Customer Reviews

The River Cafe Wine Primer

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Joseph DeLissio's new offering has it all--well-organized information and an attractive, easy-to-use format in a book everyone can afford (and can lift). From winemaking to tasting and evaluating wines, Mr DeLissio covers the terroir in a style that is basic enough for the novice and yet interesting enough for oenophile. Most helpful may be the focus on grape varietals and wine-producing regions (including phonetic spellings so you can order your favorites with confidence!). This would be the book I would give as a gift, along with a corkscrew and maybe a nice bottle of Cakebread Sauvignon Blanc Reserve. The only downside is a few fairly obvious mispellings of vineyard names.

Reading this book was truly a pleasure for me. So often the subject of wine can be intimidating and pretentious, but Mr. DeLissio's obvious passion for the grape makes this book immediately accessible and a delight to read. Suitable for both the novice and the more experienced wine drinker, this graphically-pleasing book gives a great explanation about each grape type and offers some very practical advice on purchasing wine at a store or ordering at a restaurant. After reading this book I was inspired to approach wine with a completely different attitude and have already enjoyed many delicious bottles thanks to Mr. DeLissio's excellent recommendations.

Delissio's "River Cafe Wine Primer" is a nice place to start for the beginning oenophile. It reads easily, for the most part, and never insults the reader. The author joins the "all things are possible" attitude, leaving the appreciation of wine to the reader, while providing guideposts for enjoyment. Never is the reader talked down to, but neither is the author willing to keep his advice on a lowest common denominator level.

This book has an insider's information and I found some of the restaurant and background info on par with Boudrain's "Kitchen Confidential", but with a dash more restraint. I'm not sure if the wine industry has the kind of dirt that Boudrain exposes, but the novelistic style of Delissio's book still makes it a worthy read.

Where this primer fails is not so much the fault of the book, but rather in its competition. Zraly's wine course book and MacNeil's "The Wine Bible" are superior. The Zraly book is very basic, while MacNeil's is far more thorough. One reviewer noted how well Delissio clarified the wines of France, but I found his tour to be more confusing than similar discussions in the other two books. The sidenotes and fun facts in Zraly, and the ebullient, "zest for life" attitude of MacNeil also take them one step above "The River Cafe Wine Primer".

Another significant lack is that due to the writing style and the book's layout, it doesn't function well as a reference. In other words, it wouldn't be a book I would reach for if I had a question. Delissio avoids naming names - his wine recommendations are more generalized. This works well for a book that will probably not go through several revisions, but again, it makes it harder to use for specific help.

A nice day read, "The River Cafe Wine Primer" is a fine addition for wine lovers who seek to round out their knowledge, but in a crowded market of wine books, there are other more essential books to add to one's library.

An amazing book! Mr. Delissio's, The River Cafe Wine Primer,is a must have for anyone serious about wine. The information given is easy, even for the novice to understand. From how its made, to the choice you have with your meal, is explicit and excact. I only wish that there were more writers with Delissio's passion.

While I have always liked wine I have always hated the arrogance of most people who sell wine. Be it the cocky wine shop clerk or the restaurant wine whatever you call them guys with the silly silver cup, they seldom make me feel like my opinion means anything. They make me feel stupid! That has all changed since I have read The Wine Primer. While I did not buy the Wine Primer, (it was a gift from a woman who has become my ex woman) I love the power and comfort it has given me.

Best of all this book saves me money. I didnt know wine shops give quantity discounts until I read it in the Wine Primer. I tried it out when I bought six bottles of wine in my local wine shop when at checkout, I asked if there was any multiple bottle discount- to my surprise there was, 10 % to be exact. I have
saved over a hundred dollars since I read of this tip in The River Cafe Wine Primer.
I like red wine with almost every thing I eat. Once at a well known restaurant I ordered a French red Bordeaux with my Tuna and was given a three minute lecture by "The Wine Guy" on how it
as a horrible match. Needless to say I was so intimidated I changed my order. Here I am I'm thirty four years old, I own my own buisness, my own home, repair my boat and car by myself, and coach a little leaugue soccer team, and I found my self embarrassed to have red wine with Tuna. Mr. Delissio says in his book that "the only palate one ever needs to impress is his own" and puts it in a way that you believe it.

There is a saying in the bible that if you teach a man to fish you will never have to feed him. The River Cafe Wine Primer has taught me how to let myself enjoy my own tastes, and after reading it I find that when it comes to wine I don't need any help. Best of all it keeps saving me money.
I recommend everyone learn how to fish and read this book.

As a mere advanced beginner in the world of wine enjoyment, I find this book to be among the best I have explored to educate myself. It covers all kinds of really practical information from ordering wine in different types of restaurants to purchasing wine in retail stores, as well as more detailed information on types of wines. Imagine that you have a great friend or associate who knows the world of wine inside and out and you ask him to write down some advice for you, and you'll get an idea of the easy style you'll find here...only expanded tenfold. This book is laid out thoughtfully and is bursting with the kind of practical advice that can only reflect a deep love for the subject matter. I would highly recommend this book to both someone who is just beginning to explore and enjoy wines and also to those a little further along who are looking for depth of general knowledge.

JOESEPH DELISSIO HAS HIT GOLD, THIS WINE BOOK IS THE MOST COMPREHENSIVE,INTELLIGENT AND THOR'OUGHLY WRITTEN WINE BOOK TO DATE. MR DELISSIO HAS MANAGED TO MAINTAIN SIMPLICITY IN A MOST COMPLICATED ARENA, WITHOUT SUBSTITUTION OF SUBJECT MATTER. HE HAS MANAGED TO KEEP THE READERS INTEREST WHILE INSERTING KNOWLEDGE. YOU CAN ALL BUT HEAR THE WORDS I DID'NT KNOW THAT AS EACH PAGE IS TURNED. ANY ONE THAT READS THIS BOOK CAN TRUELY NOW ENJOY THE PLEASURE OF DINNING WITH FINE WINES.

PS. I HAD TO PURCHASE 3 COPIES FOR MYSELF, ONE FOR MY REFERENCE LIBRARY, ONE FOR MY BOOKS TO GIVE AS A GIFT AND OF COURSE ONE FOR MY BOOKS TO READ FOR PURE ENJOYMENT.

This book is fantastic. It is a must buy. It is informative as well as interesting.