Exploring Wine: The Culinary Institute of America’s Guide to Wines of the World, 2nd Edition Written by the experts who train today’s leading chefs and sommeliers, this invaluable guide thoroughly demystifies wine, from the basics of wine production to the nuances of wine lists, wine marketing, and wine service. Revised to reflect the many recent changes in the worldwide wine industry, the Second Edition of this critically acclaimed guide features an expanded American wines section, coverage of the latest developments in Italian wine and the new face of German and South American wine trades, and more.
Customer Review: Review of Culinary Institute
Very large book, almost too large to read and enjoy comfortably. However, makes a good coffee table book.
Customer Review: great for a gift
So the book might be a bit too technical-tongued sometimes, or it may contain unbalanced chapters (the one about serving wine should have been either more accurate or none at all) but by all means it is a great book. Graphics and pictures are superb. I enjoyed reading it, although, as an Italian, I found the story about Italian produce a bit modest (forgive me, it’s only that we have the best wines in all the world, it’s a fact…). I just need to find a wine book that tells it like it is: THE BEST WINE IS THE ONE YOU LIKE, OR THE ONE YOU DRINK WITH YOUR GREAT FRIENDS.

P.S. : my mom told me Mr. Mondavi, the prefator, is a relative of a relative. The world is small.

Frommer’s Portable California Wine Country (Frommer’s Portable) Lush, opulent pinot noir; rich, robust zinfandel; fruity, full-bodied Chardonnay—you can sample them all in California’s Napa and Sonoma Valleys, which together comprise one of the world’s premier wine regions. Completely up-to-date, Frommer’s Portable California Wine Country is a handy guide that will give you proven strategies for exploring the region. Our candid reviews of the top wineries will tell you which tours are worth your time and which wineries offer affordable bottles. You’ll also get a beginner’s guide to California wines: varietals, recommendations on recent vintages, tips on wine-tasting protocol (how to sniff, swish, and spit like a pro), tips on shipping, and much, much more. And when wine-tasting is done for the day, turn to our candid, complete reviews of the region’s fabulous inns and restaurants! The 5th edition has been expanded to include a new section focusing on up-and-coming but off the beaten path northern Sonoma County, including towns like Healdsburg and Santa Rosa.

Free companion podcast available.
Customer Review: Broad, Generic, Timid
This, like the other Frommer’s Guides I have seen, seems to be timid, generic and void of fun, gritty, insider information. It gave some useful information to read on the plane about various wineries, but I left it in my hotel the days I headed out to Sonoma, and this I did on purpose. Do your research and buy a better guide.
Customer Review: Touristy hot spots
Just because a travel guide rips into the Mondavi winery as being too touristy does not mean it has any special insights on how to see parts of Napa that are off the beaten path. Mondavi is an easy target. Nevertheless, this guide does have some good info about where to go to get some free drink–and do not worry about wine-drinking protocol. Because if you like it, that’s all the counts. The best vintage I ever had was still the ‘53 Chateau Mouton Rothschild my uncle gave me as a present for getting my doctorate in material science, and I slurped down that bottle while eating a corndog.

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.

Fodor’s Toronto 2008: With Niagara Falls & the Niagara Wine Region (Fodor’s Gold Guides) Packed with insider information in an easy-to-use format, Fodor’s bestselling guide to Toronto is fully updated for 2008

Nightmare in Napa: The Wine Country Murders (48 Hours Mystery)

The Shocking True Story Of Murder In California Wine Country

An award-winning journalist delves behind the scenes of a chilling true crime story aired on TV’s 48 Hours Mystery — and uncovers twisting revelations inside an already shattering case of double homicide.

Halloween night in idyllic Napa, California: two young women roommates — a transplanted Southern beauty queen and a popular engineering graduate from the Napa area — are brutally stabbed by an intruder who entered their home through a first-floor window. A third roommate heard the horrific commotion but never saw the killer. News of the tragedy sent shockwaves throughout the peaceful region as well as the nation — but while investigators pursued every angle from a satanic cult to a disgruntled suitor, the murders of Leslie Mazzara and Adriane Insogna remained unsolved. Until someone came forward with a shocking confession — someone who was close enough to the women to escape suspicion. Someone who knew the victims all too well.

Complete with up-to-the-minute court action and the stunning crime scene breakthroughs that turned the case around, here is the full story of the Nightmare In Napa.
Customer Review: Nightmare in Napa
I just finished “Nightmare”. I thought it was a well written book. It told the story of two young women, brutally murdered in their home. The killer, unknown at the time, turns out to be someone close to them. I didn’t feel like the author portrayed Ms. Mazzara as a wild child. I had the impression she was a beautiful, spirited, kind, young woman. The author did a good job of conveying to the reader, that these women were an assest to our society and it’s a tragedy, they are no longer here. The end, is sad and pathetic. Copple is a lowlife punk and he never gives a reason as to why he felt the need to kill two wonderful people.
Customer Review: Dull story
Nightmare in Napa was a big disappointment after reading another book in the 48 hours series. The book starts out well enough by describing the victims and their various friends and then the crime itself. However, there is very little mentioned about the investigation until over halfway through the book. There is so much time devoted to the victims that it almost reads like a biography. The problem is that these are not especially interesting people. Eventually, as I continued reading, I was let down by finding out the investigation was dull as well. This story contains about an hours worth of a compelling mystery, which is perfect for the TV show, but not so much for a book.

Murder By the Glass: A Wine Lover’s Mystery The poisoning of a Napa Valley bride has oenophile Nikki Sands researching what may have been a killer bottle of wine.
Customer Review: Great Heroine
Nikki Sands is a great heroine who makes the mix of mystery and wine a winner. This series is loaded with good old fashioned who dunnit plotlines, a quirky character, a nice blend of romance and the wine info, which isn’t overbearing or pretentious makes this the kind of book I like to read.

In this second installment of the wine lover’s mysteries, Nikki has been invited by her boss who she has a crush on to the wedding of the year. She’s walking on air until the obnoxious bride winds up dead in the dressing room. Suspects are plenty but the police zero in on Nikki’s friend Isabel. Nikki makes it her plight to set Isabel free and prove her innocence. She does so with help of Isabel’s brother Andres, which makes for a wonderful love triangle between Nikki, Derek and Andres.

The author surprised me with who the killer turned out to be, and I found myself having a good laugh throughout the book, which has subtle comedy throughout.

Pick up this series and start reading. You won’t be dissapointed.
Customer Review: Wine has turned
Nikki Sands works at a Napa Valley winery and spends her off time solving mysteries. When her best friend, Isabel, is accused of murdering her former lovers bride, Nikki begins looking for the real murderer. I was looking forward to reading an interesting mystery set in Northern California wine country. What I found was a disappointment. The characters were not fully developed, more like stick figures. The heroine/detective is a 35 year old that doesn’t know what she wants to do, just as the book doesn’t know whether it is a mystery or romance. And it can’t be deemed a romantic suspense.

The New Italy: A Complete Guide to Contemporary Italian Wine

Customer Review: The New Italy
Wonderfully written and a must have for all wine lovers. I have traveled the Italian wine regions and am an enologist and this book was very well written.

Also teaching wine educational classes, I was very impressed with the accuracy and details of the Italian wines and regions especially Tuscany and Piedmont! I will be in Italy in 2 weeks and feel like I was in Italy reading this book.

Buy, read and sip Italian wines!!

Thanks you Marco Sabellico and Daniele Cernilli!

Enologist, consultant & wine educator,

Tony Carlucci
Customer Review: I expected alot more
As difficult as it was for me to believe this, I really thought that this book would have been much more comprehensive, not just a vehicle to flatter a handfull of producers that must be current Gambero Rosso “Favoriti”. I get as much, if not more, out of my quarterly subscription to the magazine. Ordinarily, I really like Daniele Cernilli’s writing along with his willingness to take chances and “Tell it like it is”. I wish he had done so here. The regions could have been probed much more in-depth and the producers expanded to mirror the magazine. 3 GENEROUS stars.

Silenced By Syrah: A Wine Lover’s Mystery (Wine Lovers Mysteries) As the Vineyard Manager at Malveaux Estates, Nikki Sands knows a lot about wine pairings, but she has a harder time making matches in her own life. Is it finally time to give up her crush on her boss, Derek Malveaux, and commit to winemaker Andržs? With big changes afoot at the Estates, Nikki’s days of wine and roses may be over sooner than she thinks…

Malveaux Estates has added a boutique hotel and spa to its beautiful grounds, and everyone in Napa is abuzz about the hotel’s restaurant, Georges on the Vineyard. Its opening has been delayed a bit by the quirks of star chef Georges Debussey, better known for his cuisine than his couth. When Georges doesn’t return to the kitchen after a relaxing Syrah bath splash at the spa on opening night, Nikki figures the bubbles must have gone to his head. But instead of bubbles, it was a bullet-leaving Nikki to wonder what kind of wine can be paired with murder…
Customer Review: All Charming, but Three Times–my fave
I absolutely adore this series, but this is my favorite of the three. Once again Ms. Scott blends up a delicious concoction of mystery, romance and culinary delights. There are two big questions in this who dunnit. Who dunnit and who will Nikki pick to be her man.

The chef of the new restaurant on the vineyard, Georges Debussey meets his demise while bathing at the new Malveaux spa. Instead of r&r, he winds up DEAD with a bullet to the head. Nikki Sands once again goes to work solving the crime. She’s also got her plate full when it comes to the men in her life. Nikki has some love life decisions to make with two eligible bachelors. Filled with good looking men, plenty of murderous mystery and one charming heroine made a night out of it for me. A little Syrah and Ms. Scott’s third installent and I was completely content.

Customer Review: This Book Sparkles
Sensual bath treatments, facials, massages . . . mouth-watering Italian food. The atmosphere is fabulous. The book takes place in California grape-growing country, with a winery, an elegant hotel, an Italian restaurant, and a spa. The book also has recipes for that wonderful Italian food.

Nikki finds a body and she is determined to find out who the killer is. The adventures she goes on in order to solve the mystery are fun and interesting, but also tense and edgy. Once she starts going on these adventures, the book was hard to put down.

Nikki is the main character, and I love her. I also love the character of Alyssa, even though she is not a main character. I think she adds a lot to the book.

The solving of the mystery was clever. It had a nice twist.

I can’t wait to make the Margherita Pizza. It sounds like the most scrumptous thing ever.

Making Wild Wines & Meads: 125 Unusual Recipes Using Herbs, Fruits, Flowers & More Make Extraordinary Homemade Wines from Everything but Grapes! Exotic wines, honey meads, spicy metheglins, and fruity melomels-there’s no end to the great-tasting elixirs you can make using ingredients from your local market and even your own backyard! You’ll find easy, step-by-step winemaking instructions plus memorable recipes, including: .Apricot Wine .Dry Mead .Marigold Wine .Almond Wine .Cherry Melomel .Cranberry Claret .Pea Pod Wine .Lemon-Thyme Metleglin .Strawberry Wine .Rose Hip Melomel
Customer Review: good basic recipe book
While this book isn’t really for the beginner it has plenty of good basic wine and mead recipies. I’ve tried several with mostly good luck. It’s also one of the few publications that have workable mead recipies. My only objection to this book is it seems to treat aging as the most important step in all wines. While it is very important, it isn’t all that makes a wine, and especially mead, great.
Customer Review: so much fun
i have tried several. there is on occasion a question about a recipe, should something be covered, stirred but since i know nothing about the generalities i need to be let by the hand. i love that they are not the kinds of wine just anyone can buy at the corner store. great fun to talk about even with non wine makers.

Wine Food & Friends Wine and cooking enthusiasts will know immediately that they have uncorked something truly magical with Karen MacNeilsWine, Food Friends. This book combines the culinary expertise of Cooking Light with the wine connoisseurship of Karen MacNeil, todays preeminent wine authority. Award-winning author, lecturer, and television personality, Karen is a champion when it comes to the enjoyment of food and wine, which she summarizes in The Only Ten Principles of Matching Wine and Food Youll Ever Need. Pair Karens zeal for the art of wine with more than 150 Cooking Light kitchen-tested recipes and you have all the ingredients you need to reach new levels of gastronomical glory. Features nBuild your culinary knowledge base by combining 30 top-rated menus and recipes with wine recommendations for every season and any occasion nMore than 125 full-color photographs give visual cues for presenting casually elegant dishes nDemystifies wine terms with Karen MacNeils tried-and-true food and wine matchmaking concepts nOffers Karens own Sip Tipseasy-to-remember wine descriptors and non-intimidating advice on buying, ordering, and serving wine
Customer Review: wonderful book with great recipes/wine pairings
I already am a fan of Karen MacNeils Wine,Food ,and Friends on PBS.Shes very eloquent and soo knowledgable.She presents her ideas in a friendly way as well.The recipes are phenomenal also.I tried the meatloaf with sundried tomatoes and the stuffing so far.They turned out great and the less expensive wines were not difficult to find.I cant wait for her Season 2 series on PBS.
Customer Review: Entertaining As Well As Educational
I may love wine, but I’m by no means an expert. As a food writer and long-time cook, I know my way around the kitchen, have no trouble whipping up a dinner party, and enjoy feeding people. However, I needed some help/advice for wine pairings. Oh… I know enough to know which whites work best with poultry or seafood, and I know a heavier beef dish calls for a more substantial red wine. Beyond that, I’m a novice learning my way. This book provides loads of information, suggestions, tips and encouragement in an entertaining style that isn’t intimidating or condescending. The author knows food and wine, she loves food and wine, and it shows!

I highly recommend this book if you want to brush up your pairing skills, or if you simply want to learn a little more about wine and food for deliciously entertaining dinners. Those very seriously into wine (who know much more than I do) will also find the book a useful addition to their collections, as her recipes are wonderful.