Champagne for Dummies (Paperback)

~ (Author) "When I visit my local wine store and glance at the $30.00 domestic sparkling wine section with its bottles boldly labeled "Champagne," I always have..." (more)
Key Phrases: great blanc, biscuity flavors, disgorgement date, United States, Vintage Champagne, Veuve Clicquot (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

What's the difference between brut and extra dry? Is Vintage Champagne worth the extra money? How good are Champagne-style sparkling wines from California? If you find shopping for Champagne a challenge, try the fun, friendly, pretense-free guide Champagne For Dummies and find out just how easy it is to select the perfect bottle of bubbly.

Discover how to

• Appreciate various Champagne styles
• Store and serve Champagnes
• Pair Champagne with food
• Evaluate sparkling wines from the United States and other countries

With complete coverage of 25 great Champagne houses, you can enjoy the author's favorite Champagnes. Here's what French Champagne-house Director Christian Pol-Roger had to say about Author Ed McCarthy and Champagne For Dummies:
"A spiritual man, lover and devotee of Champagne, and one who expresses this passion with great talent. Magical words, effervescent phrases, and fizzy formulas celebrate a wine bubbling with crazy ideas. I raise my glass to Ed McCarthy to thank him for evoking his ebullience for Champagne with such humor."

Celebrate the new millennium with the crisp, classic, delicate elegance of Champagne For Dummies!

From the Back Cover

Praise for Champagne For Dummies "A spiritual man, lover and devotee of Champagne, and one who expresses this passion with great talent. Magical words, effervescent phrases, and fizzy formulas celebrate a wine bubbling with crazy ideas. I raise my glass to Ed McCarthy to thank him for evoking his ebullience for Champagne with such humor." — Christian Pol-Roger, Director General, Pol Roger & Cie.

Complete coverage of 25 great Champagne houses

Baffled by bubbly? Let wine expert Ed McCarthy clear away any confusion. What's the difference between brut and extra dry? Is Vintage Champagne worth the extra money? How good are Champagne-style sparkling wines from California? If you find shopping for Champagne a challenge, try this fun and friendly guide — and discover just how easy it is to select the perfect bottle of bubbly.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: For Dummies; 1 edition (October 27, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0764552163
• ISBN-13: 978-0764552168
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.4 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #181,805 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Are there only American Dummies passioned by Champagne??, August 28, 2005

By	Melchizedec "Melchizedec" (Brussels, Belgium) - See all my reviews

Although the book gives a good overview about 'le' and 'la' Champagne, I think it's a little bit too focused on the US market (hence the title of my review). I think it's certainly interesting to give an impression about the US market (and others!) but I would have preferred it in a separate chapter.

Also, I definitely consider the storage temperature indicated in the concerning chapter on storing and serving champagne to be too high!. For not-vintage champagnes this might not be that relevant, but storing a more expensive (and complex!) prestige cuvee at 59 F can (and will probably) destroy many of the deliscious aromas of the wine (FYI: for prolonged storage chamagne should be store between 50F/10C and 54F/12C). This kind of critical information SHOULD be correct!!

I would also have preferred some more outspoken opinions and personal tastes, and less diplomatic opinions (I know it helps when calling a big house for some tasting bottles but it is less interesting for the readers), in my opinion to many wines have been denominated as '... this is my preferred rose champagne!..." (how many preferred ones can you have?).

For the starting and non-professional champagne devotees, I would more recommend the books by Tom Stevenson, Richard Juhlin and Maggie Mcnie. Although those books are more comprehensive, they all have a better introductory chapter on the history, production, area, grapes and ... storage conditions.

12 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Celebrate with this book!, October 26, 2000

By	Lisa Shea "LisaShea.com" - See all my reviews (TOP 10 REVIEWER)

The "Dummies" series is well known for its easy to read text, clear diagrams, and well marked tips. The "Champagne for Dummies" is a welcome addition to the group! The text and graphics help make the ins and outs of Champagne clear to anyone interested in this fun, bubbly drink.

The book goes through a background of the drink, the history and legends, and then settles into the meaty material. It gives an overview of the four regions of Champagne - Montagne de Reims, Cote des Blancs, Vallee de la Marne, and the Aube (or Cote des Bar). It describes how the vineyards are classified by quality. Unlike some other regions, the last classification was done as recently as 1985. There are 17 Grand Cru vineyards and 40 Premiere Crus. Most wineries use grapes from a variety of vineyards; only the smaller wineries can typically claim to have grapes from only Grand Cru or Premiere Cru vineyards.

"Champagne for Dummies" goes deeply into what Mr. McCarthy has selected as the top 25 Champagne houses. This section is so detailed that it is broken into two chapters. Each house is described fully, with notes on the history of the house, current situation, and best buys to watch for.

The book describes what other growers, cooperatives, and organizations exist in the world of Champagne. It goes over the role each plays in getting the Champagne into the hands of the consumer.

Then the all important hands-on information is given. Be sure to buy Champagne from a shop with quick sales, so you can get the wine fresh. This helps ensure it has not suffered heat problems while waiting for your purchase. Buy from a temperature controlled shop, and don't buy at the end of the summer, where the wine was delivered and held during the hotter months. Also, don't store your wine in the fridge for more than a few weeks. This can harm Champagne, or any wine for that matter.

Champagne should be served in narrow flute glasses, at around 45 - 48F. It goes well with shellfish, oysters, and with light cheeses.

Information is given on visiting the Champagne region of France, giving advice on where to stay and where to eat. At the end, some details are given on non-French sparkling wines - the sparklers from California and Australia, Asti from Italy, and Cava from Spain. The book ends with a directory of Champagne wineries, a vintage chart, and glossary.

I enjoy the Wine Dummies series a great deal. This one would definitely be a great help for someone wishing to learn more about Champagne!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Reference: All About Champagne, March 8, 2005

By	ChampagneSipper (Boise, ID USA) - See all my reviews

This book ain't just for dummies! It's a rather comprehensive overview of champagne--how and where it's made and different styles and price ranges, with good information on serving and food pairing. I continue to reference this book before I give champagne tastings, and continue to come away with something new.
Alot of information for the price, without any snobbery. Highly Recommended!