The Complete Idiot's Guide to Wine

I bought this book for a wonderful friend who is starting to learn about wines. Even though the book was used, I was surprised at the truly wonderful condition it arrived in. I would order from this retailer again. Prompt delivery.

Because of all the snobbery surrounding wine I found the idea of an "Idiot's Guide" sort of funny, what with all the pretention and slender or even false erudition masquerading as the final word in the area. But Seldon's book peels back the highly polished surface but ultimately thin facade of the wine world to give you the basic, unbiased, and unvarnished truth and information that you need. Every aspect of wine and wine appreciation is discussed, from how to open a bottle to understanding the many different varietals, wine growing, wine making, the effect of climate and terrain, and of course wine tasting and appreciation as well. The well written, clear and concise text make the book easy and enjoyable to read. I've read a number of other books on wine and I still learned a lot from this book. It would be a great choice for a beginner to start with, and even if you're more of an intermediate and advanced wine afficianado, you'll probably still learn something from this book.

with a book about wine that unravels and decodes all the language that goes with wine. Philip Seldon takes you step by step through the wine world, without all the fancy words and snobbish attitude that the wine world is stereotyped with. He guides you through wine in a way that allows you to form your own opinions. This book sits on my coffee table and it has a been a useful tool in my journey with wine.

This book is simply wonderful - it tells you everything you need to know about wine without being cute or condescending like Wine for Dummies. Robert Mondavi says that this is the best introductory book on wine and it certainly is. It has more information than Wine for Dummies including specific wine recommendations. While it is an Idiot's Guide it does not treat you like an idiot. I recommend it for everybody who wants to learn about wine.