The Wine Lover's Cookbook: Great Recipes for the Perfect Glass of Wine (Paperback)

by Sid Goldstein (Author), Paul Franz-Moore (Photographer), John Ash (Foreword) "The pairing of food and wine is a complex and highly inexact science..." (more)
Key Phrases: ingredients help connect, successful pairings result, represent the core ingredients, Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, Cabernet Sauvignon (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review
Which came first: the chicken or the Eglise-Clinet? Well, if you're a disciple of author Sid Goldstein--and you will be--you've had that Bordeaux decanted long before you even thought of shopping for those Cacciatore ingredients. And "wine-first" cooking is precisely what Goldstein--vice president and director of marketing communications at Mendocino, California's Fetzer Vineyards--so ably demonstrates in The Wine Lover's Cookbook, soon to become indispensable to anyone who has ever chosen the wine first and the groceries second. In 100 easy-to-follow-yet-impressive-as-heck recipes, Goldstein shows you how to exquisitely match the tastes and textures of wine varietals to food. In fact, if you want to find specific recipes, you have to look in the back index; the chapters themselves are divided into grape types! Serving a Chardonnay? Chapter 7's Spinach Fettuccine with Sea Bass and Lemongrass-Coconut Cream Sauce is seamless. Pinot Noir? Coffee-and-Spice-Rubbed Lamb with Coffee-Vanilla Sauce shouldn't work; and yet lamb marinated for hours in mint, pepper, red wine, freshly ground coffee beans, and rosemary, then grilled and sauced with a combination of honey, brewed coffee, shallots and vanilla bean--any one of which elements should have bullied a Russian River Pinot--provides a tightly woven hammock on which the wine can luxuriate.

Chapters discuss the grape variety and list "Base Ingredients"--the main medium of the dish (Game Hen and Rabbit are a couple for Sangiovese)--as well as "Bridge Ingredients"--those connectors of food and wine (Plums, Fennel, and Green Peppercorns among those for Syrah). This "wine-first" regimen is not without pitfalls: it's fine to decide that tonight is Riesling or Pinot night, but if you can't find radicchio or pomegranate, you might as well skip a few pages. Yet if you've ever been made to feel immoral by cookbooks that give you the recipe first, then deign to suggest a "perfect" wine pairing beyond your means, let Father Sid absolve you of all your Zins (or Merlots or Viogniers). After all, the Bible talks of wine 650 times; food barely rates a mention. Perhaps if they'd had The Wine Lover's Cookbook in the Garden of Eden, Adam wouldn't have wasted all that time trying to pair ribs and an apple with a Sauvignon Blanc. --Tony Mason

Review

In a simpler time, we knew that red wine was meant for meat and white was to be served with fish. But now, as explained in this handy cookbook and reference tool, all bets are off because so many influences are at play in transforming American cuisine into a global smorgasbord. Using color-coding, select recipes and ample photographs, Goldstein leads readers through food wine and pairing in a systematic fashion. Even as the database format of this book proves Goldstein to be an exacting connoisseur, the variety of these dishes show him to be a multicultural man for all seasonings as well.

 

In a simpler time, we knew that red wine was meant for meat and white was to be served with fish. But now, as explained in this handy cookbook and reference tool, all bets are off because so many influences are at play in transforming American cuisine into a global smorgasbord. Using color-coding, select recipes and ample photographs, Goldstein leads readers through food wine and pairing in a systematic fashion. Even as the database format of this book proves Goldstein to be an exacting connoisseur, the variety of these dishes show him to be a multicultural man for all seasonings as well. -- Publisher's Weekly

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Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Chronicle Books (May 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0811820718
• ISBN-13: 978-0811820714
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 8.2 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.9 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (25 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #194,763 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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• This item is part of The Wine Lover Series.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Pefect... absolutely perfect, March 19, 2004

By	ANT "azraelart" (Crofton, MD USA) - See all my reviews

What a remarkable discovery! It's one thing to find a book on wine, another to find a book on food, and something unheard of to find one book on both that so perfectly expresses the joys of marriage between food and beverage. This was a truly ingenious tome that belongs in every kitchen.

For those of you who are visually inclined, you might be a tad disappointed. Only some of the recipes include pictures. Still, considering the subject matter and the great plethora of facts, tidbits, and ideas, you are not missing out. Each type of wine (most if not all) is given a treatment, from a brief background, to what to expect in regards to flavors and aromas. From there, you are guided to the perfect food matches that complement and heighten those aspects of the wine (and vice versa).

Wine and food have long been enjoyed together. Sometimes, we miss out by not having the right wine with the right course. This is your guide, your Magellan for sailing the culinary world. I am so glad that I own this wonderful book. It made a great gift to me from a dear friend, I'm sure your friends would love a copy of it as well! A must-own!

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Joy of Food and Wine, May 22, 2000

By	Margaret Snook (Chile) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I've never seen a better book for learning to pair food and wine. After providing a thorough introduction to wine and food combinations, Sid Goldstein discusses the characteristics of each varietal in detail. Dedicating a chapter to each of some 14 wine types, he lists the different aromas and flavors typical of that wine, suggests foods and ingredients that will best complement it, indicates the regions that produce the best examples, and discusses the different styles found. I particularly appreciate that he concentrates on wine varietals, rather than vineyards or years, as many other wine books do. He then continues with a number of mouth-watering dishes ranging from appetizers to desserts suited for the wine. I have made many of these dishes and served them alongside the wines he suggests, and each has earned rave reviews. This book is sure to please anyone who loves good wine as much as they do great food.

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This is a very useful cookbook for cooks and wine lovers, August 19, 1999

By A Customer

I cook and my significant other collects wine. I found the recipes in this book to be tasty, relatively easy, and a good way to find out how to construct meals around specific wines. Or how to find the right wine for a meal. I particularly liked the explanations of what ingredients can create bridges with wine flavors. The author even gives spicy Indian and chili recipes which can work with the right wines. I hope the author is working on a second volume right now, and will offer some suggestions recipes for other wine varieties, particularly for red wines!