and intimidated, how to discover, respect, and enjoy your own personal taste, and how to be whatever kind of wine person you want to be, from budding connoisseur to someone who simply gets wine you like every time you buy a bottle. Refreshingly simple, irreverent, and witty, Drink This explains all the insider stuff that wine critics assume you know. It will teach you how to taste and savor wine, alone, with a friend, or with a group. And perhaps most important, this book gives you the tools to learn the only thing that really matters about wine: namely, figuring out what you like. Grumdahl draws on her own experience and savvy and interviews some of the world’s most renowned critics, winemakers, and chefs, including Robert M. Parker, Jr., Paul Draper, and Thomas Keller, who share their wisdom about everything from pairing food and wine to the inside scoop on what wine scores and reviews really mean. Readers will learn how to master tasting techniques and understand the winemaking process from soil to cellar. Drink This also reveals how to get your money’s worth out of wine without spending all you’ve got. At last there’s a reason for wary wine lovers to raise a glass in celebration. Savor the insider’s viewpoint and straight talk of Drink This, and watch your intimidation of wine transform into well-grounded, unshakeable confidence.

The supposed "scary" and "difficult" subject of wine is broken down so anybody can learn and understand wine with just a few quick reads.

"The author of Great Wine Made Simple" now adds great eating to her repertoire, showing how to enhance the flavor of even the most casual meals with winning wine selections. Most wine experts' advice on wine and food pairings consists of rigid rules that apply largely to haute cuisine and luxury wines. But, in her trademark accessible style, Andrea Immer now takes the mystery out of choosing wine for food-and vice versa. "Great Tastes Made Simple unlocks the secrets of basic food tastes-sweet, earthy, savory, buttery, tart, and spicy-and their particular wine affinities. Giving even ordinary meals extraordinary flavor, Immer shows readers how to bring the flavor alchemy of wine to everyday fare from burgers (with Zinfandel) to macaroni and cheese (with Rioja Crianza). She calls Pinot Grigio her "tuna helper" and likes barbecued brisket with Valpolicella. There's also plenty of more sophisticated eating, including smoked salmon and Riesling; asparagus hollandaise and Champagne; wild mushroom risotto and California Pinot Noir, to name a few upscale matches. In fact, there isn't a food or category of food-including a panoply of cheeses, ethnic foods, and desserts-for which Immer doesn't provide a match and the reasons why they work so well. Chart of mouthwatering pairings and an easy-to-use index make finding wonderful wine and food combinations a snap. Zeroing in on "wine-loving food"-those flavors, textures, and cooking techniques that truly dazzle when paired with wine-Immer demonstrates how to get the maximum enjoyment out of every food and wine encounter. A selection of twenty recipes-Low Country Shrimp and Grits (think Chardonnay), Beet Risotto (Pinot Noir), Short RibRagu (brawny reds), and Warm Chocolate Torte (Madeira)-provides delicious examples of wine-loving dishes and cooking techniques that will become part of every wine-loving cook's repertoire. Invaluable in restaurant settings and at home, this innovative guide can make every meal a cause for celebration.

Includes information about various types of grapes, how wines are made and bottled, as well as how to select and enjoy wine.

From the world-renowned sommelier Aldo Sohm, a dynamic, essential wine guide for a new generation NAMED ONE OF THE BEST COOKBOOKS OF THE YEAR BY FOOD52 Aldo Sohm is one of the most respected and widely lauded sommeliers in the world. He's worked with celebrated chef Eric Ripert as wine director of three-Michelin-starred Le Bernardin for over a decade, yet his philosophy and approach to wine is much more casual. Aldo's debut book, Wine Simple, is full of confidence-building infographics and illustrations, an unbeatable depth of knowledge, effusive encouragement, and, most important, strong opinions on wine so you can learn to form your own. Imbued with Aldo's insatiable passion and eagerness to teach others, Wine Simple is accessible, deeply educational, and lively and fun, both in voice and visuals. This essential guide begins with the fundamentals of wine in easy-to-absorb hits of information and pragmatic, everyday tips—key varietals and winemaking regions, how to taste, when to save and when to splurge, and how to set up a wine tasting at home. Aldo then teaches you how to take your wine knowledge to the next level and evolve your palate, including techniques on building a “flavor library,” a cheat sheet to good (and great) vintages (and why you shouldn't put everything on the line for them), tips on troubleshooting tricky wines (corked? mousy?), and, for the daring, even how to saber a bottle of champagne. This visual, user-friendly approach will inspire readers to have the confidence, curiosity, and enthusiasm to taste smarter, drink boldly, and dive headfirst fearlessly into the exciting world of wine.

Andrea Immer has one of the world's best, and least pretentious, wine palates. In her debut cookbook she proves that her taste in food is just as finely honed and down-to-earth. Presenting 125 recipes that pair magnificently with wine, she shows how to bring these great flavor combinations to the dinner table—with minimum fuss and at minimal cost. Her food and wine matches are guaranteed to make even weeknight meals special occasions. Wine enthusiasts and epicures alike could not be in better hands: World-renowned Master Sommelier Andrea Immer is also a graduate of the French Culinary Insitute, where she refined her already formidable cooking skills and understanding of food flavors, and where today she is dean of wine studies. In her new book, she solves that most vexing dinner dilemma—which wines to serve with what foods. Drawing on her sophisticated understanding of tastes, she offers up internationally inspired delicacies like Cumin-crusted Lamb; Fettucine with Proscuitto, Sage, and Mushrooms; or Tarte Tatin with Bourbon and Vanilla. She also offers down-home dishes like Fast-Track Baby Back Ribs, Turkey Quesadillas with Sesame Sweet Potato–Mole Sauce, or Cheese Grits with Shrimp and Chorizo. Everyday Dining with Wine is filled with recipes emphasizing a robust harmony of flavors for every course from soup to dessert. Andrea believes that wine should be a part of everyday dining—for both pleasure and health. With this book in hand, you can choose a recipe and then find the wine that complements it best, or start with a special bottle and discover its perfect food partner. Here, too, are Andrea’s answers to such common and perplexing questions as “Where should I store my wine?”; “Once I open a bottle, how long will it be good?”; “Does the shape and quality of glassware matter?” Wine and food belong together, whether for a weeknight meal or a dinner party. With Everyday Dining with Wine there is no guesswork involved in making any meal a cause for celebration.