Secrets from the Wine Diva: Tips on Buying, Ordering & Enjoying Wine Book

Wine expert Christine Ansbacher has some enviable clients: they include  both corporate icons such as American Express, as well as cultural giants like The New York Philharmonic. Why? Because she’s fun and passionate about wine…and eager to share extensive knowledge so that ordinary wine drinkers (not just elite oenophiles) can get more pleasure from their glass. Here she reveals her smart secrets that everyone who loves wine ought to know—including how to make a $10 Cabernet taste like a $30 bottle; how to determine a fair price for a bottle of wine at a restaurant; and how to avoid the dreaded “red wine headache.” She also answers some common questions, including “What wine do you recommend with Chinese food?” Buying wine, storing wine, going on a “wine vacation”, reading the label, ordering in restaurants: all that, and more, is covered in language as sparkling as fine champagne. This Diva is a delight!

Ann Weber Copyright 2007 Reed Business Information - Library Journal

Ansbacher's statement in the first few pages of this book that "Secrets from the Wine Divais for wine drinkers, not wine thinkers," clearly expresses the purpose and scope of this work. Wine consumers who just enjoy having a glass of wine but aren't interested in analyzing the beverage will find the book useful and refreshing. A certified wine educator, Ansbacher began her wine career accidentally when her job as a personal assistant to a philanthropist required that she keep his wine cellar stocked. Wine became a passion: she earned a Diploma of Wine & Spirits (DWS) and took her place among only 75 DWS professionals in the United States. She was named the "Wine Diva" because she conducted wine tastings with a dramatic flair. The author describes popular varietals, labeling them as light, medium, or heavyweight, while discussing menu items in order to achieve good pairings. She suggests easy-to-remember tips for selecting good wines at reasonable prices in restaurants, wine shops, and supermarkets. This is a small book that will be popular in bookstores; the non-standard size will be difficult to label and more difficult to keep straight on shelves in libraries. Recommended for public libraries where Ansbacher is known.