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by: Jancis Robinson  List Price: $26.00 Amazon.com's Price: $17.16 You Save: $8.84 (34%)Prices subject to change. Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
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Binding: HardcoverDewey Decimal Number: 641.22 EAN: 9781416596653 Edition: Rev Upd ISBN: 1416596658 Label: Simon & Schuster Manufacturer: Simon & Schuster Number Of Items: 1 Number Of Pages: 208 Publication Date: November 25, 2008 Publisher: Simon & Schuster Studio: Simon & Schuster Related Items:
Browse for similar items by category: Click to Display Editorial Review: Amazon.com Review: Whether Montessori or Merlot, kindergarten or Cabernet, the importance of a good instructor during the formative years is crucial. That's why newcomers to the world of wine could do a lot worse than having a corkscrew in one hand and a copy of Jancis Robinson's How to Taste in the other. A revision of 1983's Masterglass and published in the U.K. under the superior title Jancis Robinson's Wine-Tasting Workbook, How to Taste is a primer by a certified Master of Wine and star of the PBS series Jancis Robinson's Wine Course. From acidity to Australian Shiraz, oak to Oregon Pinot, Robinson delivers chapters of information and theory, intermingled with shaded "Practice" exercises, presented in a style as off-dry as one of the author's beloved Rieslings (the tannin in a lesser vintage Barolo is "like sucking on a matchstick"). Sometimes tuition at Jancis U. runs high: the lesson on sugar/acid balance culminates with expensive Sauterne "Practice." And even if Robinson risks, by dropping words like "charred" and "umami" early in the book, sending novices back to tear open a fresh box of Franzia, vinous virgins are encouraged to stick with it. By the time they get to the glossary at book's end, they'll be identifying wines at blind tastings with professional accuracy--which, Robinson encouragingly reveals, and she ought to know, is about 50 percent. --Tony Mason Product Description: What better way to learn about wine than to taste it? Hailed by Jerry Shriver in USA Today as "the woman who makes the wine world gulp when she speaks," Jancis Robinson created in How to Taste a classic for connoisseurs of all levels and the first introduction of its kind to focus on practical tasting exercises. Now fully revised and updated, Robinson's renowned guide proves once again that learning about wine can be just as engaging as drinking it. Written in Robinson's trademark accessible style, the new How to Taste features thoroughly updated vintages and producers as well as up-and-coming wine regions and styles. Incorporating wines that are both easily obtainable and reasonably priced, Robinson's lessons are separated into complementary portions of theory and practice to help you both learn and taste your way to wine expertise. One of the world's best-loved authorities on wine, Robinson explains first how to get the most out of the flavor of your wine and food, and then about specific grapes and the wines themselves. By the time you finish the book, you will have learned how to recognize the most popular grape varieties from Chardonnay and Riesling to Pinot Noir and Cabernet Sauvignon, and why a good sparkling wine is always better than cheap champagne. You will discover how to judge sweetness, acidity, and fruitiness as well as the difference between the length and the weight of a wine. You will also be given practical advice for dealing with wine in the real world: how to choose from a wine list, organize your own wine tastings, and pair wines with specific foods. From the armchair to the wine shop and back to the table, How to Taste will transform anyone on any level into a confident connoisseur who can leave faltering sips behind and have fun along the way. Average Rating:
 Rating:  - me likeyi thought it was a good beginners book. it had plenty of detail about wine (and everything that goes into producing it) without encumbering a neophyte (such as myself) Rating:  - Wish I had read this before my wine tasting tourEasy and enjoyable to read. I learned a lot from page one. I did not feel like I was studying for a test, but painlessly absorbing interesting information about grapes. The book answered questions I didn't know I had, and explained things I had been wondering about for years, like how to spit at a tasting. Rating:  - Beginners essential bookThere are three books I recommend to all eager students of wine: Kevin Zraly's "Windows on the World Wine School"; Karen MacNeil's "Wine Bible" and Jancis Robinson's "How to Taste". Jancis's book is a fun guide to learning the most important part of wine, the taste. Knowing how to taste and compare wine makes it so much fun. Even if you don't do all of the exercises, you will learn a lot and enjoy wine more. Rating: - Excellent material for winelovers and beginnersIn this book, Jancis Robinson's witty style is more relevant than ever - good british humour at its best. For seasoned wine appreciators and for those who begin their initiation in the affairs of this fascinating beverage, this book is an invaluable and veritable course on the art of tasting. If you're interested in improving your sensibility and using your senses in a more refined and pleasurely way, this is a most welcome work. Highly recommended. Rating: - A Blind Taster's Handbook!I actually put this book at about a 4.5 rating. This is a great little handbook that helps educate the reader about blind tasting and tasting terms. As far as learning about critical evaluation of wine this is a must unless you have access to the WSET Advanced Handbook (you have to be a WSET student). Bravo Jancis on another great read. Pros: has great tasting games and tips, great terms, well written Cons: limited scope, some non-pertinant info 
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