Parker, Jr., concluded: "Brilliant, witty, comical, and often shamelessly candid and provocative." And "The New York Times "added: "McInerney's wine judgments are sound, his anecdotes witty, and his literary references impeccable. Not many wine books are good reads; this one is." In "A Hedonist in the Cellar, " he gathers more than five years' worth of essays and continues his exploration of what's new, what's enduring, and what's surprising, giving his palate a complete workout and the reader an indispensable, idiosyncratic guide to a world of almost infinite variety. Rieslings from the Finger Lakes, Armagnac from Gascony, powerhouse amarones from Valpolicella, the most fearsome critics in England, chocolate-friendly bottles from all over the globe, new developments in Chile and Argentina--these are only some of the delights now ready to be savored in a collection driven not only by wine itself but also the people who make it and those whose enjoyment is matched by their curiosity. Full of terroir and flavor, svelte personalities, and keen insight into the trade, these are irresistible essays for anyone enthralled by the manifold pleasures of wine.

    Let's toast this essential and unpretentious course on wine, which demystifies the lingo and lore, while educating on how to serve, preserve, store, and evaluate wines.

    Giving readers the confidence to discover, buy, and drink wines that they'll enjoy, "Wine: A Tasting Course" helps you explore and develop your palate in your own time and at your own pace.Offering a visual tour of wine styles, explaining the big-picture concepts, and encouraging readers to recognize the connections between wines, author Marnie Old, a renowned American sommelier, challenges all the stuffy orthodoxies about wine, and teaches that best way to learn is through tasting.Providing a fresh take on the world of wine, showing you what you need to know, and debunking wine-snob myths, "Wine: A Tasting Course" is the ultimate visual wine course for wine lovers seeking no-nonsense, practical information.

    In the first book of its kind, he helps readers scratch and sniff their way to expertise by introducing the basic components of wine—the fruits, the wood, the earth—enabling anyone to discover the difference between a Syrah and a Sangiovese and get the glass they love every time. Humorously illustrated, with 16 scents, this irresistible gift puts the fun back in wine fundamentals.

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    In How to Drink, Victoria Moore aims to redress the balance, by showing how to drink well throughout the seasons and at all times of day.She explains how to make the most delicious coffee and juices; how to choose wine that complements your food; and how to make cocktails for every occasion--whether to serve a garden barbecue, as a cold weather aperitif, or just to unwind with at the end of the day.Here are recipes for mint juleps in the spring, sloe gin in the autumn, hot buttered rum in the winter, and year-round showstoppers including the world's best gin and tonic. Moore is also an impassioned advocate of unfairly maligned drinks such as sherry, Campari and saki, and gives fascinating historical background on different spirits as well as invaluable advice on creating your home bar.How to Drink is a hugely readable, browseable and authoritative handbook, whose aim is to inform, entertain and crucially, make sure you can find the right drink at the right time."It doesn't need to be either difficult or expensive to drink as well as you eat, it just requires a little care...""A splendid book. Victoria Moore is quite right--it's not how much you drink but how you drink." --Fergus Henderson, chef and co-owner, St. Johns Restaurant"I loved How to Drink. For the first time in years I have broken open a bottle of vodka for a Bloody Mary, remembered how much better mulled cider is than mulled wine, drawn a fresh kettle for tea..." --Joanna Weinberg, author of How to Feed Your Friends with Relish"Anyone who loves their food should heed this unmatchable tutorial in the art of enjoying drink; Victoria Moore succinctly puts every sip in lively context, banishing the guilt from the pleasure of it all." --Rose Prince, author of The New English Kitchen

    As Tom Standage relates with authority and charm, six of them have had a surprisingly pervasive influence on the course of history, becoming the defining drink during a pivotal historical period. A History of the World in 6 Glasses tells the story of humanity from the Stone Age to the 21st century through the lens of beer, wine, spirits, coffee, tea, and cola. Beer was first made in the Fertile Crescent and by 3000 B.C.E. was so important to Mesopotamia and Egypt that it was used to pay wages. In ancient Greece wine became the main export of her vast seaborne trade, helping spread Greek culture abroad. Spirits such as brandy and rum fueled the Age of Exploration, fortifying seamen on long voyages and oiling the pernicious slave trade. Although coffee originated in the Arab world, it stoked revolutionary thought in Europe during the Age of Reason, when coffeehouses became centers of intellectual exchange. And hundreds of years after the Chinese began drinking tea, it became especially popular in Britain, with far-reaching effects on British foreign policy. Finally, though carbonated drinks were invented in 18th-century Europe they became a 20th-century phenomenon, and Coca-Cola in particular is the leading symbol of globalization.For Tom Standage, each drink is a kind of technology, a catalyst for advancing culture by which he demonstrates the intricate interplay of different civilizations. You may never look at your favorite drink the same way again.

    Now in a new, expanded hardcover edition, Wine Folly: Magnum Edition is the perfect guide for anyone looking to take his or her wine knowledge to the next level. Wine Folly: Magnum Edition includes: - more than 100 grapes and wines color-coded by style so you can easily find new wines you'll love; - a wine region explorer with detailed maps of the top wine regions, as well as up-and-coming areas such as Greece and Hungary; - wine labeling and classification 101 for wine countries such as France, Italy, Spain, Germany, and Austria; - an expanded food and wine pairing section; - a primer on acidity and tannin--so you can taste wine like a pro; - more essential tips to help you cut through the complexity of the wine world and become an expert.Wine Folly: Magnum Edition is the must-have book for the millions of fans of Wine Folly and for any budding oenophile who wants to boost his or her wine knowledge in a practical and fun way. It's the ultimate gift for any wine lover.

    And this new edition contains an additional 16 wonderful pages, including a featured supplement about the olfactory system and how it deepens our enjoyment of wine. Written in a question-and-answer format, the section is coauthored with Wendy Dubit, an expert on the subject. Plus, this unequaled volume retains all the invaluable information, fabulous illustrations, and gorgeous styling of the 20th anniversary edition. Wine lovers will still thrill to Zraly’s inimitable, irreverent style. As always, he answers every question about wine; offers the most up-to-date recommendations; provides advice on buying wine in stores and on the Internet; takes you on a country-by-country, region-by-region ratings tour of the latest vintages; and starts you on your way to becoming a wine connoisseur. Abundant full-color labels and maps complete the enticing picture. More current, more informative, more concise and precise than ever, this remains the wine guide against which all others are judged.

    It includes sections on viniculture and viticulture, Old World and New World wines, beer and other fermented beverages, and all varieties of spirits. Review questions, key terms, a pronunciation guide, maps, and even sample wine labels provide invaluable test prep information for acing the major sommelier certification exams. For each type of beverage, author Michael Gibson covers the essential history, manufacturing information, varieties available, and tasting and pairing information. He also includes sections on service, storage, and wine list preparation for a full understanding of every aspect of beverage service. - An ideal test prep resource for anyone studying for certification by The Court of Master Sommeliers, The Society of Wine Educators, or The International Sommelier Guild - An excellent introduction to wine and beverages for bartenders, beverage enthusiasts, and students - Based on education materials developed by the author for his culinary and hospitality students at the Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Scottsdale With concise, accessible information from an expert sommelier, this is the most complete guide available to all the wines, beers, and spirits of the world.

    (Return to Welcome)Max Whyte moves to Welcome WA to live closer to his daughters after their mother remarries. He wants to fix up an old home, settle into his new position at an IT firm, and try not to think about turning forty alone.Burned by a single mother in the past, he vows not to get tangled with another woman with children. When he saves the life of a small boy, he finds himself tangled in more ways than he could imagine.When the boy’s mother turns out to be the perfect person to do his renovations, Max has trouble keeping his personal feelings out of their employer/employee relationship.Kaylin Simpson has returned to Welcome to give her boys the kind of home she wanted as a child. She needs a fresh, stable start and wants to run her own business. Her three-year-old twins keep her hopping, but after she finishes the renovations for Max, she hopes to have her life well in hand.Max is drawn to Kaylin and her adorable twin boys. Her wit and feisty spirit pull at his heartstrings until he realizes being a stepfather is never what he wanted.Christmas in Welcome can be a time to heal and move forward and Max and Kaylin must set aside their old hurts to allow love to blossom.

    Such was the case for Ian Tattersall and Rob DeSalle, scientists who frequently collaborate on book and museum exhibition projects. When the conversation turned to wine one evening, it almost inevitably led the two—one a palaeoanthropologist, the other a molecular biologist—to begin exploring the many intersections between science and wine. This book presents their fascinating, freewheeling answers to the question What can science tell us about wine? And vice versa.   Conversational and accessible to everyone, this colorfully illustrated book embraces almost every imaginable area of the sciences, from microbiology and ecology (for an understanding what creates this complex beverage) to physiology and neurobiology (for insight into the effects of wine on the mind and body). The authors draw on physics, chemistry, biochemistry, evolution, and climatology, and they expand the discussion to include insights from anthropology, primatology, entomology, Neolithic archaeology, and even Classical history. The resulting volume is indispensible for anyone who wishes to appreciate wine to its fullest.

    In this expanded tour of the Pacific Coast Highway, Jamie takes you from the dense green forests of Washington to the gorgeous beaches of Southern California. From logging towns to surfer lore, Road Trip USA Pacific Coast Highway covers every aspect of this mostly two-lane route through the unabashedly breathtaking western coast. Road Trip USA Pacific Coast Highway highlights major cities, obscure towns, popular attractions, roadside curiosities, historic sites, and oddball trivia. Exit the interstates and create your own driving adventures on the west coast's unrivaled scenic highway.

    You'll find 25 new dishes and updates throughout for more than 250 recipes (everything from basics to desserts), stunning color photos, and tips for making your kitchen a vegan paradise. All the recipes in Veganomicon have been thoroughly kitchen-tested to ensure user-friendliness and amazing results. Veganomicon also includes meals for all occasions and soy-free, gluten-free, and low-fat options, plus quick recipes that make dinner a snap.