Wine: An Introduction

From the grape to the glass -- a stylish, contemporary guide to experiencing the world of wine. Open the pages of this inspiring guide and you uncork the exciting world of wine. Award-winning wine writer Joanna Simon steers the reader through a tantalizing range of styles, grape varieties, and wine-producing regions and offers refreshingly down-to-earth advice on how to buy, taste, serve, and store wine for maximum enjoyment. Most of us would like to try a wider range of wines, but are reluctant to make an expensive mistake. Joanna Simon helps readers to experiment with confidence and taste new wines that are similar to those they already enjoy. So for instance, if you like Australian Chardonnay, you may also like white wines from Navarra in Spain, Chilean Semillon, or South African Chenin Blanc. Covering over 70 grape varieties, the typical flavors of key varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon and Riesling are examined in depth. There are expert tips on buying, storing, and tasting wine along with advice on food and wine pairings, essential vintage charts, a glossary of terms, and a useful pronunciation guide. Sumptuous location photography of the vineyards, wineries, and cellars perfectly captures the miraculous process that turns the humble grape into something spectacular in the glass.