Wine Books - Page 6

How and Why to Build a Wine Cellar, Fourth Edition

Richard Gold

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 5 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

The Source 5 out of 5 stars.
12 of 12 people found this review helpful.

If you are planning to build or are building a wine cellar you need this book, it is the source. Dr. Gold draws on his experiences and research in building his own cellar and offers clear explanations as to the "why's" and concise specifications for the "how's". I bought edition 3 for myself and my contractor to guide the construction of my passive cellar that has maintained a steady 54 degrees thru its first winter and 60 degrees thru the summer.
Picked up edition 4 to see what's new - updates on newest construction materials and new information on sourcing wines and wine info thru the internet.

Go passive design! Excellent information. 5 out of 5 stars.
7 of 8 people found this review helpful.

Richard Gold's book is the consummate cellar dweller's guide to designing and building a wine cellar for the home. Through detailed examinations of wall sections, insulation, cooling units, moisture and temperature control and other considerations, Gold evaluates a variety of techniques and technologies applying analysis and personal experience to highlight the most promising strategies. His generally noninterventionist approach to cellar design is a refreshing alternative to the propositions of the cooling unit manufacturers, reinforcing the importance of proper design and superinsulation strategies - which hold the promise of improved reliability as well as reduced dependence upon your local energy company. Needs some additional editing, but definitely a recommended read for anyone contemplating construction of a new home cellar.

Editorial Review:

New (1998) third edition of the definitive guide to the construction of a home wine cellar. Over 20,000 copies in print. Chapters on temperature, humidity, insulation, construction techniques, bins, refrigeration, newsletter reviews, and much more. An underground classic.

Great Wine Made Simple: Straight Talk from a Master Sommelier

Andrea Robinson

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 53 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

About one-third of the way through Andrea Immer's Great Wine Made Simple, the author recounts an anecdote that could serve as the book's theme--alligator, rabbit, and squab were all introduced to her the same way: "Tastes like chicken." And as demonstrated by Immer, who went from debentures to de Rothschild when she quit Morgan Stanley to eventually oversee the 50,000-bottle cellar at Manhattan's famed Windows on the World, the leap from pigeon to Pichon-Lalande is analogous: teaching novice wine drinkers what to expect is what her book, aptly subtitled "Straight Talk from a Master Sommelier", is all about.

With emphasis on her "Big Six" varietals--Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Merlot, Pinot Noir, and Cabernet Sauvignon--this "Immer-sion" class of tastings lets amateur sippers differentiate the typical qualities of each, while illustrating wine terms such as dry, crisp, oaky, and tannic. Practical advice abounds; one chapter devotes itself to finding useful info on a wine label while avoiding "Stupid Label Tricks," those bits of puffery or unfamiliar flavors (how many have actually tasted lychee or red currant?) that can be confusing the average buyer. And her "Flavor Map" concept--dividing the wine world into three climate zones--eschews memorization in favor of some rudimentary geography.

Throughout, her pronunciation guides are accurate and personable ("If you're pronouncing 'Riesling' right you have to smile."); and she provides a great postgraduate curriculum of buying strategies, including the pros and cons of wine shops versus your nearest Costco; and a consumer advisory about restaurant's "award-winning wine lists." --Tony Mason

Oldman's Guide to Outsmarting Wine: 108 Ingenious Shortcuts to Navigate the World of Wine with Confidence and Style

Mark Oldman

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 41 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Make it your first book on wine! 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

If you are buying your first book on wine, let it be this one. I have previously bought some other books that were advertised as aimed towards non professionals, but I found many parts of them very hard to read. Oldman's guide is worth reading, and it can awaken the love for wine in you. It is made as one or two page shortcuts which you can easily read, grab off the shelf when you feel like it or when you want to know more. This is the ultimate guide for beginners!

Editorial Review:

For the thousands of people who know nothing about wine and want to rectify that swiftly and painlessly, Mark Oldman—the “Naked Chef” of wine—is here to help with the kind of information readers can use right now:
• Australian Shiraz is the most instantly likable red under $15
• Drink slightly sweet wine with spicy food
• Judge a wine shop by whether it has homemade shelf signs
• Don’t store unopened wine in the refrigerator for more than a week

Loaded with his personal recommendations—including the top 100 wines less than $15—Oldman’s Guide also includes the wine picks of an eclectic mix of collectors, from Le Cirque owner Sirio Maccioni to Morley Safer of 60 Minutes. This is a wine guide like no other and is sure to be savored by anyone who wants their wine without the attitude.

The Backyard Vintner: An Enthusiast's Guide to Growing Grapes and Making Wine at Home (Backyard)

Jim Law

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 4 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

great book 5 out of 5 stars.
6 of 12 people found this review helpful.

Very comprehensive and thorough. Good reading and runs one through the basics and beyond. All good.

For general information only. 1 out of 5 stars.
5 of 7 people found this review helpful.

The Backyard Vinter presented only general information about wine making, not specific enought for an individual wanting to learn how to make wine.

Editorial Review:

Anyone who ever wanted to have homemade wine and never thought they had the space or ability to make it will love this book. The Backyard Vintner is a handy guide to at-home wine making that teaches readers the tips and tricks of the trade. It is perfect for those who want to bring the feeling of wine country right into their own backyard.

The Backyard Vintner teaches readers how to start and maintain a vineyard, providing vital information on topics such as planting, trellising, and proper pruning techniques for grapes; which grape varieties will grow best in every climate or region; and the wines that can be made from each variety. Basic recipes for wines, and advice on topics such as bottling, storing, and serving wines, are also provided.

An Omelette and a Glass of Wine (The Cook's Classic Library)

Elizabeth David

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 8 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

An Omelette and a Glass of Wine, by Elizabeth David, is one of the first books that the Lyons Press (formerly Lyons and Burford) published as part of the Cook's Classic Library series. It offers 62 articles written by David between 1955 and 1984 for a variety of publications. Many of these pieces, such as "I'll Be with You in the Squeezing of a Lemon," from 1969--about cooking with lemons--barely show their age. But even if they did, you wouldn't care, because of the rich store of information that David shares and the literary grace with which she imparts it.

"Foods of Legend" is a choice example. This essay is astonishingly timely in its discourse on a chef feeling compelled to elevate a humble country dish into haute cuisine. David bases her story on Master Chef August Escoffier's recomposition, over a century ago, of a Provençal favorite: potatoes baked with artichokes onto Carré d'Agneau Mistral, which involved adding truffles and rack of lamb.

Some articles include recipes, but for the most part this is a volume nicely sized to curl up with or to take on a trip.

Questions of Taste: The Philosophy of Wine

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 5 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

Interest in wine has steadily increased in recent years, with people far more sophisticated about wine than they used to be, and with more and more books being written about it, not to mention the success of films like Sideways. And, inevitably, those who take a serious interest in wine find themselves asking questions about it that are at heart philosophical.
Questions of Taste is the first book to tackle these questions, illuminating the philosophical issues surrounding our love of wine. Featuring lucid essays by top philosophers, a linguist, a biochemist, and a winemaker and wine critic, this book applies their critical and analytical skills to answer--or at least understand--many thorny questions. Does the experience of wine lie in the glass or in our minds? Does the elaborate language we use to describe wine--alluding to the flavors of cheese or fruit, or to a wines suppleness or brawniness--really mean anything at all? Can two people taste one wine in the same way? Does a wine expert enjoy wine more than a novice? How much should we care about what experts say about wine? These questions and others are not just the concern of the wine lover, but go to the heart of how we think about the world around us--and are the province of the philosopher.
With a foreword by leading wine authority Jancis Robinson (editor of the Oxford Companion to Wine), this volume will be of interest to anyone who thinks seriously about the experience of enjoying wine, as well as those interested in seeing philosophy applied to the world of the everyday.

Bordeaux/Burgundy: A Vintage Rivalry

Jean-Robert Pitte

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Total reviews: 2 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

Seeking to penetrate the mysteries of two great wine regions--"two opposite civilizations, two distinct ways of feeling"--Jean-Robert Pitte embarks upon an evocative and fascinating exploration of the land, people, and wines of Bordeaux and Burgundy. His account is a rich tapestry of terroir, history, culture, and economics from Roman to modern times. The unique qualities of the wines of each region, Pitte believes, cannot be entirely explained by the differences in their physical environments: they have social origins as well. Beginning with an entertaining look at the remarkable variety of insults exchanged by partisans of the two regions, Pitte delves into the key role played by medieval monks, dukes, and peasant vignerons in building their respective reputations and in creating the rivalry between bourgeois Bordeaux and earthy Burgundy that we know today. His sparkling, fair-minded narrative, engaging the senses and the mind alike, conveys a deep appreciation of two incomparable winegrowing cultures, united despite their differences by a common ambition to produce the best wines in the world.

1001 Wines You Must Taste Before You Die

Universe

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Editorial Review:

This highly opinionated, addictively browsable compilation of 1,001 "must try" wines offers the most enjoyable drinking experience for novice and connoisseur alike. Included in the list are classics as well as groundbreaking new up-and-comers from all major regions of the world. Divided into four sections: red, white, sparkling, and fortified wines. The informed selections offer a complete history of the most famous vintages as well as introducing the daring new blends and varietals that are exciting the cognoscenti. Special attention is paid to the world’s classic wine regions like Napa, Chianti, Barolo, Bordeaux, and Burgundy, but the book also takes very seriously recently established areas like Rioja or Australia’s Barossa Valley. Also, the book examines emerging regions just finding their place on the oenological map, like Argentina’s Mendoza, which can provide enormous pleasure at a reasonable price. Each entry comes with an authoritative yet opinionated description of its origin, history, and character as well as anecdotes about the winemakers, the vineyard and the region. This book will immediately appeal to wine fans everywhere and will be a perfect gift item.

Wine and Philosophy: A Symposium on Thinking and Drinking

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 2 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Excellent! 5 out of 5 stars.
18 of 30 people found this review helpful.

This book provides an excellent overview of the enjoyment and the evaluation of wine, as well as discussion of the philosophical issues surrounding these areas. It combines experts from philosophy, wine tasting and the wine industry. Not only are the essays informative and thought-provoking, but moreover they are enjoyable to read! A great volume!

Editorial Review:

Wine & Philosophy offers a collection of essays which explore a range of philosophical topics related to food; it joins Food & Philosophy and Beer & Philosophy in in the "Epicurean Trilogy." Essays are organized thematically and written by philosophers, wine writers, and winemakers.

• Chapters include, “The Art & Culture of Wine”; “Tasting & Talking about Wine”; “Wine & Its Critics”; “The Beauty of Wine”; “The Metaphysics of Wine”; and “The Politics & Economics of Wine”
  
• Essays are accessible to a general audience while at the same time covering some serious philosophical ground
  
• Incorporates traditional areas of philosophical study, including philosophy of language, philosophy of perception, aesthetics, metaphysics, ethics and political philosophy
  
• A great complimentary text to any guided-tour visit to the Napa Valley or other wineries

Old-Fashioned Homemade Ice Cream: With 58 Original Recipes

Thomas R. Quinn

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 2 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Unique Recipes At Reasonable Cost 4 out of 5 stars.
52 of 54 people found this review helpful.

This isn't a fancy book with color photos, in fact the only color photo is on the cover, but it does contain some good old fashioned recipes. There are many variations presented for chocolate and vanilla ice creams, some not requiring any cooking. There are exotic treats such as caramel, banana chocolate, maple walnut and even butterscotch royal ice cream. There's even ice cream recipes that are based on instant pudding and one on jello!

The author covers a brief history of ice cream and covers each of the main ingredients as well as why they're needed.

Negatives:

All of the recipes make about a gallon so you'll have to size them down if your machine can't handle a full gallon. Luckily Ice Cream recipes can be successfully sized down.

Many of the recipies do require cooking of some sort.

Also some recipes use "rennet tablets" something that I'm not familiar with.

----------- Overall this is a good basic book with some unique ice creams at a fantastic price.

Editorial Review:

This informative, enthusiastic guide provides complete instructions and helpful advice for making delicious homemade ice cream, either in a hand-cranked or electric freezer. Includes 58 exotic, mouthwatering ice cream recipes, plus recipes for toppings, sauces, more. Introduction. Illustrated throughout.