Table of Contents

Introduction 1

Part I: Getting Started with Wine 5

Chapter 1: Wine 101 7

Chapter 2: These Taste Buds Are for You 19

Chapter 3: Pinot Envy and Other Secrets about Grape Varieties 33

Chapter 4: Wine Names and Label Lingo 49

Chapter 5: Behind the Scenes of Winemaking 65

Part II: Wine and You: Up Close and Personal 73

Chapter 6: Buying Wine to Drink at Home 75

Chapter 7: Buying Wine in Restaurants 87

Chapter 8: Serving Wine 101

Chapter 9: Marrying Wine with Food 119

Part III: The “Old World” of Wine 125

Chapter 10: Knowing the Wines of France 127

Chapter 11: Italy, the Land of Great Vino 165

Chapter 12: Spain, Germany, and Other European Hot Spots 187

Part IV: Discovering the “New World” of Wine 211

Chapter 13: America, America 213

Chapter 14: The Southern Hemisphere Arises 243

Part V: Wine’s Exotic Face 263

Chapter 15: Champagne and Other Sparklers 265

Chapter 16: Wine Roads Less Traveled: Fortified and Dessert Wines 287

Part VI: When You’ve Caught the Bug 309

Chapter 17: Buying and Collecting Wine 311

Chapter 18: Continuing Education for Wine Lovers 329

Chapter 19: Describing and Rating Wine 343

Part VII: The Part of Tens 351

Chapter 20: Answers to Ten Common Questions about Wine 353

Chapter 21: Ten Wine Myths Demystified 361

Part VIII: Appendixes 369

Appendix A: Pronunciation Guide to Wine Terms 371

Appendix B: Glossary of Wine Terms 377

Appendix C: Vintage Wine Chart: 1993–2012 389

Index 393

About the Author

Ed McCarthy and Mary Ewing-Mulligan share over a half-century of professional wine experience and have coauthored 12 books on wine. Ed also writes for the trade publication Beverage Media and is a columnist for Wine Review Online. Mary is president of the International Wine Center, a prominent wine school in New York City.

Reviews

“A great book that tells you all you need to know about wine” (Frost Magazine, November 2015)