Great Wine Made Simple: Straight Talk From A Master Sommelier by Immer, Andrea - 2000

New York, New York, U.S.A.: Broadway Books, 2000. Book. Near-Fine. Hardcover. 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall. A photo of this book is available. Near-fine condition. NO remainder marks or price clippings. Price inside dustcover: $25.00. Tight spine, bright pages. NO writing, marks or tears inside book. Dustcover is clean and bright, shows light wear (NO tears). 310 pages. Illustrated. About one-third of the way through Andrea Immer's Great Wine Made Simple, the author recounts an anecdote that could serve as the book's theme--alligator, rabbit, and squab were all introduced to her the same way: "Tastes like chicken." And as demonstrated by Immer, who went from debentures to de Rothschild when she quit Morgan Stanley to eventually oversee the 50,000-bottle cellar at Manhattan's famed Windows on the World, the leap from pigeon to Pichon-Lalande is analogous: teaching novice wine drinkers what to expect is what her book, aptly subtitled "Straight Talk from a Master Sommelier", is all about. With emphasis on her "Big Six" varietals--Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Merlot, Pinot Noir, and Cabernet Sauvignon--this "Immer-sion" class of tastings lets amateur sippers differentiate the typical qualities of each, while illustrating wine terms such as dry, crisp, oaky, and tannic. Practical advice abounds; one chapter devotes itself to finding useful info on a wine label while avoiding "Stupid Label Tricks," those bits of puffery or unfamiliar flavors (how many have actually tasted lychee or red currant?) that can be confusing the average buyer. And her "Flavor Map" concept--dividing the wine world into three climate zones--eschews memorization in favor of some rudimentary geography. Throughout, her pronunciation guides are accurate and personable ("If you're pronouncing 'Riesling' right you have to smile."); and she provides a great postgraduate curriculum of buying strategies, including the pros and cons of wine shops versus your nearest Costco; and a consumer advisory about restaurant's "award-winning wine lists." --Tony Mason Review "Andrea Immer makes wine education simple and fun. One of America's best sommeliers has written one of the year's best wine books!" --Robert G. Mondavi "Without doubt the finest introduction to wine tasting and food and wine pairing I have read. This book is an excellent addition to the libraries of both professionals and aficionados." --Frederick Dame, M.S., President, Court of Master Sommeliers "Well organized, succinct, clear, and precise are the adjectives that best describe this Cartesian book on wines. Great Wine Made Simple will educate you without boring you and will lead you joyfully and expertly through the intricate world of the master sommelier." --Claudine Pépin and Jacques Pépin -- Review.