Discovering Wine: A Refreshingly Unfussy Beginner's Guide to Finding, Tasting, Judging, Storing, Serving, Cellaring, and, Most of All, Discovering Wine [Paperback]

Joanna Simon (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 21, 2003

Discovering Wine has been hailed by new and experienced wine lovers everywhere as the classic, approachable introduction to the luscious world of wine. In this revised and updated edition, Simon addresses the latest wine trends and provides brand-new information on vintages recently established in countries and continents around the globe.

More than 250 full-color photographs, maps, and charts beautifully complement Simon's effervescent approach to the fascinating world of wine, and help to dispel the mystique that so often surrounds the subject. She provides the crucial hints that will help you to become a wine aficionado -- virtually overnight. You will learn how to

• Taste and judge wine like an expert
• Correctly match food and wine
• Follow the newest guidelines for serving and storing your wines
• Discern classic wines from those that emulate them
• Understand the importance and role of grapes
• Know when a particular wine is ready to drink

In addition to demystifying wine, Simon explores famous vineyards and explains how the winemakers use grapes to their most delicious advantage. And after a concise but thorough roundup of today's wine styles, Simon conducts a tour through the wine regions of 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 remain the 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. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

Joanna Simon, a former editor of Wine magazine and Wine & Spirit International, is the award-winning wine writer of The Sunday Times (London) and a contributor to Style magazine. She was the broadcaster of BBC Radio 4's first series devoted to wine and has made numerous television appearances on wine-related subjects. She divides her time between London and France.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: Touchstone; ZZZ edition (October 21, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0743253361
• ISBN-13: 978-0743253369
• Product Dimensions: 11.1 x 8.3 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #753,039 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #21 in Books > Cookbooks, Food & Wine > Drinks & Beverages > Wine > Cellars

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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.