Discovering Wine [Paperback]

Joanna Simon (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 1, 1995

In this eminently readable, remarkably unstuffy, visually exciting guide to discovering wine, Joanna Simon toasts the newest generation of wine lovers. More than 250 full-color photographs, maps and charts beautifully complement her effervescent approach to the fascinating world of wine, as she dispels the mystique that so often surrounds the subject. At last, someone has come along to show you how to make the most of every glass, and provide you with the crucial hints that can make you a wine aficionado -- virtually overnight. You will learn how to:

* Taste and judge wine like a professional
* Match the best wine and food combinations
* Follow the new guidelines for serving and storing your wines
* Discern between "classic" wines and those that emulate them
* Understand the importance -- and role -- of grapes
* Know when a particular wine is ready to drink

The author continues to demystify wine, as she explores famous vineyards and explains how the wine makers use grapes to their most delicious advantage. And after a concise but thorough roundup of today's wine styles, Simon conducts a tour of discovery through wine regions throughout the world -- from Chianti to Coonawarra, from Médoc to Moldova, and everywhere in between.

As entertaining as it is informative, Discovering Wine is destined to become the new definitive beginner's guide to wine.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

The subtitle says it all: Discovering Wine is, indeed, "a refreshingly unfussy beginner's guide to finding, tasting, judging, storing, serving, cellaring, and, most of all, Discovering Wine." If you thought you'd have to make a spectacle of yourself in public--sniffing corks, gargling bordeaux, etc.--in order to become educated on the subject of wine, relax. Author Joanna Simon makes it clear that even the most retiring persons can learn to judge wine without drawing attention to themselves. Using a combination of pictures and text, Simon describes the steps involved in tasting, serving, and storing wine. She offers suggestions for matching wines with different foods, then takes the reader on a tour of famous vineyards, explaining just what goes into a really fine vintage. Finally, she includes brief descriptions of the best-known wines from wine-growing regions the world over. So if you don't know your Asti from your Madeira, let Joanna Simon set you on the road to knowledge with Discovering Wine.

About the Author

Joanna Simon is one of the United Kingdom's most successful young wine writers. Since 1987, she has been wine correspondent for The Sunday Times and in 1992 was awarded the Glenfiddich Wine Writer of the Year award. She also edited Harrod's Book of Fine Wine, published in 1990 by Mitchell Beazley.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: Fireside (February 1, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 067150570X
• ISBN-13: 978-0671505707
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 8.2 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,145,945 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great Place to Begin, February 19, 2003

By 

A.Trendl HungarianBookstore.com "What should ... (Glen Ellyn, IL USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Discovering Wine (Paperback)

I'm a beginner. When I received "Discovering Wine" by Joanna Simon as a gift, I felt intimidated. Would it be stuffy or over my head?

Its strength is in the simple presentation of the facts. The chapters are clearly titled, like "Matching food with wine" and "Ways to store your wine." The writing is clean, though it comes across slightly elitist (ex: choosing 'wend' instead of 'wind,' noting a certain country produces a 'credible' variety of wine). It is balanced by an encyclopedic style, providing insight into the basics of wine appreciation.

Many countries are highlighted for their vineyards and wines. Learn which wines are made where, and how the process is distinguished from country to country.

The pictures are sharp, beautiful and informative. You'll see terraces of Germany, hills of Tuscany, and the mountains of Peru in sheer splendor and relevance.

Especially useful for me was the lexicon of tasting terms, a brief lesson on wine tasting and what to look for, and a discussion (with perfect pictures) on which glasses and decanters to use.

The weakest aspect of the book was the chapter on matching food and wine, but the weakness was not in the content, but in the brevity. Ten pages should have been 20.

I fully recommend "Discovering Wine" by Joanna Simon as a first book.

Anthony Trendl

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Nice beginner book, but some tips outdated, December 26, 2001

By 

Ripped off Buyer (Germantown, WI United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Discovering Wine (Paperback)

Overall, this was a nice introduction to wine. However, it was obviously written in the early nineties, so the good year/bad year tips on many of the white wines that were not meant to age for ten years are kind of useless today (For some wines, 1987 may have been a good year if you drank it in 1991, but in 2001 it might taste a little closer to vinegar than you prefer.) But if you learn enough to know that the book you are reading is outdated, then you must have learned something. Three stars.

5.0 out of 5 stars Comprehensive yet easy reading, June 21, 2010

By 

Artica75 (Los Angeles, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Discovering Wine: A Refreshingly Unfussy Beginner's Guide to Finding, Tasting, Judging, Storing, Serving, Cellaring, and, Most of All, Discovering Wine (Paperback)

The book does a good job of briefing novice and experienced wine drinkers. I like the section on regions and explanations of varietals. Great coffee table book to educate and get friends interested in wines.