Cover

Contents

Little Wine Love Notes

Welcome to Wine

Wine Is Big: Get Cozy with It

Baby Steps

Get Gear

Decoding the Pomp and Circumstance

Know Your ABTs

Become a Savvy Shopper

Label Language

Nine Secrets for Ordering Wine on a Restaurant List

The Taste Test

Little Wine Lies

#1: Expensive Wine Is Great Wine

#2: Screw Caps Are for Cheap Wine

#3: You’re Allergic to the Sulfites in Wine

#4: Blends Are Better

#5: Voluptuous Legs Are Raveworthy

#6: It’s OK for Anybody to Use the C-Word

#7: Pink Is Passé

Grape to Glass

Grow, Baby, Grow

Vineyard Vocabulary

The Annual Cycle of a Vine

Winemaking 101

Vine Math

Terroir: There’s No Place Like Home

Grapes Love a Good Fight

Evaluating What’s in the Glass

See

Color Confidential

Smell

The Aroma Wheel

Awful Aromas

Taste

Wine Talk

What Makes a Wine Exceptional?

Vintage Variation

The Great Divide

How Old Is Old?

Rules and Regulations

The Name Game

Wine Label Anatomy

The Greatest Division of All

Old World/New World Cheat Sheet

Grapes to Know

Sauvignon Blanc: The Acid Queen

Chardonnay: Miss Popularity

Riesling: The Nerd

Pinot Noir: The Seductress

Cabernet Sauvignon: The King

Merlot: The Wallflower

Sangiovese: The Italian All-Star

Zinfandel: The Good-Time Grape

Syrah: The Dark and Mysterious One

Take Care and Always Share

Take Good Care of Your Babies

Wine’s Lifeline

Serving Secrets

Wine 911

How Much? A Wine Buying Guide

The After-Party Isn’t Really a Party After All

Bring Out the Big Guns

Great Wine Gifts

Wine and Food

General Guidelines for Pairing

Cheese Matters

Cheese Pairing Guide: Twenty-Nine Top Cheeses and Their Perfect Wine Partners

Decadent Debauchery: A Map for Your Sweet Tooth

Wine + Chocolate = Fake Friends

Other Tricky Foods to Pair

Great Wines for Pairing

Wines for Cooking

Drink This, Eat That

Eat This, Drink That

What Next?

Go to Tastings and Wine Events

Start a Wine Tasting Group

Homework Six-Packs

Throw a Wine Party

Visit Wineries

Join Wine Clubs

Read On!

Twenty-Five Reliable Grocery Store Brands

Twenty-Five Wines on a Dime

Online Wine Retailers

Glossary of Wines

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Index

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Acknowledgments

About the Authors