Wine Secrets : Advice From Winemakers, Sommeliers, and Connoisseurs

Inside Tips from Top Wine Experts Michael Mondavi, Jacques Pépin, Gina Gallo, and Kevin Zraly are just four of the contributors to Wine Secrets —a compilation of tips and tricks from today’s top wine experts, with advice on everything from buying and tasting to cooking and pairing. Readers will discover: • How to find the best wines by sticking to the classics • How to judge whether a wine is “good” • How to act like you know what you’re doing when ordering wine • How to guesstimate wine style from packaging clues • How to taste wine like a pro • And much, much more! MuPDF error: syntax error: invalid key in dict MuPDF error: syntax error: invalid key in dict MuPDF error: syntax error: invalid key in dict MuPDF error: syntax error: invalid key in dict MuPDF error: syntax error: invalid key in dict MuPDF error: syntax error: invalid key in dict MuPDF error: syntax error: invalid key in dict MuPDF error: syntax error: invalid key in dict MuPDF error: syntax error: invalid key in dict Table of Contents 5 Introduction 9 CHAPTER 1: WINE BASICS 12 Winemaking: How Sweet Grape Juice Becomes Dry Wine 13 White vs. Red Wine: Differences Run More Than Skin Deep 18 Grape Varieties: One Grape Species, Many Varietals 21 Sunshine and Wine Style: How Climate Affects Body and Flavor 24 Terroir, or the “Taste of the Place”: Why Region Matters in Wine 29 Understanding Oak: The Role of Barrels in Winemaking 33 Old World/New World: Differences in Philosophy and Flavor 37 CHAPTER 2: WINE TASTING 44 How to Taste Wine Like a Pro 45 How to Find Words for Wine’s Elusive Aromas 50 How to Determine Whether a Wine Is Dry 54 How to Detect and Make Sense of Acidity in Wine 58 How to Assess Body in Wine (and Why It Matters) 62 How to Get a Grip on Tannin in Red Wines 66 How to Judge Whether a Wine Is “Good” 70 CHAPTER 3: WINE SHOPPING 74 How to Get Started in Wine Stores 75 How to Relate to Your Wine Retailer 78 How to Guesstimate Wine Style from Packaging Clues 82 How to Decide Which Wines Are Ready to Drink 87 How to Compare Corks and Screw Caps, Bottles and Boxes 91 How to Find Values by Stepping Off the Beaten Track 95 How to Find the Best Wines by Sticking to the Classics 99 CHAPTER 4: WINE AND FOOD PAIRING 104 How to Get Started Pairing Wine and Food 105 How to Pair More Gracefully by Choosing Light-Bodied Wines 109 How to Find Delicious Combinations by “Matching” Colors 113 How to Understand Umami—The Famous “Fifth Taste” 118 How to Pair Wine with Challenging Vegetables 122 How to Choose Wines for Foods with a Spicy Kick 126 How to Pair with Sweet Dessert Wines 129 CHAPTER 5: WINE IN RESTAURANTS 134 How to Gauge a Restaurant’s Wine Savvy 135 How to Act Like You Know What You’re Doing When Ordering Wine 140 How to Get the Best Wine Advice in Restaurants 145 How to Pick Wines for Multicourse Meals 149 How to Choose Wines for a Large Party 153 How, When, and Why to Send Back a Bottle of Wine 157 CHAPTER 6: WINE AT HOME 162 How to Preserve Open Wine (Yes, You Can Freeze It) 163 How to Serve and Store Wine at the Right Temperature 167 How to Choose an All-Purpose Wineglass 171 How to Use Leftover Wine in the Kitchen 175 How to Safely Open a Bottle of Champagne 178 How to Get a Handle on Mature Wines 182 Index 187 A 187 B 187 C 187 D 187 E 188 F 188 G 188 H 188 I 188 K 188 L 188 M 188 N 188 O 188 P 188 Q 189 R 189 S 189 T 190 U 190 V 190 W 190 Y 190 Z 190 Acknowledgments 191 About the Author 192 Inside Tips from Top Wine Experts Michael Mondavi, Jacques Pépin, Gina Gallo, and Kevin Zraly are just four of the contributors to Wine Secrets —a compilation of tips and tricks from today’s top wine experts, with advice on everything from buying and tasting to cooking and pairing. Readers will discover: • How to find the best wines by sticking to the classics • How to judge whether a wine is “good” • How to act like you know what you’re doing when ordering wine • How to guesstimate wine style from packaging clues • How to taste wine like a pro • And much, much more! Forty of the world's top wine experts share the tricks, techniques and wisdom they've learned through decades of experience