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Pick a Perfect Wine In No Time
- By Anita L. LaRaia
- Published Oct 5, 2005 by Que.
Book
- This product currently is not for sale.
Description
- Copyright 2006
- Dimensions: 7" x 9-1/8"
- Pages: 288
- Edition: 1st
- Book
- ISBN-10: 0-7897-3326-9
- ISBN-13: 978-0-7897-3326-9
Walking into a wine shop or perusing a restaurant's wine menu can be an overwhelming event. With many stores and upscale eateries offering more than a thousand wines to choose from, the average consumer needs a guide like Anita LaRaia. As the founder and director of The Wine School of Atlanta, Georgia, Anita has taught thousands of wine classes over the past 26 years and graduated some of the country's top wine connoisseurs. Using her unique blend of wine expertise, practical advice, and easy-to-read conversational explanations, Pick a Perfect Wine In No Time covers everything you need to know about wines and their food partners. With full coverage of important topics like vintages, vineyards from around the world, wine types, and wine labels, even the most inexperienced wine drinker can impress the wine steward at a fancy, upscale restaurant. Anita includes valuable reference information on wine vintages, exciting food and wine combinations, menus and recipes for hosting wine events, how to start a wine collection on any budget, plus finding the perfect tour of the wine country in California, France, or Italy. Whether planning a romantic dinner for two or a party for 200 guests, Pick a Perfect Wine In No Time makes choosing the perfect wine fast, simple, and easy.
"Anita LaRaia has been at the forefront of wine education for well over two decades. Her new book is a comprehensive and invaluable learning tool for wine educators and consumers alike." Michael McNeill, Master Sommelier
Michael McNeill is Director of Wine Education for Quality Wine & Spirits and has worked as sommelier alongside numerous world renowned five-star chefs, including Grey Kunz at Lespinasse, Craig Shelton at Ryland Inn, and Guenther Seeger and Bruno Menard at Ritz-Carlton Atlanta's The Dining Room.
"Anita LaRaia's Pick a Perfect Wine in No Time makes learning about wine easy and fun, and her colorful personality shines through. Perfect for readers whose interest in wine is casual -- or serious." Sharon Boorstin, Senior Vice President and Editorial Director, Women & Wine (www.WomenWine.com) Sample Content
Online Sample Chapters
Winemaking: The Six Basic Types of Wine
Winemaking--The Six Basic Types of Wine
Table of Contents
Introduction.
How I Learned What I Know About Wine
What Pick a Perfect Wine In No Time Can Do For You
Who Should Read This Book
How This Book Is Organized
Special Elements and Icons
Finding Your Way
I. WINE BASICS.
1. Wine Is: History, Agriculture, Health, Food, and Joy.
Wine Is History: Ancient Dudes Thought Wine Was Cool
Wine's Ancient Roots
Wine in Classical Greece and Rome
Wine During the Time of Christ
The Role of Wine Through the Middle Ages: Those Jolly Old Monks
The Seventeenth Century: Corks Can Save Wine-And Can Kill It, Too
The Nineteenth Century to Today: Phylloxera Plague and the Development of Winemaking in the New World
Wine Is Good for You: The Role of Wine in Health and Diet
Red Wine-Good for Your Heart and Longevity
Wine May Increase Brain Power and Aid Relaxation
Wine Calories and Carbohydrates
Red Wine, Headaches, Sulfites, and Lead
Wine Is Food, Joy, Friendship, and Romance
2. How Grapes and Vineyards Determine Taste, Style, Value, and Food Affinities.
Learning to Taste Wine's Many Flavors
Grape Varieties and Varietal Wines
The Four Noble Grapes
Cabernet Sauvignon
Pinot Noir
Chardonnay
Riesling
The Bordeaux Grapes
Sauvignon Blanc
Sémillon
The Bordeaux Red Grapes
The Rhône Grapes
Viognier
Syrah
The Other Rhône Grapes
Petite Sirah and Zinfandel: Two Unique California Red Grapes
Gamay: The Other Burgundy Grape
Muscadet and Chenin Blanc: White Grapes of the Loire
Grapes of Germany, Alsace, and Austria
The Italian Grapes
The Great Grapes of Spain
The Red Grape South Africa Invented
Four Native Greek Grapes
North American Grape Varieties
Vineyards Determine a Wine's Style and Price
3. Winemaking-The Six Basic Types of Wine.
Winemaking Basics
Sulfites in Wine
Free Run Wine, Press Wine, Brandy, and Liqueurs
Making Dry Red Wines
Nouveau and Whole Cluster Reds
Aging Red Wine in Oak Barrels
Buying the Best Reds
Making Dry White Wines-To Oak or Not to Oak
Fermenting White Wines
Chilling the Wine and Removing Tartrate Crystals
Adjusting the Wine's Fruitiness and Sweetness
Making Rosé, Blush, and Blanc de Noir Wines
Putting the Bubbles in Champagne
Harvesting and Pressing the Grapes
Fermenting and Blending the Juice
Adjusting and Bottling for a Second Fermentation
Aging the Wine, Removing its Sediment, and Adjusting its Sweetness
Buying and Enjoying Bargain Champagne, Big Bottles, and Splits
Fortified Wines: Porto, Sherry, and Madeira
Porto From Portugal
Sherry From Spain
Madeira My Dear
Dessert Wines Made Eight Ways
Pressing Frozen Grapes: Eiswein or Ice Wine
How Botrytis and Late Harvesting Produce Dessert Wines
Making Vin Santo-Italy's Sweet Holy Wine
Stopping Fermentation to Determine Sweetness
"Reading" a Wine by its Bottle Color and Shape
4. Vintage Years/Vintage Wines.
Vintage Years-To Be or Not to Be
Defining "Vintage" Year
How Old Is Too Old?
Who Says It's A Great Vintage?
Using Expert Appraisals of Vintage Wines
Sampling and Comparing Vintage Wines
Vintage Tastings
Vintage Gifts
Charting Great Vintages
5. The Wine Label Decoder.
Understanding What a Wine's Label Says About the Wine Inside
Reading the Three Most Common Types of Wine Labels
Finding the Producer's Name
Reading the Wine's Vintage Year
Reading Other Descriptive Wine Label Information
Recognizing and Reading Varietal Wine Labels
American and New World Varietals
French Varietals
European Union Varietals
Recognizing and Reading Appellation of Origin Labels
Understanding French Geographic Indications on Wine Labels
Italy's Denominazione di Origine Controllata
Appellation of Origin Labels of Spain and Greece
American Viticultural Areas
Understanding What the Label Tells Us About the Wine's Level of Sweetness
Decoding Some Sample Wine Labels
Goats do Roam, Charles Back-South Africa
Côtes du Rhône-Perrin Reserve-France
Bethel Heights Vineyard Pinot Noir-Willamette Valley, Oregon
Moulin-à-Vent-Château des Jacques-Domaine Louis Jadot-Cru Beaujolais-France
Fifth Leg-Margaret River, Australia
C.G. di Arie-Zinfandel "Southern Exposure"-Shenandoah Valley, Sierra Foothills, California
Broquel-Malbec-Bodegas Trapiche-Mendoza, Argentina
Morandé-Carmenère-Terrarum Reserve-Maipo Valley, Chile
Chateau Ste. Michelle-Merlot-Columbia Valley, Washington
J. Lohr Estates-Cabernet Sauvignon "Seven Oaks"-Paso Robles, California
Banfi-Chianti Classico DOCG "Riserva"-Tuscany, Italy
Tommasi-Valpolicella Classico Superiore DOC-"Ripasso"-Veneto, Italy
Viña Alarba-Old Vines Grenache (Garnacha)-DO Calatayud, Spain-Bodegas del Jalón-Jorge Ordoñez
Boschendal-Sauvignon Blanc-South Africa
St. Supéry-Meritage (White) "Virtú"-Napa Valley, California
Beringer-Chardonnay "Private Reserve"-Napa Valley, California
Vionta-Albariño-DO Rías Baixas, Spain
Settesoli "MandraRossa"-Fiano-IGT Sicilia (Sicily) Italy
Domaine Gerovassiliou-Malagousia-Epanomi, Greece
Pfaffl "Goldjoch"-Grüner Veltliner-Austria
B&G (Barton & Guestier)-Vouvray-Loire, France
Selbach Oster-Riesling-Spätlese-Mosel-Saar-Ruwer, Germany
Bodegas Hidalgo-"La Gitana"-Manzanilla Sherry-Sanlúcar de Barrameda, Spain
Ramos-Pinto-Porto Ruby-Portugal-Maison Marques & Domaines, USA
Mumm Napa-Blanc de Noirs-Napa Valley, California
Rumball-Sparkling Shiraz-Coonawarra, Australia
II. WINE COUNTRIES.
6. Made in the USA-California and Beyond.
Mother Lode-California's Wine Gold
How California's Great Grapes Climate Produces Great Grapes
California AVAs and Wineries
Cult Wines and Collectibles: Wine Spectator's Top 100
Current California Favorites
California Cuisine
Crystal Ball-California's Future
Oregon Wines
Washington Wines
New York State Wines
From Our Founding Fathers-Wines of Virginia
The Wines of Canada and Baja California, Mexico
7. Down Under Wines Up in Quality-Australia, Tasmania, New Zealand, and South Africa.
Winemakers and Winemaking in Australia
Australian Shiraz and Blended Wines
Australia's Sparkling and Dessert Wines
South Australia's Wine-Producing Zones and Wineries
New South Wales and Its Hunter Valley Zone
Victoria's Wine-Producing Zones
Western Australia and the Margaret River Zone
Wine-Producing Regions of the Island of Tasmania
Enjoying the Wines of New Zealand
Choosing Great Wines from South Africa-Where Two Oceans Meet
Wines and Wineries of the Paarl and Stellenbosch Wine Districts
South Africa's Overberg and Swartland Regions, and Their Pinotage Grapes
8. Latin Lovers-Chile, Argentina, and Spain.
Chile's Magnificent Climate, Wine, and Cuisine
Chile's Wine Regions
Chilean Wine Labeling and Vintages
Argentine Wines Tango For Your Tongue
Wonderful Wines of Spain
Spain's Wine Regions and Wine Label Designations
Spain's Great Grapes, Wines, and Wineries
9. French Me! Choosing Wines from the Great Wine Regions of France.
Great Wines of Bordeaux
Bordeaux Wine Districts and Their Blends
Bordeaux Châteaux and Their Classifications
The One and Only: French Champagne
Burgundy's Great Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Beaujolais Wines
Understanding Burgundy's AOC Designations
Choosing Wines from Burgundy's Wine Growing Regions
Loire Everyday Wines with Global Popularity
Alsace-White Wine Elegance
Fine Wines of the Rhône Valley
Languedoc-Mediterranean Varietals
Provence Is Pretty in Pink-And Red
10. All Greek to Me.
The Native Grapes of Greece
Salute to Greek Wineries
The Wines and Wineries of Macedonia
Wines of the Peloponnese Peninsula
Some Wines from the Islands of Santorini and Samos
Touring the Wineries of Greece
11. Sweet or Not Too Sweet-Wines of Germany and Austria.
Germany's Wine Designations
Qualitätswein: Germany's Quality Wine
Qualitätswein mit Prädikat: Germany's Finest Wines
New Classifications for Dry German Wines
German Wine Regions and Producers
Germany's 2004 Vintage
Austria's Wine Identity
12. Italy's Splendor in the Glass.
Italy's Updated Wine Laws-Bravo to the Best
Italy's IGT Varietal Wines
Italy's Top Wines-The DOCGs
Italy's Noble Grapes
Italy's Super-Tuscan and Venetian Wines
Italian Sparkling Wines
Pairing Italian Wines with Food
III. BUYING, SERVING, AND CELLARING WINE.
13. Serving Wine Correctly (When There's No Butler to Do It).
Proper Wine Service-Rules of Engagement
Choosing Glasses and Wine Accessories
Finding the Perfect Glass
Setting the Table
To Chill or Not to Chill
Popping the Cork
Decanting, Pouring, and Serving
Storing Leftover Wine
Hosting a Wine Party
14. Being a Savvy Retail Shopper.
What Customers Want-Stores Who Provide It
Keeping Track of Preferences
Special Orders and Direct Shipping
Identifying the Best Wine Stores
Finding the Jewels-Everyday and Celebration Wines
Special Occasion Sparklers
Ruby Reds
15. Ordering Wine Like a Pro.
Restaurant Wine Lists and Service
Satisfying Everyone at the Table
Choosing Wines by Theme and Cuisine
Tasting the Wine
Subject to Change-Prices and Vintages
What Makes an Award-Winning Wine List
16. Collecting and Storing Wine.
Creating a Wine Cellar on Any Budget
Inexpensive Wine Storage Techniques
Storing Wine in Climate-controlled Cabinets
Tracking Your Wine Inventory
Smart Wine Collecting
Ten Rules of Wine Collecting
Putting Together a Beginner's Collection
Creating an Intermediate-level Collection
Advanced Collectors
Putting a Value on Your Wine Collection
17. Entertaining with Wine.
Hosting Wine and Food Tastings
Creating a Wine "Dinner Class"
Creating a Dinner Class Menu and Wine List
Making the Event Special
IV. APPENDIXES.
A. References and Resources.
Books
Websites
Wines and Accessories
Wine and Travel
Wine Clubs, Sommeliers, Wine Education
B. Wine Dictionary A-Z.
C. Wine Touring Tips.
Touring American Wine Regions
Napa Valley Wineries and Restaurants
Touring the Sierra Foothills and Livermore
Planning Tours in Europe
Attending a Cooking and Wine School in France and Beyond
Enjoying La Dolce Vita of Italy Wine Tours
Quick Tips for Touring Chile
Wine Spas, Working Winery Vacations, and Other Unique Touring Ideas
D. Table of Varietal Wines.
E. Bordeaux Classifications and Burgundy Vineyards.
Bordeaux Classifications
1855 Classification of the Haut-MéDoc
1855 Classification of Sauternes
1959 Classification of Graves
1996 Classification of St.-émilion
Top Cru Bourgeois of the Médoc
Pomerol
Burgundy Vineyards
Grand Cru Vineyards-Côte d'Or Burgundy
Index.