Mary Ewing-Mulligan

You generally know what you are getting with the "Dummies" series. No fancy illustrations or photographs (though 7 icons with various meanings: Real Deal, Remember, Worth the Search, Snob Alert, etc. I have always found these books well written by experts and unpretentious. While I may not like the look of the generic yellow covers, I appreciate the fact that the bland appearance and lack of high production values of these books keeps the price down. When I've looked to boost my knowledge on a computer program (Microsoft Access, Quickbooks) I was never averse to buying a Dummies book, whatever that implied about my subject matter knowledge, or lack thereof. But wine? Was I prepared to declare myself an ignoramus, on this particular subject no less, one that prides itself on a certain snobbish appeal. While yes! And I am glad I did. Certified Wine Educator Ed McCarthy and Master of Wine Mary Ewing-Milligan walk you through the comprehensive world of wine, introducing you to the basics but then quickly diving in deep on particular important wine producing countries and regions. When you've completed this book, which is a surprisingly quick read, not only will you have a lot of great tips on particular wines to try, you'll also be equipped with new knowledge of where to buy wine at a good price, how to cellar and age it properly, how best to handle ordering it in a store or restaurant, and a lot more. And best of all, these two authors, while clearly fonts of knowledge and lovers of wine, also realize at the end of the day this is just fermented grape juice. They want to educate, but at the end of the day they want you to relax and enjoy and not take it all too seriously. Exactly the same philosophy of the Dummies series.… (mais)

I don’t want to suggest that the title is any way a misnomer. Most book-browsers here in the U. S. are well aware of the Dummies series — and I’m no exception. This was, however, the first time I actually read one exemplar of this yellow and black series — and I did so because the read, while not obligatory, was decidedly job-related.

What I can and will say is that I came to the book with what I thought was a fairly comprehensive knowledge of wine, having gotten the oenophile’s equivalent of a bachelor’s over the course of a decade in Europe, followed by half a dozen trips to Argentina and Chile — not to mention to California. Hence, I considered myself to be fairly literate in both Old and New World wines (pace Washington State and Oregon). This first-person experience was subsequently followed by a couple of jobs in some quite respectable wine outlets here in Brooklyn — and I recently undertook a third.

But back to WINE (All-in-One) FOR DUMMIES. The book (or five books in one) would appear to have been assiduously researched by people who know what they’re talking about, and their prose is eminently readable. Can you absorb it all in one reading? If you can, you’re a better (wo)man than I! In fact, I suspect I’ll have to read it at least twice more. Will I then be an expert in matters of wine, wine production and wine consumption? Certainly not. The universe of wine is expanding — not to say exploding! — at a pace that defies the simple oenophile’s ability to keep up with it. And while I can think of few more pleasurable endeavors in life, this is a pleasure that demands self-education.

In short, WINE (All-in One) FOR DUMMIES is not only worth the dollar cost of the investment, but also worth the far more costly (but rewarding) investment of time. If you have any ambition to understand wine beyond the basics of red, white, rosé and bubbly, this book should take its rightful place in your library to serve not only as centurion and scholar, both also as poet and warrior. In short, it should become your vade mecum for as long as you desire to savor (and understand) some of the best of what this planet has to offer.


RRB
12/11/13
Brooklyn, NY
[a:Russell Bittner|2941642|Russell Bittner|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/authors/1342066059p2/2941642.jpg]… (mais)