Customer Reviews

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

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

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.

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.

Make sure you have a glass ready to make a toast.....Essential Winetasting is written as a practical application by which to enjoy the wonderful world of wines. The book is really a self guided academic experience. The book is somewhat boring, but you can't deny the fact that the author knows what he is talking about. Filled with photos and practical ways of experiencing the wine! The only thing missing is the wine itself....perhaps it could have used a scratch and sniff medium as well.