Wine Blog

The 12 Wines of Christmas — Day 3: The must-have wine map – San Francisco Chronicle (blog)

San Francisco Chronicle (blog)

The 12 Wines of Christmas — Day 3: The must-have wine map San Francisco Chronicle (blog) As a prelude to the big holiday, Inside Scoop brings you the 12 Wines of Christmas. Each day from now until Dec. 23, we'll have a suggestion for something wine-related to make your season brighter. Wine maps are one of those supreme nerd devices. … and more »

Andrew Jefford’s Wine Course
Let Andrew Jefford be your guide to the rich and fascinating world of wine. His wine course consists of 20 clearly defined projects, so you can learn the essentials in a helpful order and at your own pace. The first part of the book, The Tools, covers the kit you’ll need for tasting and thinking about wine, including different glasses, the varying colors of key wine types and their smell and taste. You’ll learn how to choose wine and record your impressions. The Elements explains wine’s components. Andrew profiles the magnificent seven grape varieties: Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, and Pinot Noir, plus many more from the extended vine family. He also pictures what happens in the earth and sky as the vine grows, and the role of the winemaker in shaping the finished product. The final part of the book, The Journey, takes you on a tour of the world’s wineproducing countries, describing the characteristics of each. • “Exceptional…a must buy and read.” Robert Parker on Andrew Jefford’s The New France. • Includes helpful factfiles, “try” boxes suggesting easy tasting comparisons, and “what people love about…” summaries of the world’s main wine types.

Cabernet Sauvignon: A Complete Guide to the Grape and the Wines it Produces (Mitchell Beazley Wine Made Easy)

Vinifera: The World’s Great Wine Grapes And Their Stories
Boxed Set of 40 Wine Grape Varietal Reference Cards. Featuring color photos, interesting history, lore and food pairings for 40 glorious wine producing varietals. A set of fascinating wine cards, or more specifically, wine grape reference cards. The information contained in these wine grape cards is fun, educational, informative and often obscure. The photographs are colorful and sumptous. An excellent wine gift for any host or hostess. A perfect Holiday gift such Mother’s Day, Father’s Day Valentines’ day or Christmas. Learn about Pinot Noir, Zinfandel, Aglianico, Albarino, Viognier, Merlot, Chardonnay, Dolcetto, Pinot Grigio, Cabernet Sauvignon, and many others. Ideal for wine tasting parties and blind wine tastings.

Customer Review: Wow!
I recieved this deck of cards as a hostess gift and was blown away by the detail and information that is on each card; the color photographs are absolutely stunning. The pairing suggestions on the back make choosing that perfect wine for your next meal a cinch and with 40 cards of different grape varieties, there are endless opportunities to explore… everytime I go to a friends house I bring a deck of these cards and a bottle of wine- they make for great conversation during the evening. These are a MUST!!!!!!!!!

Customer Review: CAN LEARN A LOT FAST
This is a really good wine guide, because it’s not like a wine guide at all. It’s fun. The photographs of the grapes are really beautiful. You’re not used to seeing the grapes themsleves in the field (Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio…etc.), so that context kind of gives you a new appreciation of what’s in the bottle. The information is a fun read, too. It’s got historical notes, where the names of the grapes come from, fun little stories, plus its packed with wine knowledge, but totally accessable. I didn’t know all that much about wines and this reference pack has made me a lot more comfortable ordering and talking about wine.