The World’s Greatest Wine Estates: A Modern Perspective Over the past twenty-five years, renowned critic Robert M. Parker, Jr., has visited both legendary and fledgling wineries all over the world and has tasted hundreds of thousands of wines. Only a fraction of those wines have earned his highest ratings and are considered by him to be truly legendary. In his latest book, Parker brings together what he calls “the best of the best,” taking readers on a personal tour of the wineries that have impressed him most with their dedication to quality, consistency, and excellence.

The World’s Greatest Wine Estates pays homage to exceptional wines and the exceptional people who make them. These lavishly illustrated pages showcase 175 of the world’s most accomplished — and most spectacular — estates. Parker goes be-yond the labels, bottles, and ratings to present the land, the history, and the dedicated artisans practicing their craft. Though they form a wildly diverse group, all of these producers “share an inexhaustible commitment to their vineyards, a passion to produce as fine a wine as is humanly possible, and a vision that the joys of wine are infinite and represent the pinnacle of a civilized society.”

Parker begins with an overview of what makes a wine great — the ability to please both the palate and the intellect, to offer intense aromas and flavors without heaviness, to improve with age, to reflect its place of origin as well as the skill of its producers — and explains how he came to choose the profound wines he features here. He also offers insider tips for ordinary wine-lovers who want to get their hands on extraordinary bottles.

The heart of the book contains profiles of the greatest estates of Argentina, Australia, Austria, France, Germany, Italy, Portugal, Spain, and the United States. Each region is illustrated with a full-color map and accompanied by an introduction explaining the general wine history of the country. In his profiles of individual estates, Parker offers essential geographical information such as grape varietals, average age of the vines, and density of plantation; details about the estate’s history and techniques and the wines it produces; visiting information for those who want to see the process up close; and tasting notes on the best recent vintages from each winery. Each profile also includes photographs of the vineyards and the people behind the wines, and labels from their best-known vintages.

Complete with a list of up-and-coming wineries (”Future Stars”) and a glossary of wine terms, The World’s Greatest Wine Estates is a very special reference for amateurs and connoisseurs alike.

Customer Review: Great gift
My husband loves to research wine - this book was a highlight of Christmas! Thick book - well-researched.
Customer Review: Good for beginners too
There’s much in this book that would fly over the head of a novice, but for someone interested in getting to know Bordeaux - really get to know Bordeaux - this is a great introduction (if you want to spend the money). Color photos demonstrate the beauty of the chateaux, and there is a wealth of information here. What vintages were considered good at what estate and why - that’s one of the most important things a novitiate can learn, and one of the most difficult to pick up on the fly. Here it all is for everyone…even the seasoned pros.

The Wine and Food Lover’s Diet: 28 Days of Delicious Weight Loss Eat good food, drink a little wine, lose weight! Sounds too good to be true? Not with The Wine and Food Lover’s Diet. Created by a sports doctor with a background in nutrition, this is a diet that combines healthful eating with a love of eating. Imagine a meal of bacon-topped arugula salad, pecan-crusted chicken paired with the perfect glass of wine, and closing with chocolate souffl or some ice cream and a cup of coffee and then, even better, looking at the decrease on the scales the next morning. Dr. Phillip Tirman’s 28-day plan sheds the pounds and the diet angst. He knows that most diets fail because they’re based on restricting the foods everyone loves the most and they’re impractical for today’s busy lifestyles. So he has developed a lifetime eating plan based on satisfaction, not deprivation. The key to feeling slimmer and healthier? It’s the surefire combo that is the foundation of the diet: one protein + two low-glycemic carbs = success. Using this formula, Dr. Tirman has created a menu plan to jump-start weight loss. He clearly and simply describes why high-glycemic carbs promote weight gain, while low-glycemic carbs do the opposite. Included are handy lists of beneficial Savvy Carbs and Super Savvy Carbs, which make it easy to tailor the diet to anyone’s tastes plus 100 really delicious recipes with wine pairing suggestions, illustrated in full color. There’s also clear advice for choosing take-out foods, for selecting diet-friendly restaurant dishes, and for using the diet to lose weight or simply to keep off the pounds already lost. The Wine and Food Lover’s Diet is the ultimate key to a healthier, fuller, longer, and more satisfying life.
Customer Review: Same ol High Protein Diet
I was really disappointed with this book and sent it back. I was hoping for a book that was about having balance, eating healthy but not depriving yourself. Instead, this book is the same old song about eating loads and loads of protein. There are absolutely NO carbs in any of the recipes (unless you count your veggies). This just isnt realistic. Power to you people who can follow Atkins, but our brains need glucose in order to function optimally - I know I do! Dont buy this if you’re hoping for a balanced diet - this is not. I give two stars because the recipes look good and are presented well.
Customer Review: not my type
This book has set diet menus and recipes instead of what I was looking for, a guide line for how to plan and carry out your own diet preference.

The Home Wine Cellar: A Complete Guide To Design And Construction Finally, the most informative, fully illustrated, step-by-step guide to designing and building your own home wine cellar! This beautifully photographed and illustrated full-color book covers all of the details of locating and preparing the right construction area. It includes the latest designs, as well as up-to-date racking and organization styles and techniques. Perhaps most important, this book addresses all the thorny challenges of temperature and humidity control–just where most home wine cellars fail. Having a wine cellar is a hot trend among homeowners, and contractors throughout the country are including them in new construction. This copiously illustrated hammer and nails book is by far the best DIY guide available.
Customer Review: the best book on the subject
The negative reviews here mystify me. This is a wonderfully illustrated book, that covers the details - such as the requirements for exterior walls - that other books miss.
Customer Review: If I have never heard of wine or a wine cellar, this book might have been helpful
I am planning to build a 2,000 bottle cellar myself and have found the published literature on the subject inadequate. After purchasing this book, I am no better off than I was prior to reading it. The book is so general that unless you do not know what wine is, it will tell you almost nothing you do not already know. It spends an inordinate amount of time discussing things like how to install and use a wine cooler. I own two wine coolers already and I assume almost everyone planning a wine cellar knows what a wine cooler is and how to turn one on. It spends a bunch of time on wine drinking, selection and pouring which is not what anyone buying this book is looking for. It also spends time discussing how to put shelves in a closet or under stairs, all of which is common sense. I need help on what type of vapor barrier to buy, how thick the studs should be, what is the best lighting to use, what coolers are best, what insulation will handle moisture the best, how to level a basement floor prior to installing tile, what types of wall finishes are best, what wood is best for racks, what stain is best, what themometers and humidity sensors are best, most efficient and best looking floor plans, etc. This book offers no solutions to the real issues with building a cellar. I found more real information doing a few hours of web blog searches than I found in the same amount of time reading this book. I found the Richard Gold book on the subject much more informative even though it focuses on passive cellars and has no pretty color pictures.

The Wine Maker’s Answer Book (Answer Book (Storey)) Home winemaking is an appealing hobby for a new generation of wine lovers lured by the promise of a great payoff — small batches of handmade wine. It’s the perfect opportunity to experiment with flavors, have fun playing with chemistry, and share a few tasty bottles with friends and family. But safely fermenting, bottling, and aging wine is a demanding process requiring special equipment, impeccable sanitation, an understanding of chemical reactions, and the patience to see the aging process through to the end. No matter how experienced the home winemaker, unforeseen questions develop with every batch of new wine.

When a winemaker has problems with leaky corks or finds an oily film on top of his fermenting wine, what’s the simplest, quickest way to get an answer? The Wine Maker’s Answer Book is a 24/7 helpline with advice on hundreds of winemaking dilemmas. From the basic curiosity of the novice (What equipment will I need to get started?) to the finer points of fermentation (What is the impact of malolactic fermentation on acidity?), every step of the process is covered in detail.

Author Alison Crowe uses a friendly question-and-answer format to explain the mysteries of turning grape juice into wine, whether the reader is beginning with fresh grapes or a home winemaking kit. To the straightforward requests for information, she offers detailed descriptions of procedures and equipment. For stickier real-life problems, she first carefully assesses the possible causes and then gives expert advice on fixing the trouble.

Covering the entire range of situations a winemaker is likely to face, this handy, at-a-glance reference will make every batch of wine taste better.
Customer Review: Nice QA book
This is a nice book that will answer questions for those interested in home winemaking as well small scale wineries.
Customer Review: In your face gobs of jammy knowledge
This book has the answers!

And not only that, it gives the answers in a concise, readable, erudite format that speaks to all levels of expertise. Professional vintners will benefit from having such a broad compendium of the science of wine, and neophyte oenophiles will rejoice in the practical and esoteric aspects of making and appreciating wine. Ms. Crowe is the calm voice of reason when discussing the excesses and intricacies of wine, and waxes lyrical about the culture and joy that can be found in the alchemy used to turn grape to ambrosia.

Wine, Tarts, & Sex From the New York Times bestselling author whose torrid tales are “legendary” (Robin Shone) comes another steamy story-set in the kitchen.

World-renowned chef Jake Chambers could have had any ingžnue he wanted in California since the kitchen isn’t the only room in the house where the hard-bodied hunk has special talents. Still, when he realized there might be more to life than glitz and silicone, he left for Minneapolis to buy a local joint and try to clear his head.

But even though he’s no longer serving the glitterati, that doesn’t mean he’s about to compromise quality and serve a Minnesota wine. However, local vintner Liv Bell-with curves even more delicious than his tapas-has other plans once she lays eyes on this Adonis. Determined to promote her vineyard’s juicy bounty, this sun-kissed goddess might just bring Jake around to at least tasting what she has to offer.
Customer Review: Very Hot
I purchased this book for my wife. She said that it was very well written and very hot.
Customer Review: I am in the process of reading this book….
and quite frankly, I am having trouble finishing.
I LOVE Susan Johnson’s historical romances. They are always well developed, hot and steamy. I love her historic novels so much that I purchase her books whenever I see one I don’t currently own without knowing anything about the story.
There are three solid things I know and have come to expect from her books.
1) The guy will always be hot
2) It will be well written, character development, plot, etc.
3) So steamy you’ll need your man or device.

So far, this book only has one of the two. The guy is hot (looking), but his character is so flat that I can’t feel him.
Other issues? I feel like I’m reading an amateur novelist’s first time in print. There is absolutely no feeling between the main characters. No indication that they feel anything other than the need to get laid by a beautiful face.
The verse is so choppy and feels so forced that its not even entertaining. I’m hoping it will get better, but it has that Gilmore Girls, choppy dialect feel going on and that is so not sexy.

Understanding Wine Technology: The Science of Wine Explained, New Edition Understanding Wine Technology was originally written for students of the diploma examination of the Wines & Spirits Education Trust in the United Kingdom, and the Master of Wine examination as set by the Institute of Masters of Wine. However, this is the only book to explain the complexities of the science and technology of wine in simple terms, and therefore fills a gap in the large market of wine information by making wine’s technical mysteries accessible to those with no scientific education. This new edition brings the literature up-to-date, relaying in its plainspoken tradition the recent advances in wine science and technology. The topics covered range from the secrets of the vineyard, the processing of grapes to produce juice, the intricacies of fermentation, stabilization of the resulting wine, treatments, quality control and quality assurance, and bottling.
Customer Review: This Book Is FILLED With Errors!
This book is filled with misleading technical information. I am an enologist, and would NOT recommend it for anyone seriously interested in wine making. Wine textbooks may be more expensive, but they are comprehensive and present the correct, full, scientific information.
Customer Review: Winemaking for non-Winemakers
Contrary to popular belief, this is not a winemaking textbook, rather it is a great look into the process of winemaking as it would pertain to a wine industry employee or wine expert. Anyone seriously trying to make wine should either view ‘From Vines to Wines’ by Jeff Cox (for home winemakers) or attend UC Davis (for large scale winemakers).

As a Master of Wine student, I have found this to be a great addition to my wine library. Paired with the Oxford Wine Companion and Halliday’s ‘The Art and Science of Wine’ this makes for a solid read.

Pros: beautiful diagrams, great writing, wonderful knowledge
Cons: some topics lack depth, paperback

Great Wine Made Simple: Straight Talk from a Master Sommelier From “one of the wine world’s most popular voices” (USA Today), a newly updated edition of her by-now classic introduction to wine, GREAT WINE MADE SIMPLE: Straight Talk from a Master Sommelier, reflects up-to-the minute wine trends, including the burgeoning popularity of the Shiraz grape, new flavor maps, and much, much more.

First published in 2000, Great Wine Made Simple established Andrea Immer Robinson as America’s favorite wine writer. Avoiding the traditional and confusingly vague wine language of “bouquet” and “nose,” and instead discussing wine in commonsense terms, the book launched Andrea’s career as a wine authority without pretense.

Now, thoroughly revised, Great Wine Made Simple lives up to its title by making selecting and enjoying wine truly simple. With Andrea Immer Robinson as your guide, you will never again have to fear pricey bottles that don’t deliver, snobby wine waiters, foreign terminology, or encyclopedic restaurant wine lists. You’ll be able to buy or order wine with confidence–and get just the wine you want–by learning how the “Big Six” basic styles (which comprise 80 percent of today’s top selling wines) taste and how to read any wine label. Ten new flavor maps show what tastes you can expect from climates around the world.

Andrea Immer Robinson genuinely knows more about wine than most wine lovers could ever hope to learn. But she doesn’t believe that you have to join a stuffy, exclusive wine-tasting set, or study a lot, to become a savvy wine buyer. Unlike other wine guides, Great Wine Made Simple makes it easy to master the ins and outs of choosing a wine that you and your guests will love—on any budget.

In her down-to-earth style, Andrea guides you through follow-along-at-home wine tastings that are easy, fun, and affordable, and even suggests a milk tasting for understanding variations in wine-body style. Building on this foundation, she covers the rest of the wine landscape with her inimitable style, candor, and humor, from classic regions to new tastes, plus a bevy of practical issues like wine gear and proper storage. A refreshing blend of in-depth knowledge and accessibility, Great Wine Made Simple is a welcome resource for those who are intrigued by wine but don’t know where to start.
Customer Review: Simply the Best
This is simply the best introduction to wine and winetasting that I have found. Many wine books get bogged down in minutiae, without telling you why it is significant. For example, they will spend three pages telling you about the soil and climate in a small region of say, France, without telling you how it affects the flavor and quality of the wine (i.e., why you should care). Somewhere in there will be a vague one sentence statement about how the wines taste “fruity” or “fresh.” Andrea Immer’s book actually concentrates on how to taste wine, using all your senses, and what specifically to look for in the color, nose, and flavor. She gives you a list of wines to taste, and through a series of tasting exercises you learn to recognize different flavors and aromas in wine. Her flavor map is an ingenious way to explain what flavors to expect from wines of the same grape grown in different climate zones, and it works! One heads up though, be prepared to drop some change on these tastings. Many of the tastings in the earlier chapters are affordable, but in the later chapters (read France and Italy), we found some of the wines to be cost prohibitive. While the earlier tastings are absolutely essential to getting the most out of the book, we chose to dispense with some of the later ones (Maybe some day I’ll buy that $80.00 Barolo). My suggestion: Buy the book, do the tastings in the first five chapters, and learn a heck of a lot about wine.
Customer Review: Read the label…..know the wine
This is the first wine book that does exactly what it promises…..you will be able to read a wine bottle label in the store or wine list in the restaurant and know what you are buying and buy what you want. That is a great boon to all wine drinkers out there, the majority of whom didn’t have wine training in finishing school or a butler/sommelier at home. I have always know what taste I like but now I know how to read the label to find the type of wine that I want. This book will serve the experienced drinker as well with a system of classifying wine into groups for organizing your wine celler and advice about making those all important pairings with food. This book makes a fantastic gift as well.

Italian Wines 2007: A Guide to the World of Italian Wine for Experts and Wine Lovers (Italian Wines) The tenth edition of Italian Wines , published by Gambero Rosso and Slow Food Editore, a translation of the twentieth edition of the Italian version, is the world’s most complete guide to quality Italian wines. Richer and more complete than ever, its 960 pages assess over 2,200 wine producers and their labels. Over 16,000 wines are reviewed, selected by a team of more than 120 tasters under the direction of GR and SFE. Italian Wines 2007 , besides evaluating wines according to the classic categories of one, two or three glasses, also includes a useful series of appendixes about award-winning wines in the past and the best producers. The guide also pays special attention to wineries that are sensitive to the environment and to achieving naturalness in their products.
Customer Review: Not usable for assistance in buying Italian Wine
I purchased this book in an attempt to make more informed decisions on my Italian wine purchases. I live in a predominately Italian section of my city, and have access to a wide variety of Italian wines. However, it is nearly impossible to either find any wine in the book that matches up completely, or to look up wines that are available on the shelf to see what they may be like. I do not recommend this book for casual Italian wine drinker that is looking for assistance in buying retail.
Customer Review: Slow Food Book, Slow Reading
Not a bad review of Italian wines. Just so many of them and in minute detail. No highs and no lows, either. Reads like it was written and rewritten by a committee. Since I love most Italian wines, particularly the reds, I would like to have seen more personalized impressions.

The Backyard Vintner: An Enthusiast’s Guide to Growing Grapes and Making Wine at Home (Backyard) Anyone who ever wanted to have homemade wine and never thought they had the space or ability to make it will love this book. The Backyard Vintner is a handy guide to at-home wine making that teaches readers the tips and tricks of the trade. It is perfect for those who want to bring the feeling of wine country right into their own backyard.

The Backyard Vintner teaches readers how to start and maintain a vineyard, providing vital information on topics such as planting, trellising, and proper pruning techniques for grapes; which grape varieties will grow best in every climate or region; and the wines that can be made from each variety. Basic recipes for wines, and advice on topics such as bottling, storing, and serving wines, are also provided.
Customer Review: Growing grapes made easy
This book provides usefull and pertinent information all the way from the grape planting process to the wine making process. He walks you through every step carefully, but does not suggest a robotic structure for making wine, he leaves open oppertunies to show your own creativity.
Customer Review: Touches on the important points
I’ve purchased several “how to” wine books and this one is good, but not great. I would not rely on it as my only reference. Rather, it makes a very good companion for “From Vines to Wines.”

The Foods and Wines of Spain 400 superb recipes–a delicious gathering of the traditional cooking of Spain with new ways of using exotic seasonings and unusual combinations, plus a comprehensive survey of Spain’s excellent wines and sherries.
Customer Review: A great cookbook in every way
This book is full of a dynamic range of Spanish recipes, all of which are both tasty and easy to prepare. Every recipe I’ve made has come out perfect, I have never had a failure. Ms. Casas has clearly gone to great lengths to capture authentic, well tested recipes that anyone can prepare.

This book is so diverse in its scope that it would take a long time to tire of using it. I can hardly bare to cook anything else. Spanish flavor with its simplicity and freshness of flavors could not be better presented then in this perfect book. Highly reccomended!
Customer Review: BEST. COOKBOOK. EVER!
This book is one of my favorites books in the world. The recipes range from simple to slightly complicated, but there isn’t one of these recipes that cannot be duplicated in your kitchen — and to absolutely deligthful results! The instructions are clear, the chapters are well balanced and the index is thorough. The food is exquisite. But then so are the stories accompanying each chapter and each recipe.

This book is an excellent travel book, filled with all the wonders of Spain. There have been times, when looking for a recipe to cook for a special ocassion, I have taken it off the shelf and found myself completely engrossed, hours later, reading the stories. Even the writing engages all your senses.

Penepole Casas also does something I especially appreciated. She gives you a glossary and a list of substitutions. She goes further and lists mail order suppliers of hard to find ingredients.

In culinary terms this book is truly a gem. It also serves as an indispendable resource to the history and culture of Spain for those who hope to one day stroll through its lands.