Italian Wine for Dummies [Paperback]

Mary Ewing-Mulligan (Author), Ed McCarthy (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Italian Wine For Dummies explores all the major wine regions of Italy from Piedmont in the north to the islands of Sicily and Sardinia, explaining the major grapes and the best producers. Explains how Italy names its wines (such as Chianti and Pinot Grigio) and how the grapes, both native and imported," affect modern Italian wine production. This friendly guide describes "the best food wines in the universe," and how to pair Italian wine with food in classic and creative combinations. It details how to buy, drink, and store Italian wines. Plus, it includes a pronunciation guide, a glossary of terms, a vintage chart, and grapes-wine classification wine chart. Also look for helpful regional map illustrations."

From the Back Cover

"A must-have book for anyone who is serious about Italian wines." —Lidia Bastianich, host of PBS's Lidia's Italian Table

Free daily eTips at dummies.com

Includes wine picks for every region!

"I have yet to encounter more knowledgeable guides to …Italian wine." —Piero Antinori, president of Antinori Wines Italian wine is so much more than Chianti! Discover wonderful wines produced throughout Italy — from Barolo to Montepulciano to up-and-coming Sicilian wines. It's all here in this uniquely accessible, entertaining guide.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 312 pages
• Publisher: For Dummies; 1 edition (August 29, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0764553550
• ISBN-13: 978-0764553554
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #220,977 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Modern View of Italian Wine, October 11, 2001

By	Bill Marsano (New York, NY United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Italian Wine for Dummies (Paperback)

Italian wine was for many years seldom more than pretty good--and then something wonderful happened: the global economy. All of a sudden winemakers everywhere were competing for customers everywhere, and for most of them that meant they had to improve quality, and fast. Italian winemakers responded and successfully to the challenge. They now produce some of the most esteems top-of-the-line wines in the world as well as an increasing nmber of wines that are real bargains (that is, you get <more> than you pay for). But too many wine writers have failed to keep up with this ar-reaching change, have failed to expand their horizons beyond France.

Not <these> writers. Authors of "dummies" wine books since "Wine for Dummies" in 1995, they have closely followed Italy's quality revolution, and so can point you to a world of pleasure you might otherwise miss.

After saying that much I'm in danger of repeating what I wrote in my review of the authors'"FRENCH Wine for Dummies," published
simultaneously, so you should scamper right over to my review of that book for more details. Then you'll have the complete rundown on both.

One thing I should add: these books aren't really for dummies. I keep them at hand and I know several other pros who do too.

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Bill Marsano is a contributing editor of Hemispheres, United Airlines' in-flight magazine, for which he frequently writes on wine and spirits. One of his Hemisphere articles won a James Beard medal in 1999.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A very good beginning on the subject, June 4, 2004

By	Michael Gdalevich (Rehovot Israel) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Italian Wine for Dummies (Paperback)

This is a most appropriate way to begin the study of Italian wine - the theoretical part, that is. The book is concise yet clear and understandable, despite a substantial amount of new terminology. I use it also as a reference for choosing new Italian wines, when in a wine store. Must say though, that in these circumstances (in a store with people around me) the word DUMMIES, in big friendly letters on the book cover, is a disatvantage.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Surprisingly In Depth Despite Being a Dummies Title, November 24, 2007

By	Christopher Barrett (Portland, Oregon) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Italian Wine for Dummies (Paperback)

A wonderful text covering Italian wine in an easy to read format. You may browse through the noted sections and glance over the meat if you want a cursory education on Italian wine. There are very few in depth texts on Italian wine, mainly due to the convoluted DOC system and the overabundance of native grape varieties and grape psuedonyms. The authors give a valiant effort that is worthy of a read.

Pros: great knowledge, easy to follow
Cons: difficult Italian systems, poor maps