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• Cover
• Introduction
• About This Book
• Foolish Assumptions
• Icons Used in This Book
• Beyond the Book
• Where to Go from Here
• Part 1: Getting Started with Wine
• Chapter 1: Wine 101
• How Wine Happens
• What Color Is Your Appetite?
• Other Ways of Categorizing Wine
• Chapter 2: A Matter of Personal Taste (Buds)
• The Special Technique for Tasting Wine
• Parlez-Vous Winespeak?
• The Quality Issue
• Chapter 3: Pinot Envy and Other Secrets about Grape Varieties
• The Importance of Grape Varieties
• A Primer on White Grape Varieties
• A Primer on Red Grape Varieties
• Chapter 4: Wine Label Lingo
• The Wine Name Game
• Decoding the Language of the Label
• Chapter 5: Winemaking Matters
• Vineyard Jargon, Winemaking Talk
• The World of Viti-Vini
• Even More Winemaking Terms
• Part 2: Wine and You: Up Close and Personal
• Chapter 6: Buying Wine to Drink at Home
• Buying Wine Can Give Anyone the Jitters
• Wine Retailers, Large and Small
• Criteria for Choosing Wine Merchants
• Strategies for Wine Shopping
• Chapter 7: Buying Wine in Restaurants
• By the Glass or Buy the Bottle
• Analyzing the Wine List
• Managing the Wine Presentation Ritual
• Restaurant Wine Tips
• Long Live Wine Bars
• Chapter 8: Serving Wine
• Getting the Cork Out
• Screw Caps Are “In”
• Does Wine Really Breathe?
• Does the Glass Really Matter?
• Not Too Warm, Not Too Cold
• Entertaining with Wine
• Keeping Leftover Wine
• Chapter 9: Marrying Wine with Food
• With Wine and Food, Rules Do Not Apply
• The Dynamics of Food and Wine
• Other Ways of Pairing Food and Wine
• Classic Pairings of Wine and Food
• Part 3: Wine’s Classic Face: The “Old World” of Wine
• Chapter 10: Knowing the Wines of France
• The French Model
• France’s Wine Regions
• Burgundy: The Incomparable French Wine
• The Rhône Valley’s Hearty Wines
• The Loire Valley: White Wine Heaven
• Alsace: Unique Region, Unique Wines
• The South and Southwest
• Other French Wine Regions
• Chapter 11: Italy, the Land of Great Vino
• The Vineyard of Europe
• Reds Reign in Piedmont
• Tuscany the Beautiful
• The Tre Venezie
• The Sunny South of Italy
• Snapshots from the Rest of Italy
• Chapter 12: Spain, Portugal, Germany, Austria, Greece, and Other European Hot Spots
• Intriguing Wines from Spain
• Portugal: More than Just Port
• Germany: Europe’s Individualist
• Austria’s Exciting Whites (and Reds)
• The Glory That Is Greece
• Three Other European Wine Hot Spots
• Part 4: Wine’s Modern Face: The “New World” of Wine
• Chapter 13: America, America
• The New World of American Wine
• California, U.S.A.
• Napa Valley: As Tiny as It Is Famous
• Down-to-Earth in Sonoma
• Mendocino and Lake Counties
• The San Francisco Bay Area
• The Santa Cruz Mountains
• What’s New in Old Monterey
• Gold Country: The Sierra Foothills
• San Luis Obispo: Paso Robles to Edna Valley
• Santa Barbara, Californian Paradise
• Oregon: A Tale of Two Pinots
• Washington State Reaches New Heights
• The Empire State
• Chapter 14: The Southern Hemisphere Explodes with Wine
• Australian Wine Power
• The Rise of New Zealand
• Chile’s Rapid Rise to Wine Fame
• Argentina, a Major League Player
• The South African Wine Safari
• Part 5: Wine’s Exotic Face
• Chapter 15: Champagne and Other Sparklers
• All That Sparkles Is Not Champagne
• Sparkling Wine Styles
• How Sparkling Wine Happens
• Champagne and Its Magic Wines
• Other Sparkling Wines
• Buying and Serving Bubbly
• Chapter 16: Wine Roads Less Traveled: Fortified and Dessert Wines
• Timing Is Everything
• The Growing Popularity of Sherry
• Italy: Marsala, Vin Santo, and the Gang
• Port: The Glory of Portugal
• Long Live Madeira
• Sauternes and the Nobly-Rotted Wines
• Hungary’s Tokaji Aszú and Tokaji Eszencia
• Part 6: When You’ve Caught the Bug
• Chapter 17: Buying and Collecting Wine
• Finding the Rare and Collectible Wines
• The Urge to Own: Wine Collecting
• A Healthy Environment for Your Wines
• Chapter 18: Continuing Education for Wine Lovers
• Back to the Classroom
• Armchair Travel
• Chapter 19: Describing and Rating Wine
• The Challenge of Putting Taste to Words
• When It’s Your Turn to Speak
• Rating Wine Quality
• Part 7: The Part of Tens
• Chapter 20: Answers to Ten Common Questions about Wine
• What’s the Best Wine?
• Which Vintage Should I Buy?
• What Grape Variety Made This Wine?
• How Do I Know if a Wine Is Flawed?
• Are There Any Wines without Sulfites?
• What Are Organic Wines?
• Should I Join a Wine Club?
• How Should I Store My Wine?
• Are Wine Experts Sommeliers?
• How Do I Know When to Drink the Special Older Wines I’ve Been Keeping?
• Chapter 21: Ten Wine Myths Demystified
• The Best Wines Are Varietal Wines
• A More Expensive Wine Is a Wiser Choice
• The Palest Rosé Wines Are the Best
• A Screw-Cap Closure Indicates a Lower-Quality Wine
• Red Wines Are More Sophisticated than White Wines
• White Wine with Fish, Red with Meat
• Number Ratings Don’t Lie
• The Quality of a Wine Is Objectively Measurable
• Very Old Wines Are Good Wines
• Champagnes Don’t Age
• Part 8: Appendixes
• Appendix A: Pronunciation Guide to Wine Terms
• Appendix B: Glossary of Wine Terms
• Appendix C: Vintage Wine Chart: 1996–2015
• Index
• About the Authors
• Connect with Dummies
• End User License Agreement