Unofficial Guide to Selecting Wine Book

The Unofficial Guide Reader's Bill of Rights.

About the Author.

The Unofficial Guide Panel of Experts.

Introduction.

I. Wine for Every Occasion.

1. Wine--What Are You Saving It For?

Two Camps of Wine Savers.

Gauge the Mood.

"Old Faithful" Wines.

Wine with Food.

Wine and Food Pairing 101.

For Every Food Action There Is a Wine Reaction.

Casual Family Dinner.

Barbeque.

Formal Dinner Party.

Dry Kosher Wines.

After-Dinner Options.

A Little Romance.

ABC Wines (Anything but Chardonnay).

Pick a Price Point.

What Makes a Wine So Expensive or So Cheap?

How You Can Find Value.

Just the Facts.

2. What's Your Style?

Red, White, or Rosé?

Sparkling Options.

Dry, Fruity, or Sweet?

Varietals Versus Blends.

Light-, Medium-, or Full-Bodied Wine.

Pick a Region.

The Label: Information or Information Overload?

Healthful Aspects of Wine.

Just the Facts.

3. How to Taste Wine.

Taste Sensations.

Sweet.

Sour.

Bitter.

Salt.

Umami: The New Taste Sensation.

Mouthfeel or Texture.

Revelations of Color.

The Five S's.

See.

Swirl.

Smell.

Sip.

Savor.

What Does Wine Taste Like?

Flavor Profiles of White Grapes.

Flavor Profiles of Red Grapes.

Expanding Your Wine Repertoire.

Just the Facts.

II. A Grass of White Wine, Please?

4. Classic French Whites.

Importance of Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée (AOC).

Alsace.

Loire Valley.

Bordeaux.

Graves.

Pessac-Léognan.

Burgundy.

Chablis.

Mâcconais.

Côte de Beaune.

Côte Châlonnaise.

Rhône Valley.

Just the Facts.

5. Noble German Whites.

Land of Riesling.

StrictControls.

Tafelwein.

Qualitätswein bestimmter Anbaugebiete.

Qualitätswein mit Prädikat.

Deciphering a Label.

Just the Facts.

6. American Whites.

Wine, Wine Everywhere.

American Viticultural Areas (AVAs)--American for AOC.

California.

North Coast.

North Central Coast.

South Central Coast.

Central Valley.

Sierra Foothills.

Jug Wines.

Varietals, California Style.

Chardonnay.

Sauvignon Blanc.

Viognier.

Gewürztraminer.

Pinot Blanc.

Riesling.

California Vintages.

The Pacific Northwest.

Washington State.

Oregon.

New York State and Long Island.

Just the Facts.

7. Old- and New-World Whites.

La Moda Italia.

Spain Updates Its "Old-World" Ways.

Portugal Beyond Port.

White Wines from the Outback.

New South Wales.

South Australia.

Victoria.

Western Australia.

Increasing Importance of Australian Appellations.

White Varietals Down Under.

Australian Vintages.

New Zealand's Best.

South American Whites.

Chile.

Chilean Joint Ventures.

Argentina.

South Africa.

Just the Facts.

III. Warming Up to Reds.

8. The French "Red" Standard.

The Return to Reds.

Red Burgundy Wines.

Beaujolais.

Côte d'Or.

Best of the Burgundies.

Côte Châlonnaise.

Bordeaux.

Official Classification of 1855.

Cru Bourgeois Values.

Classified Buying Strategy.

Top Graves.

The Best of Pomerol and St.-Émilion.

The Rhône Valley.

The Prestigious Northern Rhône.

Southern Rhône.

Values from Southern France.

Just the Facts.

9. U.S. Reds.

Easing into Reds, California Style.

Getting Your Arms Around California's Regions.

North Coast.

North Central Coast.

South Central Coast.

Central Valley.

Sierra Foothills.

Meritage Wines.

California Vintages.

Pacific Northwest.

Washington State.

Oregon.

New York State and Long Island.

Just the Facts.

10. Old- and New-World Reds.

From Italy with Love.

Quality Control, Italian Style.

Tuscany.

Chianti.

Brunello di Montalcino.

Vino Nobile di Montepulciono.

Carmignano.

Piedmont.

Veneto: Land of Valpolicella, Bardolino, and Amarone.

Other Italian Reds.

Olé for Spanish Reds.

Historic Rioja.

Age Matters.

Ribera del Duero.

Penedès.

Portugal Sees Red.

Australia.

Chile.

Argentina.

South Africa.

Just the Facts.

IV. All Blush and Bubbles.

11. Rosé or Blush Wine.

How and Where Rosés Are Made.

Sutter Home's "Overnight" Success.

French Rosé.

Loire Valley.

Provence.

Languedoc-Roussillon.

Rhône Valley (Tavel).

Spanish Rosado.

Italian Rosato.

How to Select and Serve Pink Wines.

Just the Facts.

12. Sparkle Plenty.

Champagne Versus Sparkling Wine.

How Champagne Is Made.

What Determines Style?

How to Read a Champagne Label.

How to Select Champagne.

Sparkling Alternatives.

United States.

Spain.

Italy.

Australia.

Storing and Serving Champagne.

How to Open Champagne and Sparkling Wine.

Just the Facts.

13. After-Dinner Delights.

Port from Oporto.

Wood Port.

Vintage Port.

How to Decant Port.

Port-Style Alternatives.

Sauternes and Barsac.

Other Dessert Wines from France.

Germany's Signature.

Late Harvest Wines from the United States.

Other Dessert Wine Options.

Australian "Stickies".

Italian Vin Santo.

Hungarian Tokay.

Just the Facts.

V. Buying and Ordering Wine.

14. Demystifying the Wine List.

A Note About Restaurant Markups.

Different Types of Wine Lists.

The Extended Wine List.

House Wine and Wines by the Glass.

Flights.

How to Read a Wine List.

Wine Lists by Region Versus Varietal.

Progressive Wine Lists.

How to Order Wine.

Need Help Navigating the List?

Sommelier, Cellarmaster, or Server?

Flying Solo.

The Most Basic Wine List Survival Technique for Safety.

How the Wine Savvy Cut to the Chase.

Getting a Grip on the Wine Ritual.

When to Send Wine Back and How to Do It.

Just the Facts.

15. How to Find a Good Wine Merchant.

What to Look For in the Store and in the People.

Building a Relationship with Your Wine Merchant.

Returning Bad Bottles.

A Note About Retail Markups.

Buying Strategies.

Cheaper by the Dozen.

Wine Futures.

The Pros and Cons of Buying Direct.

How to Start a Wine Collection.

Buying at Auction.

Auction Strategies.

Special Tips for Selling at Auction.

Wine Auction Houses and Retailers.

Wine Advisers.

Just the Facts.

VI. Entertaining with Wine.

16. Crowd Pleasers.

Business Entertaining.

Business Protocol for Wine.

Price as a Consideration.

Dinner Party.

Brunch.

Banquets: Weddings, Anniversaries, Bar Mitzvahs and Bat Mitzvahs.

Dealing with Banquet Directors.

Catering Wine Options.

Wine Service at Banquets.

What to Buy for an Event and How Much.

The Mechanics of Setting Up Wine Service at Home.

Entertaining Recipes.

Organizing a Wine-Tasting Party.

Just the Facts.

VII. How to Serve and Store Wine.

17. Essential Tools and Tricks.

Extracting the Cork.

Double-Winged Opener.

Waiter's Corkscrew.

Pulltap's.

Screwpull.

Ah-So.

Troubleshooting Cork Catastrophes.

Serving Temperature.

Proper Stemware.

How to Decant Wine.

Break Open the Bubbly.

How to Save Leftovers.

Vacu-Vin.

Private Preserve.

Cruvinet.

Le Verre de Vin.

Storing Wine at Home.

Just the Facts.

A. Glossary.

B. Resource Guide.

C. Recommended Reading.

D. Entertainment Wine Service Cheat Sheets.

E. Wine on the Web.