Oldman's Guide to Outsmarting Wine: 108 Ingenious Shortcuts to Navigate the World of Wine with Confidence and Style (Paperback)

by Mark Oldman (Author) "When it comes to dispensing wine advice, I don't hide the ball..." (more)
Key Phrases: fridge temp, easy drinkability, top châteaux, Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
Robust, hearty and full bodied describe not just a Beaulieu Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon but also this comprehensive wine guide for the novice oenophile. Oldman, who has taught wine courses for more than 10 years (and, incidentally, cofounded the career Web site Vault.com), boils the basics of wine down to 108 simple chapters (here called "shortcuts"). He proves "the dirty little secret of wine appreciation is that there's just not that much to it." While Oldman says this isn't a reference book, it may be best used that way. Without the benefit of a flight of tasting wines, the information is overwhelming. Yet to look up wines by type or region, or to learn how to order in a restaurant, Oldman's guide overflows with succinct, useful advice. Those determined to read it straight through will find Oldman's anecdotal style makes the subject lighthearted and fun, and Oldman is amusingly opinionated: "Drinking Pinot Grigio is often like experiencing an Ikea rug, Ben Stein's voice, or a dose of Paxil: neutral, monotone, and devoid of highs." The casual voice occasionally is forced (drinking old wine "won't earn you a prayer session at the porcelain altar") but it makes the information accessible. Each shortcut comes with even more shortcuts: a "cheat sheet" summary, wine picks by price range, a pronunciation table and suggestions for food pairings.
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Review
A fresh, funny guide...glib and unpretentious, Oldman decodes wine-tasting lingo and shows how to spot a bargain bottle -- People

Highly approachable...[an] inviting and informative book sure to please both novice and experienced wine connoisseurs -- Library Journal

If only we'd had just one wine book: Oldman's Guide to Outsmarting Wine -- Jesse Kornbluth

If you're a budding wine enthusiast with a distaste for encyclopedic volumes, this is the book for you. -- La Cucina Italiana

Simplifies...with fun and celebrity -- San Francisco Chronicle

The perfect book -- Wine Enthusiast

Transforms the wine experience -- Kirkus

We love [Oldman's Guide]; Mark demystifies the world of wine -- Family Circle, Editors' Choice Selection

Winespeak without the geek...will make you fluent in wine without sounding like a blowhard... -- Bon Appètit

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Penguin (Non-Classics) (December 7, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0142004928
• ISBN-13: 978-0142004920
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 7.4 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (45 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #22,624 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Wine Book to Buy, July 10, 2005

By	Bobby Joseph (Michigan USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I finally found the wine book I was looking for! I previously read a couple to wine books to educate myself but they were either too complicated or packed with information I really did not need. Oldman's book is so well written, easy to read and understand. It is full of practical knowledge and organized into 108 short chapters. Each of the 350 pages is packed with useful information, and the material is arranged in an eye-catching manner. It is an entertaining read. It offers reference books and web sites for those who wish to learn more about a suject. It discusses basic grapes, regions, different types of wine, cost, pronunciations, how to pair wine with specific foods or occasions etc. This book clarified so many misconceptions and answered some of my questions in a clear way. For example: "Just say no to cork inhalation" is a memorable line that gets the message across. Another example is when Oldman describes the smell of blackcurrant and Cabernets. This book is perfect for novices who will not be ovewhelmed with useless facts. Even for someone like me who is somewhat knowledgeable about wines, this was the perfect book. I wish I read this years ago!

16 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best all-around wine book, hands-down, January 5, 2005

By	M Lee (Redlands, CA) - See all my reviews

With this incredible book, it's hard to even know where to start.

Ever since I accidentally opened a friend's bottle of '86 Heitz Napa cabernet and fell in love, I've been studying wine whenever I get a chance. I've purchased books like "The Wall Street Journal's Guide to Understanding Wine," "Wine for Dummies," and some more advanced "grape-specific" books. After reading through a few pages of this book, I was blown away and proceeded to spend two hours engrossed in one of the most entertaining books I've ever read - even among non-wine books! I laughed throughout, poked on by Oldman's extremely clever wit and knowledge.

The book can be used as a reference - lately I've been checking it to make sure I'm serving Fume Blanc (same as Sauvignon Blanc, as I've found out) at the appropriate temperature - but it's more likely that you'll read this as a novel. A very, very entertaining one.

Among the valuable things I've picked up from the book - besides the already-cited examples of what prominent and celebrity wine lovers like to have on their tables - include:

- How to pronounce everything related to wine you ever worried about trying to say. I'm talking about Riedel, Taittinger, Chateau Cos d'Estournel and Moet, which is pronounced "Mo-EHT, not Moe-AY."

- The many affordable options in the world of wine - encouraging those who are either shy, unadventurous, poor or all of the above to try new, good-value wines.

- What wines to pair with food, and more importantly why - from the science to the history to what is most accepted in popular culture (things like champagne and cake at weddings) even though they technically might not taste that great together.

- Decoding the many different designations: reserva, gran reserva, brut, extra-dry, sec, demi-sec, classico, classico riserva... to a point where you're more than comfortable with them.

- Wine etiquette and a generous helping of insider information on getting the most bang-for-your-buck at a restaurant without looking like a cheapskate.

If you're a wine lover and think you know everything about wine, you'll prove yourself wrong with this book. If you're a wine consumer, you will at least double the value of wine you drink - just based on how much more you'll appreciate what's in your glass. If not that, then on the tips Oldman gives you to save dough. It will likely be both. Even if you don't know anything about wine, this book will grab you in.

I've watched my girlfriend - who didn't care much for my wine obsession before - turn into an crazed fan: we were at Costco (tips on this, too!) and she replaced the bottle of BV cabernet I chose for dinner with a Pinot Noir because "Pinot Noir goes better with smoked sausage."

I'm obviously a very big fan. This book has been worth every penny.

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The finest wine book out there, September 1, 2005

By	argosy46 - See all my reviews

Since I buy Oldman's Guide here so often as a gift, I'll add my voice to the chorus. I agree with the last reviewer that OG stands at the head of the line for wine books. I consider myself somewhere between a wine connoisseur and still-learning novice and I'll go so far to say that OG is the best wine book that I own. It is a book that I'm still learning from, while most of my other wine guides molder on the shelf after a few sittings. -And here in my home office I have two and a half bookshelves of wine books- The author Mark Oldman offers just the right amount of commentary on major wine topics-grape types, storing wine, dining out, et cetera. The descriptions and explanations are really clever and very dead-on and just the right tone for someone to learn about wine (or learn more about wine after they've mastered the basics). Oldman's Guide cost me only about $14 (with shipping) here at Amazon and I have referred to the book so much that it is already looks like I've had it for a decade. It is furthest thing I've seen from the standard monotonous wine encylopedia. This is the book to get.

I also endorse Karen MacNeil's Wine Bible as a solid all-around reference book - it covers everything in a lot of accurate detail. And if you want a graphical overview, you can't go wrong with World Atlas of Wine by Hugh Johnson, which is a large display-style book and very high quality.