Reviews (5)

Great for Non-French beginners
What really drew me to this book was the phoenetic entries for all those hard-to-say words.I myself enjoy wine immensely, however I was always a little embaressed asking for some things in resaraunts because gross mispronunciation can make one sound ignorant.The size of the book allows easy strorage in the pocket for those quick references while at the wine store or a fine dining restaraunt.

Comprehensive yet compact. Great wine resource for the $
I work part-time in the wine industry and found this book to be a wonderfully comprehensive, concise resource on wine growing, making and drinking. (There's a great companion book by the same authors on food.) Great for both novices and experts!
I got this book because the owner of a wine store I buy from said it was the best, all-around reference he'd ever seen."I always find what I'm looking for," he said.This guy's an expert so that was good enough for me.And he was right.This book is packed full of an incredible amount of useful wine information.I particularly like the phonetic pronunciations, which make me sound like I know what I'm talking about. Thanks to this book, I'm no longer intimidated when I'm talking about, ordering, buying or simply enjoying good wine.It's great for everyone from beginners to experts! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Beverages - Wine & Spirits    2. Cooking / Wine    3. Dictionaries    4. Reference    5. Wine And Wine-Making    6. Wine and wine making    7. Wines   

Reviews (19)

Great for my classes
I am currently studying to take the GCBP certificate from the Institute of Brewing and Distilling(IBD), and this book is an awesome resource for studying difficult to comprehend sections. The book matches the syllabus very well.........As far as the homebrewer is concerned there are a few useful sections (Beer Spoilage Organisms, Wortboiling, and a few others) but this book is written to mainly cater to the professional (or aspiring to be professional) brewer. This to me is nice because most of the books I have found are written geared to the home (5-15 gal) brewer.

Solid Book
There is nothing that did not like about the this book.Easy to read, comprehensive and well-laided out.

Good Introductory Text to Brewing Beer
Solid intro to brewing beer for anyone interested in opening up a micro or brewpub.Serious homebrewers would also benefit from reading the book.Its not really intended for newbies. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Cooking    2. Cooking / Beer    3. Amateurs' manuals    4. Beverages - Beer    5. Brewing    6. Beer   

Reviews (1)

Great for teachers!
We made a dozen Friendship Brownies for my daughters (3 1/2) teachers for Christmas and they loved them!My daughter loved layering the white and brown chocolate chips the best.We cut out fabric circles for the tops, and I made our own recipe tags on the computer instead of using the ones included.They turned out very cute!Read more

Subjects:  1. Baking    2. Beverages - Coffee & Tea    3. Cooking    4. Gift baskets    5. Gifts    6. Glass containers    7. Juvenile literature    8. Reference   

Subjects:  1. Cookery, International    2. Cooking    3. Cooking / Wine    4. Courses & Dishes - General    5. General    6. Methods - Quick & Easy    7. BG-JUVENILE PROP - BG-JUVY PRESCHOOL    8. Cooking / General   

Subjects:  1. Beverages - Wine & Spirits    2. Cooking    3. Cooking / Wine    4. Wine Buying Guides    5. Cooking / Wine & Spirits   

Reviews (9)

Bordeaux Bible
Anyone that enjoys good bordeaux need this book.
Indispensable Guide
Recently I toured wineries in Bordeaux.Robert Parker's book is the indispensable guide to wineries in that region.He discusses each estate in detail and is quite frank in his reviews.He also recommended some hotels and restaurants, which proved to be excellent recommendations.

comprehensive
What a book!! Everything you wanted to know about Bordeaux and more. A comprehnesive and stunning, detailed account of the major chateaux in Bordeaux (there are hundreds of them!!)
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Subjects:  1. Beverages - Wine & Spirits    2. Bordelais    3. Cooking    4. Cooking / Wine    5. France    6. Reference    7. Wine And Wine-Making    8. Wine and wine making    9. Alcoholic beverages    10. Cooking / General    11. Viticulture    12. Winemaking technology   

Reviews (2)

Come quickly, I'm seeing stars!!!
Hard to imagine a more hedonistic pursuit than sampling--and rating--4000 champagnes.This book is encyclopedic, well written and easy to use.Some of the tasting notes on small grower's special blends that aren't available to the general public are superfluous but fun to read in any event.If you are into Champagne, this is a book you should have.I enjoyed it thoroughly.The author seems to favor Chardonnay dominated blends and BdB Champagnes.If you like more PN dominated Champagne (as I do) then his ratings may not be all that useful.Nonetheless, I was in general agreement with most of the ratings.The printing stock, layout and pictures/graphics are amazing.However, my first copy had a bad binding that fell apart after a couple of weeks.

Best overview about Champagne
Great overview about the history, wine-making, etc.Tasting notes are also very useful as a reference when buying champagne in the region (most small champagne shops in Reims and Epernay have this book available).In addition (and I must admit I haven't had the opportunity to taste 4000 champagnes), I do agree with 85% of the notes for the wines I have tasted!Strong buy!!!!!
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Subjects:  1. Beverages - Wine & Spirits    2. Cooking    3. Cooking / Wine    4. Wine And Wine-Making    5. Cooking / Wine & Spirits    6. Wines   

Reviews (29)

From ignorant to educated in 1 book!
It's simple: If you know very little about wine, and want to know more so you don't look like a moron in the company of so-called wine experts, or even if you consider yourself an intermediate wine lover, you will benefit from the knowledge that is contained in this guide.Mark Oldman is a fantastic writer, and the way in which the book is laid out is great, and very user friendly.No pretension, easy pronunciation guides, and Oldman's own recommendations make this guide a MUST HAVE for anyone who wants to know all that you need to know about wine.

Oldman's Gude to Outsmarting Wine - an Indispensable Resource
While other wine books are informative - they can often seem patrician and preachy.
makes you excited about wine
loving this book, so much to it, so many great ideas and lessons, so fun to read.it has made me more excited by wine than anything and everything else before it. been buying the best wine with it.mark makes the complex feel manageable and the manageable feel electric.
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Subjects:  1. Beverages - Wine & Spirits    2. Cooking    3. Cooking / Wine    4. Guidebooks    5. Wine And Wine-Making    6. Wine and wine making    7. Cooking / Wine & Spirits   

Subjects:  1. 20th Century Description And Travel    2. Beverages - Wine & Spirits    3. Cooking    4. Cooking / Wine    5. Wine And Wine-Making    6. Cooking / General   

Reviews (4)

The Neanderthal speaks
I am very flattered to be the Neanderthal she cites in her introduction so I have my bias. I have been reading her columns since they began. She taught me not be afraid to try new wines and to find wines that I like, which is the point of drinking wine. But she keeps my interest - week after week and through two books - with her incredibly witty, funny and instructive style. She's that teacher you had whose class you looked forward to because she made it fun and interesting. Her irreverence for wine snobbery equals her reverence for the wine. Her latest book has all the wit and wisdom in a very organized flow from front to back. You'll learn, but most importantly, you'll leave her pages unafraid of wine. I highly recommend the book and the column.

Chotzi, why aren't you 5 stars or 100 points, whichever comes first?
Another very funny, and knowledgeable, book on wine in a very crowded field of far too many mediocre wine books, mostly cluttered with cutsy girlie books on what is a wine, etc., and isn't a rosé cute, ad nauseum. Ol' Jen here, or rather in snowy Colorado, really knows her grapes and the wine made from them, and isn't modest about describing just what's what. Way to go, Jennifer. Keep up the good work (ethic) and flamboyant language. Some of us appreciate a well-turned phrase as much as a well-turned ankle.
A Must Have for Wine Lovers both Novices and Experts

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Subjects:  1. Beverages - Wine & Spirits    2. Consumer Guides    3. Cooking    4. Cooking / Wine    5. Humor    6. Wine And Wine-Making    7. Wine Buying Guides    8. Wine and wine making    9. Wine tasting    10. Cooking / Wine & Spirits   

Reviews (12)

Worst recipe book that I own.
If you are looking to start brewing with extract then this might work for you but don't count on the recipes making anything that is close to professional quality beers.
An invaluabe stepping stone
As a beginning homebrewer looking to extend beyond pre-hopped extracts and pre-packaged kits, this book was exactly what I was looking for.I found the asides and exerts amusing.I would higly recommend this book for anyone who's already brewed a few batches and is looking for more recipes.

Great Easy recipes
This book provides a good mixture of recipes including some cloned ones. There are some good tips, sprinkled throughout the book, that I found to be especially useful in creating high quality batches of homebrew.I think this book would be good for someone who has started home brewing and is looking beyond the beginner stage. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Amateurs' manuals    2. Beer    3. Beverage Technology    4. Beverages - Beer    5. Brewing    6. Cooking    7. Cooking / Wine    8. Gardening    9. Regional - General    10. Cooking / General    11. Food & beverage technology   

Reviews (31)

Comprehensive, but hard to use
This book has a TON of drinks, but there are no color photos and the drinks are arranged by the name of the drink, not the type of alcohol or main ingredients.Plus, as a paperback, you have to hold it open to use it- not very handy.I probably wouldn't buy it again.

ok
I was not impresed with this book. While everything is sorted it is still kind of piled together(small print and crapping newprint paper with no space between anything). I looked up some of my favorite and the recipes were messed up.

Not very good for beginners
This book lists drinks only by their main alcohol ingredient ONLY. Not very helpful if you don't know the drink's main alcohol ingredient. What kind of bartender bible doesn't have a recipe for a cosmopolitan? Is an alphabetical list of all the dinks in the book too much to ask? Every time I use this book I get pissed off. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Alcoholic beverages    2. Beverages - Bartending    3. Beverages - Wine & Spirits    4. Cocktails    5. Cooking    6. Cooking / Wine    7. Cooking / Bartending   

Reviews (6)

Most Practical Espresso book in the Market
I worked for a coffee shop that had about fifteen books on espresso - most of the information given in the book was either flat-out wrong or recipes.One book, I recall very well, stated an espresso shot should run from 18-23 seconds.It's commonly accepted that espresso should run anywhere from 23-30 seconds depending on the blend.
taste don't read
If you have tasted the coffee at Vivacci, you know this guy is serious.It's the best I've had anywhere in the known world.The book is extremely detailed, just like his training for his Baristas.Go drink.Read.Buy.Enjoy the best.

A unique look at espresso from a coffee heretic
David Schomer is the owner/chief roaster at Vivace! in Seattle. His methods (particularly concerning the proper temperature for brewing) are the subject of much discussion, even derision, in the coffee community, because it is hard to get consistent results using his methods. That may be true, but his approach allows you to achieve near perfection about a third of the time, and decent results the rest of the time, while other methods will produce more consistent results, without ever equaling the best he can achieve.Read more

Subjects:  1. Beverages - Coffee & Tea    2. Coffee brewing    3. Coffee making paraphernalia    4. Cooking    5. Espresso    6. General cookery    7. Non-alcoholic beverages   

Subjects:  1. Amateurs' manuals    2. Beverages - Wine & Spirits    3. Cooking    4. Cooking / Wine    5. Wine and wine making    6. Cooking / Wine & Spirits    7. Wines   

Reviews (1)

A great pairing of Wine & Architecture
I bought this as a Christmas gift for one of my many wine loving friends and just had to get one for myself. It tackles a unique subject - winery architecture - and gives you a good but not too in depth description of the wine making region, the wine facilities, and the wines themselves.It is full of great colour photography, site plans, and a broad selection of wineries around the world. The architecture featured is modern and not what you expect of typical wineries...the Gehry sketches alone are worth the price of the book! Want to impress your friends? Leave this book out on your coffee table. Better yet, pull this book out and enjoy while you sip on a Rioja red.
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Subjects:  1. Architecture    2. Beverages - Wine & Spirits    3. Cooking    4. Design & Drafting    5. Design and construction    6. Interior Design - General    7. Wineries    8. Architecture / Interior Design    9. Public buildings: civic, commercial, industrial, etc    10. Wines   

Reviews (3)

a great cooking philosophy
I love this cookbook, not only because I love the flavors of the wine country and John Ash has a great mix of recipes that convey them, but alsobecause the philosophy behind the recipes relies so heavily on using fresh,seasonal, local ingredients. The recipes are not super-simple, but if youhave some cooking experience and are willing to take the time to search forthe best ingredients, the rewards are well worth it.

The best, freshest food that I've ever tasted!
I have used this book more than any other cookbook in my home.I am constantly learning about new, fresh ingredients and the results are really wonderful.Every time I cook using these recipes, my friends ask me forthe recipe.I've purchased this book for several friends too - it's agreat gift, especially if you live in Northern California.Visiting JohnAsh's restaurant is a wonderful experience too!

My most used cook book
As a collector of cook books and as one who entertains regularly (both forfriends and for business - it is not unusual for us to have over a100people in a month at home for corporate related dinners) I find this bookthe one that I most often turn to.It is imagnative yet practical,sufficiently different to a lot of theothers that I have and everythingthat I have tried has been a huge success.Would love to know if John Ashhas written another one. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Beverages - Wine & Spirits    2. California style    3. California, Northern    4. Cookery    5. Cookery, American    6. Cooking    7. Cooking / Wine    8. General    9. Regional & Ethnic - American - California Style    10. Wine lists   

Reviews (21)

Nicely done
An interesting, well written book that eliminates bias that most wine writers tend to place into their books.There is little pretension, and a genuine desire to learn that shows through these pages.

Smart, witty look at the world of wine
This was recommended to me by a former sommelier, and with good reason--this is a book about the way wine should be in the larger scheme of things.Think beyond Kendell-Jackson Chardonnay and Yellow Tail Shiraz.Wine reflects a time and place, not sugar craving.Osborne is a terrific writer, but not a wine expert, and that's exactly what makes this book so engaging.Highly recommended.

Stuck up or right on?

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Subjects:  1. Beverages - Wine & Spirits    2. Cooking    3. Cooking / Wine    4. Viticulture    5. Wine and wine making    6. Wines   

Reviews (2)

Hearty agreement
I haven't much to add to Bevetroppo's fine review, except to full heartedly agree.
Back to the future
At the time of this writing, Biodynamic Wines by Monty Waldin ranks somewhere around 218,311 on the Amazon sales list and has not yet been reviewed by another reader. So in a sense, the fact that I'm writing this now is a labor of love, akin to Mr. Waldin's own passion for Biodynamic wine that spills out of the pages of this book. I stumbled upon BW as I was searching for a reliable introduction. I'll do my best to summarize what I gleaned from the complex subject Monty Waldin so ably describes, but just remember that any errors, imprecision or misstatements about Biodynamic wines that follow in this review are entirely my fault.
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Subjects:  1. Beverages - Wine & Spirits    2. Cooking    3. Cooking / Wine    4. Reference    5. Wine And Wine-Making    6. Cooking / Wine & Spirits    7. STUDY NOTES - SparkNotes    8. Wines   

Reviews (4)

The most delicious wine book
Hugh Johnson's marvelous book in a partial answer to a question that few of us have had the sense to ask.While many of us will spend valuable hours wondering: `which wine?' we rarely ask `why wine?'
Vintage Writing
This is one of the most comprehensive and certainly one of the most enjoyable books on wine in any language.Combining excellent prose with impressive scholarship, Mr. Johnson offers a scintillating and often enlightening history of the world's best beverage.Strongly recommended for the historian or wine enthusiast.

Normally I dislike Hugh Johnson's work
However, I must say that I did enjoy this book.While one reviewer here didn't seem to be too interested in the history of wine, I found it very interesting, so interesting in fact that I am giving my paperback versionto a friend and purchasing the hardback version for myself.Read more

Subjects:  1. Beverages - General    2. Beverages - Wine & Spirits    3. Cooking    4. Cooking / Wine    5. Reference    6. Wine And Wine-Making    7. BG-CLASSIC EDITIONS - BG-B&N CLASSICS    8. Cooking / Wine & Spirits    9. History of specific subjects    10. Wines   

Reviews (4)

A Serious Book about Wine
Anyone who is serious about wine and the business of wine needs to have this book in their library.It ties together the history of the wine business with rest of human history.I had no idea the wine trade was as old as it is --

Disappointing at best, despite good intentions
As soon as I heard about this book in a wine newsletter, I ordered it from Amazon.As a Ph.D. student with an interest in markets of all kinds and a lover of wine, I had tremendous hopes for this book.
Wine: The 8,000 Year-Old Story of the Wine Trade
I was delighted with Pellechia's first book, "Garlic, Wine and Olive Oil" so I was prepared to enjoy his history of wine - and I was not disappointed.It is easy to read, and I enjoy the human dimension he employs in telling the story.Naturally, a history book includes the tales of well-known people and major events of past and present centuries, but Pellechia retells many of those stories with the twist of how the development, the trade, and the appreciation of wine was affected by those people and events.Not what you normally hear about in history class!The book itself is well-illustrated, with interesting sidebars. There is a personal feel to the prose and the illustrations that make the book feel special and unusual.A good addition to my personal library, and a great gift for friends. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Beverages - Wine & Spirits    2. Cooking    3. Cooking / Wine    4. Economic History    5. Economic aspects    6. History    7. Wine And Wine-Making    8. Wine and wine making    9. Wine industry    10. World - General    11. Cooking / Wine & Spirits