Windows on the World Wine Course: 2002 Edition: A Lively Guide (Hardcover)

by Kevin Zraly (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review
Quick, what's the correct way to open a wine bottle? Bonus round: what are the 13 grape types permitted in Chateauneuf-du-Pape?

Whatever your score on the above, you're bound to enjoy the Windows on the World Complete Wine Course. Subtitled Millennium Edition, this 14th annual update is again authored by Kevin Zraly, founder and teacher of the Wine School, begun in 1976 as an offshoot of New York's Windows on the World restaurant. On 200 colorful and clutter-free pages full of maps, wine labels, and sidebars full of facts and anecdotes, Zraly acts as your Sherpa through eight classes. Chapters 1 through 3 circumnavigate the white wines of France, the New World, and Germany; 4 through 8 explore the reds of France, California, Iberia, Australia, and South America, concluding with a section on champagne, port, and sherry.

As wine guru, Kevin Zraly is opinionated, knowledgeable, and patient. His skill at talking novice wine devotees off the ledge is especially evident in the chapters on Burgundy and Germany, with their notoriously confusing wine labels. Study Zraly's careful parsing and annotation of a German label and you'll be able to tell the region from the town from the vineyard the next time someone hands you a Mosel-Saar-Ruwer Ürziger Würzgarten Riesling Spätlese.

But any book that calls itself a "Complete Wine Course" sets the Barbera pretty high--sometimes too high. Oregon and Washington States share one page while New York State rates two and a half. Certainly a millennium edition could scare up another paragraph for the red-hot Pacific Northwest. And two chapters following the classes--"Creating an Exemplary Restaurant Wine List" and "Award-Winning Wine Lists"--seem little more than padding.

But these are small quibbles about a handsome and approachable volume that will take you from Amarone to Zind-Humbrecht with confidence. Whether you're a true cork dork or someone who doesn't know their Alsace from their elbow, you could certainly do worse than pressing your nose up against these windows on the world. --Tony Mason --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal
Zraly, founder and teacher of the Windows on the World Wine School, presents the 14th update of his popular guide to the world of wine. Originally published in 1985, Zraly's book was designed for students, which is reflected in the treatment of each chapter as a class: "white wines of France," "red wines of California," and so on. A loose question-and-answer format prevails, and Zraly also provides a generous sprinkling of entertaining sidebars and informational tidbits. Even collections with Philip Seldon's The Complete Idiot's Guide to Wine (Alpha, 1996) or Ed McCarthy and Mary Ewing-Mulligan's Wine for DummiesR (IDG, 1998) should consider Zraly's bookAeach of these titles has its own strengths. Zraly offers more detail on Chilean and Argentinean wines, while the other two titles offer information on Portuguese wines not found in Zraly's book. For the restaurant owner or wine steward, Zraly also offers information on creating a wine list. Recommended for medium and large public libraries or any academic library where culinary arts titles are collected.AJohn Charles, Scottsdale P.L., AZ
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 224 pages
• Publisher: Sterling; 2002 edition (December 31, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0806976497
• ISBN-13: 978-0806976495
• Product Dimensions: 10.3 x 8.4 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,052,136 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Easy to understand and read, loaded with useful information!, June 29, 2001

By	Agustin Devoto "agus" (San Antonio, Texas USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Windows On the World Complete Wine Course: 2001 Edition: A Lively Guide (Hardcover)

I just finished reading the book last night and I was blown away by how much I learned from it. Zraly's style of writing is very easy to understand as well as fun to read. The book covers the main wine growing regions of the world, as well as the wines grown in each region, types of grapes, some interesting anecdotes and what wines to pair with what food. I truly think Zraly went the extra mile on this book to make sure that just about every question a beginner to wine might have is answered. After reading the book, every time you walk down the wine aisle of your local grocery shop, you will have a very good grasp of the endless brands, and types of wines that are available today. I was truly impressed by the information in this book and the way it was presented. I strongly recommend this book to anyone that wants to learn about this wonderful subject. If the book worth 3 times as much, I would still say it's a bargain considering how much restaurant wine courses cost. Buy it and you wont be dissapointed.

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best Wine Book, November 6, 2001

By	Michael Casey "Michael" (Atlanta, GA United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I have been reading this regularly published book for over ten years. Zraly makes the fundamentals of wine easy to understand and fun to read. His writing is lively and entertaining and his worldwide knowledge of wine is astounding. As an aside, I was very happy to hear that Zraly was not at Windows on the World at the time of the terrorist attack, but the wonderful restaurant lost many great employees. Windows on the World incorporated wine into dining in ways no other restaurant could match, and Zraly's expertise was the reason.

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great introductory wine book, September 28, 1999

By	Thomas Smith (Bentonville, AR USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Windows on the World Complete Wine Course (Paperback)

Kevin's book is great in that it is short and concise, yet at the same time covers practically every wine making region and wine type and also offers recommendations for wine/food combinations and good vintage years. The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars was because of the fact it was published in the early 80's...it's a little outdated on recommending good vintage years (at least for my pocketbook). It also has a chapter for selecting wines for a restaurant...great if you're a restauranteur, but not very useful if you buy wine for personal consumption. Other than that, highly recommended.