Amazon.com Review
"There ain't no answer. There ain't going to be any answer. There never has been any answer. That's the answer." It's wonderfully appropriate and telling that this Gertrude Stein quote appears in the pages of
Wine Savvy, author Heidi Yorkshire's no-pressure, informative wine primer geared toward grape novitiates who want to build confidence in their taste, "without anyone's opinions or prejudices getting in the way."
Short-listed for the prestigious Julia Child Award for wine/spirits writing, Wine Savvy's 105 large-print pages, divided into 17 chapters, take the beginner through simple tasting exercises, taste-bud "training," even "swirling without spilling." And Yorkshire--who's a teacher, Bon Appetit and Wine Spectator contributor, and wine columnist for The [Portland] Oregonian--proves to be a great, low-key mentoring voice; this is someone who readily admits to barely being able to keep a straight face at her first wine tasting. The book's liberal use of quotes and advice from others in the wine trade is equally inspiring: one "expert" admits that, blindfolded, he couldn't tell the red wine from the white; regarding wine "ratings," another opines "only God knows the difference between an 86 and an 87." Although some information in this revised edition may already be a bit dated, tips such as the two questions that'll make the stuffy sommelier your pal give it lasting value. Wine novices couldn't do much better than having Heidi Yorkshire's book around to offer an encouraging paraphrase of Miss Stein: It'll be all right. There, there. --Tony Mason
Review
"Any wine book that quotes from 'The Simpsons' is OK by me. 'Savvy' not only has a sense of humor but is also packed with practical information . . . Yorkshire, a wine and food columnist, writes in an economical yet conversational style about the basics as well as how to order in restaurants, match wine with food, store it and more . . . In the margins you'll find handy tips, fun quotes and other nuggets . . . If you just want to learn the basics and doubt you'll devote the rest of your life to wine, this may be the best bet." --
Nancy Wood, Chicago Tribune, May 22, 1996"This is a brilliant little book at a stocking-stuffer price. Yorkshire cuts right to the chase, offering admirably direct, no-nonsense answers to the practical questions most often asked by novices. this is the perfect introduction for those pressed-for-time types who prefer to get up to speed in a manner more like boot camp than graduate school. --
Michael Franz, Washington Post, December 10, 1997"Wine novices, or those who know a little, such as the difference between chardonnay and pinot gris, will love this book . . . Yorkshire is more on the side of the wine innocent than the wine geek . . . She does a good job of explaining why you do all that weird stuff with the glass, your nose and the dump buckets . . . She assures us there's a comfort zone between being a sommelier and a total bonehead." --
Angela Allen, The Columbian, July 12, 1994"Yorkshire hits all the right notes in this simple little introduction to wine. . .This is a starter book, perfect for someone who has just discovered that there's this great stuff that comes in a bottle protected by a cork . . . [it is meant to] strip away the fear that accompanies a newcomer's confusion about such an apparently complicated subject. Yorkshire uses plain language. She is knowledgeable but unintimidating. Savvy is, in fact, an appropriate word for the book's title." --
Harvey Steiman, Wine Spectator, December 31, 1996
