Wine Savvy

Surpisingly good for a book of only about 100 pages. It covers the basics as well as going into detail about the important varietals one needs to know. There were details about ordering at restaurants that I have not seen in books three times the length. Hardly any others have had a how-to on visiting a vineyard and this one was very good. Nice non-intimidating book.

This book does a great job of explaining the basics of buying and enjoying wine, in ways that are easy for wine beginners to understand. Take the first section on why wines 'taste' differently, based on their aroma. Heidi suggests you try comparing an apple piece to a pear piece with your nose being held. Most people can't tell them apart, because the tongue only tastes basic flavors. The rest comes from your nose.Heidi further explains how wines can be broken down into pretty basic styles based on tannin, acid, sweetness and alcohol levels. She explains how to run simple taste tests with tea, sugar, lemon juice, and cream to see these differences. Have you felt that you could never understand these "fine distinctions?" Her tests will show you how easy it is, once you know what to look for!Other sections include how to run a wine tasting, what the various wine varieties taste like, ways to learn how to be better at tasting wines, pairing food and wine, and even how to select wines in stores and in restaurants.At 110 pages this is a relatively quick read, and the information is well written and helpful. If you're looking to increase your basic knowledge about wine, this might be a place to start!

I really enjoyed reading Heidi Yorkshire's Wine Savvy. It's a friendly, straightforward book, and it makes it easy to jump right in and begin to learn about the world of wine. I already thought I knew the basics. Now I can have a conversation with wine-educated friends or the clerk in the local wine store and sound fairly well informed. This is quick and easy reading, and well worth it.

I found Wine Savvy to be an adequate, elegant introduction to enjoying the pleasures of wine. Without knowing very much about wine, I was immediately carried along by the easy tone and crisp writing style of the guide. The author's suggestions are practical and useful. The book answers a lot of the kinds of questions Heidi's fans ask her when she does readings. What wine goes best with pizza, or different kinds of meat? What's the difference between wine that is corked, and wine that comes in a box? She offers tons of tips and hints, and not all of them concerning the beverage alone. When discussing wineglasses, for instance, she suggests that "it's better to drink inexpensive wine in a high quality wineglass, than to drink expensive wine using cheap glasses." For solid advice and a friendly, fun writing style, you can't beat this little wine primer from a veteran author and columnist.

Highly informative without being pretentious. A wonderful consumer guide down a road untravelled for many. Final Destination- Enhanced quality of life through knowledge about wine.