Windows on the World Complete Wine Course: 2004 Edition: A Lively Guide [Hardcover]

Kevin Zraly (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 28, 2003 | Series: Windows on the World Complete Wine Course

MORE THAN 100,000 COPIES SOLD EACH YEAR!

Kevin Zraly's incomparable course ("One of the best start-from-scratch wine books ever written."-- Frank Prial, The New York Times) is still America's top-selling guide to wine. In this year's revised edition, Zraly shares some of the authoritative knowledge on buying wine that he's acquired over the last 30 years: this new, exclusive, and invaluable "How to Buy Wine" section covers retailers, auctions, Internet sites, and just about anywhere a bottle can be purchased. What stays constant is Zraly's inimitable, irreverent style. He answers every question about wine; offers the most up-to-date recommendations; takes you on a country-by-country, region-by-region ratings tour of the latest vintages; and starts you on your way to becoming a wine connoisseur. Abundant full-color labels and maps--some brand new--complete the enticing picture. More current, more informative, more concise and precise than ever, this remains the wine guide against which all others are judged.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Kevin Zraly is the founder and teacher of the immensely popular Windows on the World Wine School that has graduated over 10,000 students since its inception in 1976. He has studied winemaking techniques in California and all the great wine regions of Europe. Not only is he the creator of the famous wine list at Windows of the World, he also designed the training program for the most knowledgeable wine-service staff in America. The recipient of the James Beard Award as the Wine & Spirits Professional of the Year and the Food & Beverage Association's Man of the Year Award, Kevin is a member of the Board of Trustees of the Culinary Institute of America and has been featured in The New York Times, People magazine, The Wall Street Journal, GQ magazine, Newsweek, and USA Today, among others. He is the co-host of the Food Network's Wine A to Z

Product Details

• Hardcover: 224 pages
• Publisher: Sterling (August 28, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1402708882
• ISBN-13: 978-1402708886
• Product Dimensions: 10.3 x 8.4 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #985,258 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #52 in Books > Crafts, Hobbies & Home > Interior Design > Windows

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

35 of 38 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Snob Alert!, September 17, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Windows on the World Complete Wine Course: 2004 Edition: A Lively Guide (Hardcover)

What I enjoyed out of the book was the "best bets" recommendations for what vintage years to purchase for each wine/region. What I did not enjoy was that many of the wines Zraly recommends are in the high end range. I just looked up one of his favorite Cab. Sauv. from CA--it sells for $100. I found some of his terminology confusing--Burgundy is a region, yes, but then he switches around the terminology for areas w/n a region--Cote D'Or and Cote de Nuits w/n Cote D'or--sometimes refering to all of these as "regions". At one point he calls a Pouilly Fouisse a "quality level" of a Maconnais.??? In the Rhone Valley he talks about Chateauneuf du Pape, but does not even mention Gigondas-- a similar style,but more affordable than Chat.du Pape. Gigondas has become more popular lately- and deserves a mention. Zraly's emphasis is on French red wines. He mentions briefly CA, WA, OR, and NY wines. I did not get much out of the wine and food pairings as many of the pairings were recommendations for foods I do not find myself eating: turbot w/ hollandais, shad roe, Breton lobster, Dover sole, etc...

In short, I'm glad I read it, but I would get more just talking with someone at my local wine merchant--asking them to explain different wine styles, and asking them to help select a wine based on a meal I would actually eat.

23 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars The Windows Should Be a Little Wider!, July 20, 2003

By 

ROBERT W. BENTLEY (Port Townsend, WA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Windows on the World Complete Wine Course: 2004 Edition: A Lively Guide (Hardcover)

This book is a fine primer for beginners and a good simplifier of winemaking processes-particularly with describing the involved method for Champagne.
Wher the book falls far short is its limited horizon on newer quality areas producing excellent wines: in short, California ia hardly the "end all" for excellence in American wines-Sraly completely ignores the great wine sthat have been coming out of the Northwest. Oregon Pinot Noirs certainly are much more Burgundian than most of California's. Leonetti Merlot and Quilceda Creek Cab have reached worldwide stature-and British Columbia does the finest Icewines now in the world! He also ignores the New Zealnd wines and their great Pinot Noirs , never mind that Cloudy Bay is the benchmark for greatest Sauvignon Blanc in the world. We can't deny California's great importance-but, frankly,its wines are now over produced, overhyped, over oaked -and far, far over priced.If Zraly would just get west of the Hudson and north of LA, he just might widen his perspectives and make this book really valuable in an updated version in tune with the times.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A fun & accessible way to learn about wine, February 24, 2004

By 

carol gillott (New York) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Windows on the World Complete Wine Course: 2004 Edition: A Lively Guide (Hardcover)

First and foremost you will ENJOY reading this book ! You can either skip around or go through it in a logical progression of basic wines to very fine wines of each region and grape variety.Ultimately you will come away with literally tons of information about how wine is grown, made, tasted, bought and above all enjoyed. Plus you will have lots of interesting tidbits to impress your friends with when dinnertable conversation pauses. All around an enjoyable experience.