Good, Better, Best Wines [Paperback]

Carolyn Evans Hammond (Author)

Book Description

Release date: April 6, 2010

Just tell me what's good!

The first buying guide to focus exclusively on the best-selling wines in North America that you can find anywhere! 

When it comes to wine, your "wants" are pretty simple: a good wine, at a price you can afford, that's stocked at your local wine shop or supermarket. Good Better Best Wines gives you just that. It reveals in plain English, the good, better, and best wines available for the dollars you're willing to spend--up to $15--along with photos of clearly labeled bottles to make wine shopping easier.

And because Good Better Best Wines is the first book to rank the best-selling wines in North America--think names like Beringer, Kendall-Jackson, and Woodbridge--you bet they'll be stocked at your local store.

Inside you'll find:

*The good, better, and best big-name wines under $5, $8, $11, and $15 for each major grape variety

* Perfect party wines for specific occassions--weddings, dinners, backyard barbecues and more

* Trade secrets for getting the most out of each wine, including storage tips, serving techniques, and food pairings

Seasoned journalist and qualified sommelier Carolyn Evans Hammond makes wine accessible with her witty and light approach to the subject.  Her first book, 1000 Best Wine Secrets, earned critical acclaim,a nd her writing has appeared in such eminent publications as Decanter, Wine & Spirit International, The Times in London, and others. 

Editorial Reviews

Review

"They're big, they're out there, but they're not all the same. This book cuts a sure course through the ocean of popular wines. Carolyn's enthusiasm and stylistic panache tells you what you need to know -- and fast." --Andrew Jefford, columnist for Decanter and The World of Fine Wine magazine


"...most wine reviews are aimed at higher-priced, small-production wines that often can't be found....  Her book rectifies that by comparing big brands by price (up to $15) and grape variety." --LA Times, Chicago Tribune, Sacramento Bee


"This book is a fabulous resource.  It really filled a niche that needed to be addressed." --Lynne Webb, publisher, mygourmetconnection.com 


"It's about time someone of Carolyn's' caliber stepped forward to champion these humble yet satisfying wines. The first paragraph alone is worth the price of admission." --Richard Best, The Frugal Oenophile 

"Arriving at a time when consumers are looking for reliable quality wines at economy prices, this book is a timely and unique guide, and is the first ever to rank popular big-brand wines."--Sheila Swerling-Puritt at TonyAspler.com

From the Author

While wine snobs are swirling and sniffing expensive wines that are tediously hard to find, the rest of us are just drinking wine. Popular wine. Big brand wine.  Big brands can spell terrific value but you need to know which bottles to buy. That's where Good Better Best Wines comes in. It's small enough to pop in your pocket and take with you to the shop. And it's user-friendly enough to flip through on the fly.

Big brands use economies of scale to produce good value wines with easy-to-understand labels, limited vintage variation and broad distribution. These advantages are a winning combination with today's time-pressed wine consumers faced with tens of thousands of wine choices, who are more conscious than ever of their wine budgets in today's economy. For these reasons, big brands have become the wines North Americans turn to most of the time.  Good Better Best Wines is the first book ever to rank best-selling wines.  I hope you find it useful.

Carolyn Evans Hammond

Author

Good Better Best Wines

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: ALPHA; Original edition (April 6, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1592579779
• ISBN-13: 978-1592579778
• Product Dimensions: 5.8 x 0.5 x 7.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (37 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #475,415 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #76 in Books > Cookbooks, Food & Wine > Drinks & Beverages > Wine > Buying Guides

More About the Author

Wine book author and critic Carolyn Evans Hammond first fell in love with wine during her first trip to France many moons ago when she picnicked in the vineyards of the Cotes du Rhone. Now she makes wine accessible with her witty and light approach to the topic.

Carolyn's latest book, Good Better Best Wines: A No-Nonsense Guide to Popular Wine, is the first book to rank the best-selling wines in North America by price and grape variety, with tasting notes and bottle images (April, 2010, $12.95, Alpha Books). Within weeks of release, it soared to #1 wine book at Amazon.ca and the #2 one at Amazon.com. It's available at bookstores everywhere. Watch the trailer at http://www.goodbetterbestwines.com

Her first book, 1000 Best Wine Secrets, is a fascinating compilation of trade secrets designed to illuminate the topic and help wine drinkers make more satisfying wine choices. It too is a best-seller, earning critical acclaim and international distribution (October, 2006, $12.95, Sourcebooks, Inc).

As well as an author, Carolyn's reviews and critical articles have appeared in such eminent magazines as Decanter, and Wine & Spirit International in the United Kingdom, as well as Maclean's, Taste, and Tidings in Canada. She issues a weekly newsletter; publishes a blog on her website--http://www.wine-tribune.com, http://www.besteveryou.com, and http://www.amazon.com; runs a Facebook wine club, twitters, and conducts seminars and private consultations.

Constantly learning, Carolyn spends much of her time tasting wine and meeting with winemakers and other industry professionals. She is a member of the Wine Writers' Circle of Canada; she holds a Diploma from the Wine & Spirit Education Trust in the UK; and she earned a BA from York University where she studied English and Philosophy. She has lived in many cities in North America and Europe, and now resides in Toronto, where she was born.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Cheers!!! April 12, 2010

By Therese Murray

Format:Paperback

This is the book that I have been looking for! I am a wine lover but due to my lack of knowledge I have often found myself in aisles picking out which bottle of wine has the prettiest or most interesting labels; talk about judging a book by its cover.. This book hits every note. 250 bottles reviewed and the book is small enough to tote in your bag or leave in your glove box. I LOVE the that the author put pics of labels next to every review to help you pic the bottle out easier. This book has made wine drinking more fun for me as it gave me the confidence to host a wine tasting as all of the descriptions of the wines are listed as well. This book teaches you the history of the type of wine and also etiquette and pairing ideas. There are also wine menu suggestions for parties and even weddings!! I have fallen hard for many of the wines suggested in this book. I am buying it for all of my wine lover friends!! I beg that the author please design her own iphone app to support this book and make it available on kindle!! I cant wait for the next edition!!! Cheers!!!

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Definitely A BEST BUY! April 22, 2010

By J. Sichterman

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

I saw this book recommended by Amazon as a result of a purchase of "Wine For Dummies" a long, long time ago. I'm quick with the delete button, but was intrigued and decided to take a look. My wife and I enjoy wine and have found we are enjoying a glass more often during the week and not just for dinner out or special events. I like the promise of a book that rates affordable and findable wines under $15. Alas, I live in a small town in Iowa, how many wines in the grocery store are going to be in the book. I can say I was stunned to see many old friends and many I can't wait to meet on the pages of Carolyn's book. I rather enjoyed her easy to read and lively writing style and the pictures make buying wine even easier.

My advice would be buy two, one for you and one for a friend(so they don't borrow yours and forget to return it!). I would also grab a pen and make your copy into your own personal wine journal.

I just recommended the book to my local grocery store manager and encouraged him to sell the book in the wine aisle!

This book is definitely a BEST BUY!

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Must-Have Wine Guide April 13, 2010

By C. Nix

Format:Paperback

Ever go to buy a bottle or two of wine and can't decipher what to buy from all the choices on the shelves? Well, Good, Better, Best Wines: A No-Nonsense Guide to Popular Wines takes the guesswork out of making that decision. It is a great wine guide for both the novice and the connoisseur of wine. Carolyn Evans-Hammond has made it easy to choose a great wine for every day or a special occasion by recommending the "good, better and best wines" from the most popular wine varietals. Each category comes with tasting notes, a photo of the bottle/label and other interesting tidbits about food pairing, wine storage, etc... I thoroughly enjoyed reading this cleverly written and informative book from start to finish. It is a handy guide to take along on that shopping trip to the wine store or your local grocery store when shopping for wines. GOOD,BETTER,BEST WINES is a must-have for any wine lover as well as a great gift for all your wine loving friends. Cheers to Carolyn for a fantastic job!!!