The Complete Idiot's Guide to Wine [Paperback]

Philip Seldon (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: 1996

From evaluating wines and wineries to reading and understanding wine labels, this friendly guide is ideal for anyone wishing to avoid the humiliation of ordering the "wrong" wine. Also features quick tips on pairing food and wine, and opening and storing wine.

Product Details

• Paperback
• Publisher: Alpha (1996)
• ISBN-10: 0028612736
• ISBN-13: 978-0028612737
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 7.2 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,709,481 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Best Introductory Wine Book, December 6, 1999

By 

Felis Hillary (New York) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Complete Idiot's Guide to Wine (Paperback)

This book is simply wonderful - it tells you everything you need to know about wine without being cute or condescending like Wine for Dummies. Robert Mondavi says that this is the best introductory book on wine and it certainly is. It has more information than Wine for Dummies including specific wine recommendations. While it is an Idiot's Guide it does not treat you like an idiot. I recommend it for everybody who wants to learn about wine.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A brief comment, September 29, 2005

By 

magellan (Santa Clara, CA) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (COMMUNITY FORUM 04)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: The Complete Idiot's Guide to Wine, Second Edition (2nd Edition) (Paperback)

Because of all the snobbery surrounding wine I found the idea of an "Idiot's Guide" sort of funny, what with all the pretention and slender or even false erudition masquerading as the final word in the area. But Seldon's book peels back the highly polished surface but ultimately thin facade of the wine world to give you the basic, unbiased, and unvarnished truth and information that you need.

Every aspect of wine and wine appreciation is discussed, from how to open a bottle to understanding the many different varietals, wine growing, wine making, the effect of climate and terrain, and of course wine tasting and appreciation as well. The well written, clear and concise text make the book easy and enjoyable to read. I've read a number of other books on wine and I still learned a lot from this book. It would be a great choice for a beginner to start with, and even if you're more of an intermediate and advanced wine afficianado, you'll probably still learn something from this book.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Begin your journey..., May 27, 2001

By 

readamystery13 "Kristin" (NJ, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Complete Idiot's Guide to Wine, Second Edition (2nd Edition) (Paperback)

with a book about wine that unravels and decodes all the language that goes with wine. Philip Seldon takes you step by step through the wine world, without all the fancy words and snobbish attitude that the wine world is stereotyped with. He guides you through wine in a way that allows you to form your own opinions. This book sits on my coffee table and it has a been a useful tool in my journey with wine.