Fear of Wine: An Introductory Guide to the Grape [Paperback]

Leslie Brenner (Author), Lettie Teague (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 1995

In this friendly introductory guide, food and wine writer Leslie Brenner tells how to:
Pour and taste wine
Develop a taste memory
Order from a wine list
Select a wine at the store
Match food with wine

In addition, helpful sidebars illuminate such subjects as:
How--and why--to swirl without sloshing
Disarming a snotty waiter
Ten great wines to bring to a dinner party
Going beyond California Chardonnay
Starting your own cellar for under $100

Along the way, Lettie Teague's funny and informative cartoons enhance the text and make great devices for remembering the most important facts. Before long,
your old standby, Chateau Screwtop, will be a distant memory. Accessible and concise, Fear of Wine will appeal to anyone who wants to know a little bit about a subject that can bring great pleasure.

At last, a guide that is as fun to read as wine is to drink!

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

What sets this title apart is its tone. Brenner (The Art of the Cocktail Party, Dutton, 1994) and Teague understand that every wine connoisseur was once a beginner and never lecture to novices but guide them through the basics of knowledge and enjoyment of wine. There are, of course, discussions of winemaking, producer regions and countries, and the ordering and tasting of wine. Friendly advice is given on corkscrew selection and spotting an overpriced wine list, and main points are summarized at the end of each chapter. Throughout are cartoons, charts, and tables. Resource materials and organizations are suggested in the final chapter. Brenner takes a usually solemn subject and transforms it into an enjoyable crash course. Highly recommended.?Wendy Miller, Lexington P.L., Ky.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

With a humorous tone and straightforward writing style, Brenner "aims to tell how you can learn to enjoy drinking wine." Novices can expect succinct explanations of many nuances related to tasting wine, decanting it, and deciphering restaurant wine lists. In general, Brenner clarifies the esoteric jargon associated with wine making and wine consumption by basically lifting away the mystique that seems to surround the topic of wine appreciation. And although accompanying cartoon illustrations emphasize important points, they also serve to further lighten the mood, thereby alleviating any hint of pomposity that might taint the topic. Brenner does suggest additional reading material and courses to take for those individuals interested in a more immersed approach. Alice Joyce

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Bantam (October 1, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0553374648
• ISBN-13: 978-0553374643
• Product Dimensions: 5.7 x 0.8 x 9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #161,162 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A wonderful introduciton to wine for anyone, October 18, 1999

By 

Peter R. Fischer (LA LA Land, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Fear of Wine: An Introductory Guide to the Grape (Paperback)

I received this book while shopping for suits at one of my favorite stores when I lived in Washington, DC. I had, by coincidence, become very interested in wines and had been hanging out at Clevland Partk Wine & Liquor (the BEST wine shop in DC if you are ever there). I began flipping through the book and before long was having intelligent conversations with anyone who would listen about wine. Even now as a (some what) more experienced wine lover, I constantly go back to this book over others that I have acquired since. Fear of Wine is fantastic for anyone, whether they actually do still have a fear of the wine list or are just looking for more information about why the French have such a screwy rating sytem. Interested in wine? GET THIS BOOK!

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great fun to read and incredibly informative!, February 15, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Fear of Wine: An Introductory Guide to the Grape (Paperback)

A friend recommended Fear of Wine to me, since he knew I had recently become interested in the subject. What he told me was true: the book manages to make learning about wine really fun. The author is an anti-snob, and I found her no-nonsense approach to be very appealing; and unlike with the Idiot's and Dummies books, I didn't feel I was being talked down to. (I'm not a moron, are you?) Although I thought the book was great all the way through, the sections on ordering wine in restaurants and buying wine for home were particularly strong. Also, as a person who was only familiar with California wines, and especially Chardonnay and Merlot, the book was terrific at untangling French, Italian, and other European wines, opening up a whole new world to me, and also introducing me to other American varieties. And it seems the book isn't only great for beginners--I gave it as a gift to a friend who actually knows quite a bit about wine, and she can't stop raving about it either!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good Overview, January 1, 2003

By 

Randy Given (Manchester, CT USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Fear of Wine: An Introductory Guide to the Grape (Paperback)

This book has a good overview of many subjects, but tends to try to answer so many questions too quickly. The early section on making wine is good, but I felt like I was taking a 3-hour tour of San Francisco. Granted that the subtitle is "an introductory guide to the grape", it could have been less rushed and used the same amount of space. The sections on the different AVAs are excellent -- some of the best informative condensed coverage that I have read. The list of preferred producers of each type is very good, without tying down to specific prices or vintages. The brief list of 10-bottle and 20-bottle starter collections at the back is very helpful (and very similar to what I started with!). Good book. The informative casual cartoons convinced me to change it from four stars to five stars.