Exploring Wine: The Culinary Institute of America's Guide to Wines of the World, 2nd Edition (Hardcover)

by Steven Kolpan (Author), Brian H. Smith (Author), Michael A. Weiss (Author) "Wine is ancient, and yet the beverage we enjoy today is thoroughly modern..." (more)
Key Phrases: different grape types, certain grape types, champenoise brut, Sauvignon Blanc, New World, New York (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal
Why another wine book? First, this one is by wine educators from the Culinary Institute of America, whose other fine works (The New Professional Chef, LJ 8/91) and outstanding reputation lend it gastronomical authority. Second, Exploring Wine has an unfettered clarity, whether explaining formulas to calculate a reasonable price range or steps to produce the most beneficial wine-tasting experience or ways to select from the deluge of international choices. Third, there is a superb chapter on matching food and wine, full of tables and menus, which simultaneously honors classical principles of experimentation and personal preference. If these reasons aren't sufficient, there's the concise background information on wine-making, the world tour of producers, the coffee-table-book photographs, the section devoted to collecting, appendixes of American appellations and official classifications of Bordeaux, and a 12-page glossary. Definitely not just "another wine book." Highly recommended.
Wendy Miller, Lexington P.L., Ky.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review
"...lively guide..." (New Yorker, 10 December 2001)

"...lively guide..." -- New Yorker, 10 December 2001

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 880 pages
• Publisher: Wiley; 2 edition (September 26, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0471352950
• ISBN-13: 978-0471352952
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 9 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #135,145 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

34 of 34 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Must Have For Wine Lovers/Learners, June 25, 2001

By	"khamaeleon" (Seattle, WA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Exploring Wine: The Culinary Institute of America's Complete Guide to Wines of the World (Hardcover)

I cannot even begin to describe how fantastic this book is. I've been working in gourmet restaurants for about three years now and have checked out many books on wine to try and understand every nook and cranny of wines; most of the time I still felt a little confused. The way the book is organised helps you to easily understand every aspect of wine including the varietals (grapes), laws of appellations for each country and so much more. It's so easy and detailed to understand (studying is still required, trust me) and also uses graphs, maps and tables to make the information even more clear. Yes, the book can be considered a bit pricey, but if you are a student, in the industry or want to know more about your hobby, I can't think of a single reason why this wouldn't be a worthwhile investment. There are cheaper books out there, but the information they provide is no where near the quality you can get with this book; believe me, I've got a mini-wine library where most of the books will now be collecting dust because all the information I need is in this book.

Also recommended: The Oxford Companion to Wine (detailed definitions to wines, regions, etc...); Wine Lover's Companion (nice pocket guide for quick definitions to wine)

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Encyclopedic, informative, and loads of fun., March 18, 2002

By	Miles D. Moore (Alexandria, VA USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

If you're looking for a step-by-step guide to the winemaking process, or to the myriad types of wine the world offers, there's no better choice than "Exploring Wine." It's also a great resource for such arcana as the wine industry in Texas, the different estates of Pomerol or an exhaustive list of the prestige cuvees of the various champagne houses. "Exploring Wine" gives you all the minutiae of the history, business and esthetic properties of wine, without ever becoming dull. This being a production of the Culinary Institute of America, "Exploring Wine" even gives you detailed charts of recommended wine and food pairings, as well as sample menus pairing national cuisines with indigenous wines (including South Africa, South America and the Middle East as well as the different regions of France, Italy and California). There's also an informative chapter on the health benefits of wine. "Exploring Wine" is an invaluable resource for the dedicated enophile as well as the average reader with a casual, but real, interest in wine.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Liz, August 7, 2001

By	W. Hayden (Ft. Worth, TX USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Exploring Wine: The Culinary Institute of America's Complete Guide to Wines of the World (Hardcover)

Excellent source for wine knowledge. Provides information from growing to making to regional information about diffrent wines. Very good for general information to the enthusiastic ameteur or the professional.