Customer Reviews

Cheese & Wine: A Guide to Selecting, Pairing, and Enjoying

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Janet Fletcher's "Cheese & Wine," is a decent compendium of the major Western European and American cheeses of the world but is somewhat lacking in basic information to make this is a must-buy. For starters, it is disappointing that only (approximately) half of the 70 cheeses listed in the book are accompained by photographic images. For a book that purports itself to be a good starting point for cheese novices this lack of visual information is a serious mis-cue. Another point that was disappointing was the lack of any pricing info on the assortment of cheeses. Even the most cursory inclusion of the general pricing for each item would have been greatly welcome. That being said the photos that are included are all spectacular and it goes without saying that the overall construction and layout of this tome is extremely well-done and very handsome throughout.

What I like about this book is that it's so approachable, and whenever I open it, I get ideas for new cheeses to try and ways for serving them. Other reviewers are right: this isn't a comprehensive guide, but that's fine -- those already exist. I go to Steven Jenkins' CHEESE PRIMER whenever I want to learn the history of a cheese, and I carry MURRAY'S CHEESE HANDBOOK in my jacket pocket whenever I go to the cheese counter, but I find that I pull out Janet Fletcher's book whenever I have people over or whenever I want ideas for hosting a tasting. The photos are stunning, and the prose is just as beautiful. I'm slowly working my way through the list of cheeses at the front of the book. CHEESE & WINE creates curiosity and reverence for cheese, and that, to me, is just as worthwhile as a book that offers pricing, thumbnail photos, and tasting notes. As a smartly written coffee table book designed to inspire, it accomplishes exactly what it should.

This book has been instrumental in my personal mission to teach myself more about cheese! From the where and how it's developed to wine pairings, to ideas on putting together successful cheese plates, it's a must have for any at home cheesemonger!

The Wine and cheese book was excellent. It explained the types of cheeses and how they were made and then paired the cheeses with wine that would complement them. I have learned a lot and have begun experimenting with different wines and cheeses.

This is a beautiful book to look through. As a practical guide, however,
it didn't really offer much that I could use. I have found it very difficult to locate a good number of the cheeses described in the book. So, while it was fun to read about international cheeses and the history of cheeses, I have not been able to actually try them, which I thought would be the point of the book.
Living in the Midwest, I am well aware that the nearby state of Wisconsin is the biggest producer of cheeses in the U.S. and I expected that region to be well represented in the book. Several cheesemakers there have won international contests, in the cheddar category as well as several others, and yet I found only one reference to a Wisconsin cheesemaker.
Favorite cheeses, Havarti and Brick, were not even mentioned in the book. Perhaps I need to find a cheese guide that focuses more on the readily available types found throughout the country.

I gave this as a gift. The photos are beautiful, and the design of the pages is lovely. The only thing that would have made it better, is more pictures--one per cheese. It is a very satisfying book for beginning a love affair with cheese and pairing each with a complementary wine. I might buy a copy for myself!

This book is very high quality and the information/pictures are great. This is an essential book for any wine/cheese lover.

I saw this book on Crate and Barrel's website when I was buying a cheese related wedding gift for my girlfriend. I thought it would be nice to pair the book with the gift, and I knew I could get the book much cheaper on amazon. So that's what I did.

I bought this for a friend as a gift and she was very happy to get it!