Wine All-in-One For Dummies

An all-inclusive, easy-to-use primer to all things wine Want to learn about wine, but don't know where to start? Wine All-In-One For Dummies provides comprehensive information about the basics of wine in one easy-to-understand volume. Combining the bestselling Wine For Dummies with our regional and specific wine titles, this book gives you the guidance you need to understand, purchase, drink and enjoy wine. You'll start at the beginning as you discover how wine is made. From there you'll explore grape varieties and vineyards, read labels and wine lists, and discover all the nuances of tasting wine. You'll see how to successfully store wine and serve it to your guests-and even build up an impressive collection of wine. Plus, you'll find suggestions for perfect food pairings and complete coverage on wines from around the world. Features wine tasting, serving, storing, collecting, and buying tips, all in a single authoritative volume Includes information on California wines, as well as other domestic and foreign locations including the US, Canada, France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Germany, Austria, Hungary, Greece, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Chile, and Argentina. Helps you choose the best vintage for your needs Also covers champagne, sherry, and port wine Ed McCarthy and Mary Ewing-Mulligan are the authors of seven Dummies books on wine including the bestselling Wine For Dummies, 4th Edition, other contributing authors are recognized wine experts and journalists in Australia, New Zealand, and Canada Whether you're a wine novice or a budding sommelier, Wine All-In-One For Dummies is the one guide you need on your shelf to make your wine experience complete.

Introduction 1 Book I: Understanding Wine 7 Chapter 1: From Vine to Bottle: The Hows and Wines 9 Chapter 2: Getting Familiar with Wine Tastes and Names 25 Chapter 3: Buying Wine 41 Chapter 4: Getting the Cork Out (And All That Comes After): Serving Wine 57 Chapter 5: For Slurps and Gurgles: Tasting and Describing Wine 73 Chapter 6: Pairing Food and Wine 87 Chapter 7: Ordering Wine When You’re Dining Out 93 Chapter 8: The Urge to Own: Collecting Wine 105 Book II: France: A Wine Superstar 119 Chapter 1: French Wine Today 121 Chapter 2: Exploring Bordeaux’s Range 137 Chapter 3: Burgundy, Queen of France 163 Chapter 4: Beaujolais, the Fun Red 185 Chapter 5: Robust Rhône Reds and Unique Whites 193 Chapter 6: Champagne: The World’s Greatest Sparkling Wine 213 Chapter 7: Other Wine Regions of France 231 Book III: Italy: Small but Mighty 259 Chapter 1: The Big Picture of Italian Wine 261 Chapter 2: Perusing Piedmont’s Wines 275 Chapter 3: Finding Sparkling Wines and More in North-Central Italy 303 Chapter 4: Northeastern Italy: Where Whites Rule 317 Chapter 5: Tuscany: Checking Out Chianti and Other Tuscan Reds 341 Chapter 6: Getting Acquainted with Central Italy’s Wines 361 Chapter 7: Southern Italy: “The Land of Wine” 379 Chapter 8: Sicily and Sardinia: Focusing on Quality 397 Book IV: California and Elsewhere in North America 411 Chapter 1: Introducing California Wines 413 Chapter 2: California’s Major Wine Regions: An Overview 421 Chapter 3: Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, and Sparkling Wines 443 Chapter 4: California’s Standout Red Wines 461 Chapter 5: Major Wine Regions in the Rest of North America 495 Book V: Australia and New Zealand: Powerhouses of the Southern Hemisphere 507 Chapter 1: Australian and New Zealand Wines: A Success Story 509 Chapter 2: New South Wales: Home to Established Wineries and Upstarts 515 Chapter 3: Taking In the Diverse Range of Wines from Victoria and Tasmania 527 Chapter 4: The Wine Regions of South and South West Australia 549 Chapter 5: New Zealand’s Islands and Their Wines 573 Book VI: And More Wine Regions! 585 Chapter 1: Intriguing Wines from Old Spain 587 Chapter 2: Portugal: Port Wine and Beyond 601 Chapter 3: Finding Little-Known Treasures in Greece 611 Chapter 4: A Sampling of Wines from Germany, Austria, and Hungary 615 Chapter 5: From South America to South Africa: Rounding Out the Top Wine Nations 625 Index 635