The Complete Idiot's Guide to Wine, Second Edition (2nd Edition) (Paperback)

by Phillip Seldon (Author), Alpha Group (Author) "In this chapter you'll discover that wine is more than any ordinary beverage..." (more)
Key Phrases: organic vintners, white vinifera, communal appellations, Heard It Through the Grapevine, Tasting Tip, Cabernet Sauvignon (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
With this guide you can learn everything you need to know to choose and enjoy wines of all kinds. You can be confident about buying, trying, and talking about wine. The book provides solid information about the most important types of wines, friendly advice in an easy-to-understand format, and tips, definitions, and warnings to help you along the way.

About the Author

Philip Seldon has had a lifelong fascination with wine. He founded Vintage Magazine, which he published for 17 years, and wrote the best-selling Vintage Magazine Consumer Guide to Wine. He share exactly what you need to know about wine!

Product Details

• Paperback: 468 pages
• Publisher: Alpha; 2 edition (January 13, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0028636619
• ISBN-13: 978-0028636610
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 7.3 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #724,526 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Best Introductory Wine Book, December 6, 1999

By	Felis Hillary (New York) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Complete Idiot's Guide to Wine (The Complete Idiot's Guide) by CIG to Wine (Paperback)

This book is simply wonderful - it tells you everything you need to know about wine without being cute or condescending like Wine for Dummies. Robert Mondavi says that this is the best introductory book on wine and it certainly is. It has more information than Wine for Dummies including specific wine recommendations. While it is an Idiot's Guide it does not treat you like an idiot. I recommend it for everybody who wants to learn about wine.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A brief comment, September 29, 2005

By	magellan (Santa Clara, CA) - See all my reviews (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (COMMUNITY FORUM 04)

Because of all the snobbery surrounding wine I found the idea of an "Idiot's Guide" sort of funny, what with all the pretention and slender or even false erudition masquerading as the final word in the area. But Seldon's book peels back the highly polished surface but ultimately thin facade of the wine world to give you the basic, unbiased, and unvarnished truth and information that you need.

Every aspect of wine and wine appreciation is discussed, from how to open a bottle to understanding the many different varietals, wine growing, wine making, the effect of climate and terrain, and of course wine tasting and appreciation as well. The well written, clear and concise text make the book easy and enjoyable to read. I've read a number of other books on wine and I still learned a lot from this book. It would be a great choice for a beginner to start with, and even if you're more of an intermediate and advanced wine afficianado, you'll probably still learn something from this book.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Begin your journey..., May 27, 2001

By	readamystery13 "Kristin" (NJ, USA) - See all my reviews

with a book about wine that unravels and decodes all the language that goes with wine. Philip Seldon takes you step by step through the wine world, without all the fancy words and snobbish attitude that the wine world is stereotyped with. He guides you through wine in a way that allows you to form your own opinions. This book sits on my coffee table and it has a been a useful tool in my journey with wine.