Essential Winetasting: The Complete Practical Winetasting Course (Mitchell Beazley Drink S.) [Paperback]

Michael Schuster (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 28, 2006 | Series: Mitchell Beazley Drink S.

One of the most respected lecturers on wine tells you everything you need to know in a comprehensive, structured course. Although accessible to beginners, this new paperback edition also has enough depth to appeal to more experienced tasters and explores in detail how to taste and assess the quality of a wine. The big feature: nine practical tastings that guide the reader through tasting and comparing wines in every major style.
 
Winner of The Wine Book of the Year Gold Label Award (Le Prix due Champagne Lanson); the Glenfiddich Award for Best Drink Book; and the Best Drink Book of the Year by the coveted Andre Simon Memorial Fund Awards.

Editorial Reviews

Review

ESSENTIAL WINE TASTING is still "the most effective wine tasting manual ever written."  (Beverage Business USA ) --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

About the Author

Michael Schuster trained in Bordeaux, where he gained the University's Tasting Diploma; he then set up his own wine school in London. He is the author of the highly successful Understanding Wine and he writes for Decanter and Wine International. As passionate about teaching wine as he is about the drink itself, he has been described by Janics Robinson as, "A first-rate wine teacher".

Product Details

• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: MITCH (July 28, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 184533020X
• ISBN-13: 978-1845330200
• Product Dimensions: 10.6 x 8 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,806,040 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars the ONLY alternative to a wine course, July 16, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Essential Winetasting: The Complete Practical Winetasting Course (Hardcover)

This has got to be the book to get (or give)this year. No surprise that it's winning major wine writing prizes everywhere you look (3 so far this year I read somewhere). Fresh, practical & easy to follow steps to winetasting with no hint of the patronising or the pretentious. The style is straightforward and uncomplicated, the hints and tips given throughout are invaluable. Utterly different from any other wine tasting book on the market, and streets ahead.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This is how you first learn, then how you master Wine Tasting., September 10, 2008

By 

Jennie L. Thornton "Wine Goddess" (New York, NY, USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Essential Winetasting: The Complete Practical Winetasting Course (Mitchell Beazley Drink S.) (Paperback)

This is the only practical tasting text on the market. You can read this book, follow the step-by-step tasting exercises and really call yourself an experienced wine taster. Over 15 years ago I bought this book and was thrilled that I wasn't just getting a shopping list of 90+ point wines. This is a textbook. This is an interactive class in the privacy of your own home. This book was a revelation to me. I was a software programmer who loved to cook and this book set me on a path to become a successful member of the wine trade. Five years ago I was privileged enough to attend one of Mr. Schuster's Master Tasting workshops in London and his teaching style was as clear as this text. After a decade of success in the wine trade I still return to this book to polish my tasting and suggest to new students of wine as a solution to mastering their own tasting skills.

8 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Take this book to dinner with you...Really!, October 2, 2001

By 

Steve Robbins "ilovewine" (Napa, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Essential Winetasting: The Complete Practical Winetasting Course (Hardcover)

This is a great book to take to dinner with you. It is small enough to fit in a 3-ring binder.

At dinner you can make notes as to the vintage, winery, type, etc. of the bottle that you selected, then use the book to write an 'official' taste report.

It is really fun to go over your notes weeks/months later, and really remember the flavor. I also include notes about the dishes that were served.

I also bring a Perfect Sommelier with me, that ages the wine in 30 minutes. It is a fun item. I found it on Google.

If you like this book, you will also like Discovering Wine.