The Wine Bible

The Wine Bible is like a lively course from an expert teacher, grounded deeply in the fundamentals and enriched with passionate opinions, asides, tips, anecdotes, definitions, glossaries, illustrations, maps, charts, and wine labels — everything, in fact, but the actual wine itself. Beginning with the basics of mastering wine — how to taste with focus and build a wine-tasting memory, understanding the subtle interplay of variety, vineyard, and vintner to demystifying the issue of vintages-it covers the essentials: The emotion and intrigue of Burgundy. Rh*ne's untamed reds. The flinty pleasures of sauvignon blanc and surprising delicacy of Spain's Riojas. Bordeaux, the largest fine wine vineyard on the globe and epitome of terroir. Fourteen Sonoma wines to know. The importance of finish. Tuscany, kingom of variable microclimates. The precise and food-friendly wines of Germany. The narrow 30-mile stretch of ambition, experimentation, and surpassing quality called Napa. Why the "punt," or indentation in a wine bottle. Australia, where cutting-edge technology meets easy, outgoing, unpretentious character. Plus Austria, New Zealand, South Africa, Portugal, and more. Eight years in the writing, Karen MacNeil's The Wine Bible takes any reader, at any level of interest and sophistication, and offers the one thing guaranteed to increase his or her pleasure in wine-knowledge. It's illustrated throughout with maps, photographs, charts, wine labes, and has hundreds of boxes featuring historical tidbits, fun wine facts, and wine destinations while traveling.

Plus Austria, New Zealand, South Africa, Portugal, and more.

THE MOST COMPLETE WINE BOOK EVER. A must for anyone who loves wine, whether they are a pro or an amateur. Thorough, authoritative, and entertaining. (Robert Mondavi, founder and chairman emeritus of the Robert Mondavi Family of Wines)

"The most informative and entertaining book I've ever seen on the subject." (Danny Meyer, co-author of The Union Square Cafe Cookbook)

The essentials: The romance and intrigue of Burgundy of sauvignon blanc and the surprising elegance of Spain's top Riojas. Italy, one of wine's most enchanting and ancient homelands. What makes a great wine great? The reason behind Champagne's bubbles. The precise and food-friendly wines of Germany. California, wine's Camelot. The lip-smackingly good wines of Australia. The complexities of Port revealed. How a vineyard profoundly affects a wine's character.

Plus, matching wine with food - and mood. The secrets of professional wine tasters and how to expand your wine-tasting vocabulary. And everything else you need to know to buy, store, serve, and enjoy the world's most captivating beverage.

The shimmering elegance of Veuve Clicquot, affordable luxury in a glass, page 185.

Ravishing, elegant, and rich, Petrus in Ingrid Bergman in red satin, page 156.

Some wines are like people... they get better as they get older, pg. 64.

Sherry, the world's most misunderstood and underappreciated wine, page 437.

In 2004 Karen MacNeil received the highest honor awarded to a wine professional in the United States — she was named "Outstanding Wine and Spirits Professional of the Year" by the James Beard Foundation. The following year she was named "2005 Wine Educator of the Year" by the European Wine Council. Past recipients of the Council's awards have included journalist Morley Safer (60 Minutes), filmamker Francis Ford Coppola and winemaker Robert Mondavi. Karen is the host of Wine, Food and Friends with Karen Macneil," a 13-part series on PBS television nationally. For the last 25 years, Karen has been a writer, consultant, and educator whose articles on wine and food have been published in more than 50 United States magazines and newspapers including: The New York Times, Food and Wine, Saveur, and Town and Country. She is the author of the award-winning The Wine Bible — one of the best selling wine books in the United States, with more than 250,000 copies sold since it was released in 2001.

MASTERING WINE

FRANCE

ITALY

SPAIN

PORTUGAL

GERMANY

AUSTRIA

HUNGARY

GREECE

THE UNITED STATES AND CANADA

AUSTRALIA

NEW ZEALAND

SOUTH AFRICA

CHILE

ARGENTINA

APPENDIXES