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Best Wine – Spanish Wine: A Pocket Guide

Wineguy — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 07:00:17 +0000

Spanish Wine: A Pocket Guide
Here is a quick, fun and easy guide to the world of Spanish Wine. Written by an author who has immersed himself in Spanish culture and its wine over the past fifteen years, this book will give anyone interested in the subject an enjoyable introduction to this fascinating member of the wine world. Important features include: Brief history. Easy-to-follow rundown on Spanish Wine. Basics on understanding Spanish Wine. Wine regions listed by wine types (reds, whites, sparkling wine, sherry). Fun descriptive introduction to each region. Map of each region. Overview of all major wine regions (D.O.) and many minor ones (V.T.). Up-to-date rating of D.O. vintages. Winery-by-winery listings: includes wines, price range, personal recommendations and website addresses. Local gastronomy – insights into the foods of each region. Local anecdotes – fun and interesting facts about this wonderful country and its wine. Glossary of terms. Alphabetical listing of all wines mentioned.

Customer Review: Spanish wine
I have been to Spain a couple of times and this book is pretty informative and accurate from my experience.

Customer Review: A Spanish Wine Travelogue
It appears the author published this guide himself, which might have been necessary due to the folksy conversdational style in which it was written. An uninformed reader would likely lack confidence in the superficial evaluations of the recognized wine regions and the numerous producers. However, Murdock’s solidly positive comments on those wines I have actually sampled so far match my own opinions, which leads me to believe his evaluations are really quite sound. The book is easy to use and should allow me to discover additional wines I might enjoy, which is the main reason why one buys this kind of guide. There can be no doubt that Spanish wines represent great value and provide interesting taste and style variances from the better publicized California, French, Italian, and Australian varietals. On the whole, this guide is a very goof value.

Grape Wine – Ultimate Wine Tasting Kit

Wineguy — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 07:00:17 +0000

Ultimate Wine Tasting Kit

The editors at the distinguished Wine Spectator, America’s definitive publication on wine, reveal the secrets to tasting wine like the experts do, utilizing the magazine’s well-established 100-point system. This Ultimate Wine Tasting Kit contains everything necessary to conduct more than 25 different tastings, in addition to fundamental information about buying, storing, and serving wine. The comprehensive book-plus kit, designed for holding at-home blind tastings of wine for up to six participants, contains Harvey Steiman’s Essentials of Wine, Wine Spectator’s Pocket Guide to Wine and Quick Guide to Wine Tasting, bottle bags, tasting checklists, stemware tags, and bottle tags. It’s an impressive package, and there’s nothing else this complete in bookstores anywhere. With new, more efficient, and buyer-friendly packaging, we are bringing this exceptional kit back into our frontlist and have the opportunity to emphasize the high quality of its combined elements.

Customer Review: A Decent Gift
I purchased this as a gift and included some wine. It made a nice compliment to the wine, although I’m somewhat reluctant to say it would hold up on its own.

Customer Review: It’s very easy to keep your eye on the prize…
I found that with this kit I was able to stay focused on what to look for in each tasting. The tasting sheets helped me tremendously when there were characteristics present that I couldn’t identify. The book inside is quite easy-to-read and flip through. I loved everything about this kit and will continue to use it as a guideline in future tastings.

Best Wine – Wine Report 2009 (Wine Report)

Wineguy — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 17:00:12 +0000

Harlem Liquor Store Nervous After Nixing Bulletproof Glass To Placate Gentrifiers
Some of the more, shall we say, refined residents of the Mount Morris Park Historic District in East Central Harlem were recently mortified when a new wine shop opened up with bulletproof glass and garish neon signage that would make the Whore

Wine Report 2009 (Wine Report)

Fine Wine – Wine Tour of the Finger Lakes: Where to Stop, What to Taste, and What to Buy in New York State’s Premier Wine Region

Wineguy — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 17:00:16 +0000

There are fine wines from the Biltmore in N.C. – Monroe News Star

There are fine wines from the Biltmore in N.C.
Monroe News Star
All of the grapes for this wine were grown in Sonoma County, Calif. This wine was created in stainless steel to give it a clean and crisp feeling. A little of the wine was treated with a secondary fermentation to bring the crisp acids to levels that …

and more »

Wine Tour of the Finger Lakes: Where to Stop, What to Taste, and What to Buy in New York State’s Premier Wine Region

From the White House to four-star restaurants, Finger Lakes wines are now widely served and enjoyed. This book reveals how the vinifera revolution has produced wines that win awards in international competitions and earn respect from aficionados throughout the world, with lavish full-color panoramic photographs of this premier travel destination.

Customer Review: referred to it in between each winery stop on a 5 day vacation
this was a fantastic trip – the first time we toured an area specifically for wine tasting, and became comfortable stopping into wineries and interacting with those from the industry – the recommendations were fantastic and we lent this book to another couple who were also grateful for it’s recommendations

Customer Review: Ready for wine tour of the Finger Lakes
As I prepare and pack in order to move to the Finger Lakes region of NY state, I enjoyed reading Wine Tour, which further reinforces my love of the area. I have visited a few wineries and look forward to my permanent residence and a greater dedication of exploring the wine industry there. The book is well organized, informative and has many beautiful photographs of the region and its wineries. It is must read before wine touring.

Bar Wine – Wine of the Mystic : The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam : A Spiritual Interpretation

Wineguy — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 23:00:29 +0000

Wine of the Mystic : The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam : A Spiritual Interpretation
The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam as translated by Edward FitzGerald has long been one of the most beloved, and least understood, poems in the English language. In an illuminating new interpretation, Paramahansa YoganandaÂ—author of Autobiography of a Yogi, reveals the mystical essence of this enigmatic masterpiece, bringing to light the deeper truth and beauty behind its veil of metaphor. Commonly thought to be a celebration of wine and other worldly pleasures, these lyrical Persian quatrains find their true voice when read as a hymn to the transcendent joys of Spirit.
This beautifully illustrated edition of Wine of the Mystic introduces for the first time in book form Paramahansa Yogananda’s complete commentaries on an enduring treasure of world literature.

Yogananda said, “One day as I was deeply concentrated on the pages of Omar Khayyam’s Rubaiyat, I suddenly beheld the walls of its outer meanings crumble away, and the vast inner fortress of golden spiritual treasures stood open to my gaze. Ever since, I have admired the beauty of the previously invisible castle of inner wisdom in the Rubaiyat. I have felt that this dream-castle of truth, which can be seen by any penetrating eye, would be a haven for many shelter-seeking souls invaded by enemy armies of ignorance.”
“Profound spiritual treatises by some mysterious divine law do not disappear from the earth even after centuries of misunderstanding, as in the case of the Rubaiyat. Not even in Persia is all of Omar Khayyam’s deep philosophy understood in its entirety, as I have tried to present it.”
Â•Winner of the 1995 “Benjamin Franklin AwardÂ—Best Book in the Field of Religion”
Â•Features 50 beautiful original color illustrations
Â•Includes Persian text and spiritual commentary to each quatrain

Customer Review: Visually stunning and an esoteric piece of work!
The spiritual interpretation of “The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam” by Paramahansa Yogananda reveals to the reader the depth of Yogananda’s spiritual understanding and attainment. Yogananda interprets the poems in a very esoteric manner which leaves all sincere readers on the spiritual path breathless with admiration and veneration for Omar Khayyam.

Yogananda’s commentaries on these poems will bring every scholar on mystical Islam to shame. His depth of understanding on Sufism is a welcome diversion of Yogananda’s main spiritual books. Yogananda’s main goal was to show the unity of Hinduism and Christianity to the West. But this book clearly shows to the world that Yogananda DID NOT neglect the second most popular religion of this primitive earth – that is Islam.

The illustrations are amazingly beautiful with a touch of Islamic art. But it is the interpretations of the poems that this book shines out. There are three levels of interpretations of each poem. The word for word translation; the practical application of the poem and last but certainly not the least, the deeper spiritual meaning and application of the poems.

Lastly I would love to recommend this piece of timeless art to all the Muslims in this sordid world. The reason is because this book shows the reader the deeper aspect of Islam – which is Sufism. Muslim mystics like Rumi and Khayyam are dangerous to orthodox Muslims because these mystics have already realized Allah and are beyond the mundane rituals of basic Islam. Their state of spiritual attainment is similar to that of Yogananda, Jesus, Buddha, Ramakrishna, Sai Baba, and so on.

Thus no one is in a better position than Yogananda (except for those souls who have God realization), to interpret these poems the way Khayyam had intended it to be understood. I would also like to recommend other books about Sufism which would compliment this book beautifully.

Customer Review: MISTRANSLATIONS COMMENTED BY MANY STOCK PHRASES
In the Fitzgerald text that HH Yogananda comments, the Persian poem is not truly TRANSLATED: that is well explained in the Encyclopedia Britannica.

Yogananda dispensed with real translations to base his commentary on. That was unwise, for translators of the poem see how great the differences are between Fitzgerald’s work and a translation of Omar’s poem. With such an infirm basis to work on top of, the “interpretations of Omar” by Yogananda become formidable hocus-pocus – they are, rather, what he reads into Fitzgerald’s book – which differs from the work of Khayyam considerably.

(1) In this process Yogananda uses mistranslations as deep symbols to interpret; hence ERRONEUS guru dealings.

(2) He repeats himself up to gruesomely by STOCK PHRASES – very boring to some.

(3) MESS: To complicate things further, there are today TWO VERSIONS that lay claims on bringing Yogananda’s (non-savoury) interpretations. These independent versions often differ. It means you may not be sure you get the true wordings of Yogananda – after the essentials of Khayyam have been done away with by Fitzgerald.

CONCLUSION SO FAR: In this work there is too much inept or senile-looking handling to deal with.

Make Wine – Wine Cellars: An Exploration of Stylish Storage

Wineguy — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 13:00:12 +0000

Wine Cellars: An Exploration of Stylish Storage
This thorough and inspiring book provides a vicarious tour of the best in wine bottle storage. Visit more than 100 absolutely stunning, private wine cellars in over 200 beautiful color photographs. Peruse racking systems, tasting tables, and artful touches, created by leading wine cellar designers, including Paul Wyatt, Kathleen Valentini, Gary LaRose, and Doug Smith. Additionally, this is a guidebook to wine cellars in some of the world’s most renowned hotels and restaurants, where private parties can reserve a table and dine amidst coveted vintages. The book also visits handsome displays in restaurants that showcase wine programs to customers. The result is thousands of wonderful ideas for wine storage and display. This is the first work of its kind, making it an invaluable guide for architects, designers, and discerning homeowners and restaurateurs.

Customer Review: Acceptable, but overall disappointing
This book does not live up to expectations. Found that many of the photos are poor quality/amateur in nature. Some cellars displayed are spectacular but many are ho-hum. Nor does the book have any substantive material. Simple text descriptions accompany photos but only so much can be learned by looking at pictures. I agree with other reviews that this is a good coffee table or “idea” book. However, I expected more interesting photos with meaningful descriptions of the space, conditions, materials, lighting, etc… If you have to have it buy it used.

A much better book is: The Home Wine Cellar: A Complete Guide To Design And Construction by Perry Sims. While it doesn’t have as many photos, those it does have are more inspiring and accompanied by good information on cellar design and construction.

Customer Review: Cellar space
Its a good coffee table book, Some great photos with good ideas, and some general information for those looking to build a cellar. I’m glad to have it.

Bar Wine – Michael Broadbent’s Vintage Wine

Wineguy — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 23:00:14 +0000

Wine Adviser Seattle Times wine adviser lists his Top 100 – The Seattle Times

Wine Adviser Seattle Times wine adviser lists his Top 100
The Seattle Times
Their Rock Island Red is a great wine and under $20. (December 18, 2011, by Archimage) Read more FOR MY sixth annual Wine Adviser Top 100 list I have decided to make the competition even tougher by including the wines of Oregon. As in years past, …

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Michael Broadbent’s Vintage Wine

Unquestionably unique, demonstrably delightful, Michael Broadbent’s Vintage Wine is the culmination of one of the most extraordinary careers in the world of wine. Michael Broadbent quite possibly knows more about fine, old wines than anyone else alive, and he writes about them with unparalleled expertise.
Hired by Christie’s in 1966 to revive their wine auctions, Broadbent threw himself into his work, searching out great collections of the world’s finest wine–and keeping meticulous tasting notes. Here are evocations of Chateau d’Yquem from 1784–one of Thomas Jefferson’s favorites–and hundreds of vintages and thousands of wines right up to the present.
Years of “cellars visited and pillaged, involving the checking and packing of dust- and grime-laden bottles in distinctly dank and chilly conditions,” jet-set auctions around the world, legendary tastings and society events, have all helped to create an unrivalled store of vinous anecdotes as well as an unsurpassed wine-tasting history.

EXCERPT

From a tasting of 1784 Chateau Yquem:
“The most renowned vintage of the late 18th century and well-documented thanks mainly to the original copies of the letters and orders of Thomas Jefferson. . . . Jefferson did not trust wine merchants and insisted on bottling at the chateau. . . . The wine has a warm mahogany-amber colour with a pronounced yellow-green rim. Initially, the nose, unsurprisingly, was creakingly old but after fifteen minutes settled down to reveal a remarkably rich, tangy, honeyed scent.”

Customer Review: The Bible of ollder world wines
There is no other referance book like it. Admittedly a very personalized review of wines that Michael Broadbent has tasted over his lifetime.

Customer Review: the ultimate vintage book
Simply stated this is the best vintage book ever published. I am ordering a second copy as I keep the first in the wine cellar for making selections and need a second for my library so my guests can see what they are drinking. There is none better!!!

Fine Wine – Wine–a gentleman’s game: The adventures of an amateur winemaker turned professional

Wineguy — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 23:00:18 +0000

Wine–a gentleman’s game: The adventures of an amateur winemaker turned professional Related posts: Make Wine – Wine–a gentleman’s game: The adventures of an amateur winemaker turned professional Fine Wine – Adventures on the Wine Route Fine Wine – Cork Jester’s Wine Teasers Wine Game Related posts:

Best Wine – Port and the Douro (Faber Books on Wine)

Wineguy — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 05:00:16 +0000

The ongoing timeline of wine – Wine Lovers’ Page

Wine Lovers’ Page

The ongoing timeline of wine
Wine Lovers’ Page
It's December, the multicultural season of holidays, and we've chosen an appropriate Wine Focus topic for the month in our WineLovers Discussion Group. You're invited to join our friendly international crowd of online wine lovers as we taste and talk …

Suburban cellars’ online revolution – Adelaide Now

Suburban cellars' online revolution
Adelaide Now
"Online is the future, forget about bricks and mortar – showcasing wine behind bricks and mortar is the past," said Mr Mazzocato, who runs Skye Cellars at Auldana. "Even the elderly are ordering wine online, they are ordering champagne and getting it …

Port and the Douro (Faber Books on Wine)
An indispensable book for both the armchair wine connoisseur and anyone interested in visiting Portugal.

Port is indisputably one of the world’s great fortified wines, and shipments of Port to countries around the world are at their highest level ever. Port and the Douro recounts the fascinating history of Port, going back to the fourth century through the golden age of Port in the 1800s and up to the modern methods of production of the 1990s.

Approaching his subject with a wonderful combination of enthusiasm and erudition–and enhancing his points with beautiful color photographs and evocative line drawings by Leo Duff–Richard Mayson looks at each of the main quintas in the Douro Valley, the valley of terraced vineyards in northern Portugal in which the roots of Port are firmly embedded. He describes how Port is made and identifies all the different styles, from white to ruby to vintage Port. In addition to providing a list of the finest producers and vintages, he also offers such practical advice as how to age, decant, and serve Port, giving the Port drinker all the knowledge he or she needs in order to appreciate fully this special wine.

Customer Review: Port and Douro wine library
The book was exactly what I ordered.It was received in a very short period of time.

Customer Review: Definitive, comprehensive, informative, articulate.
Port And The Douro is the fascinating story of Port over the centuries and surveys the remarkable physical conditions of the wine growing region of Portugal, the grape varieties, and the vineyards that make the Douro valley so special. Richard Mayson draws upon his many years of experience in the wine trade in general and his remarkable expertise in Port wines and how they are made. Port And The Douro is definitive, comprehensive, informative, articulate, and greatly rewarding reading for connoisseurs, dealers, and the nonspecialist general reader seeking to select just the right Port for the occasion.

Wine – Wine, Tarts, & Sex (Berkley Sensation)

Wineguy — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 09:00:19 +0000

The Perfect White Wine For Turkey
Turkey Day approaches, so it’s time once again to face that ever-perplexing November conundrum: what wine to serve with the festive bird? Hosts and hostesses who handle the cooking of the roast with aplomb, and even show a tolerable hand at

Wine, Tarts, & Sex (Berkley Sensation)
World-renowned chef Jake Chambers has special talents in the kitchen—and in the bedroom as well. And local Minneapolis vintner Liv Bell is determined to let him taste what she has to offer.

Customer Review: Classic Susan Johnson
Susan Johnson has returned to what works for her in this contemporary title that features the best and worst of her writing. True to form, Johnson has created two characters who don’t want a relationship with their sex but end up liking their chemistry so much they don’t want to walk off in the morning. Liv and Jake hate their mutual obsession so much they spend too much time taking it out on each other. There’s no real love story involved, just two lustful people who like sleeping together.

In an attempt to insert a storyline Johnson has brought in Janie, a mutual friend of Liv and Jake and a trophy wife who is being replaced. This plotline is actually pretty interesting and I would have liked to have seen it as it’s own story without the irrelelvant sex. When the character was introduced I thought I would hate her, but she ended up be smart and spunky. I loved watching her outwit her almost-ex.

If Johnson had been able to give Liv and Jake a storyline as interesting as Janie’s this would have been an excellent book. Unfortuately she didn’t and their story is mostly made up of them trying to convince themselves to walk away. Janie’s story, while interesting, feels out of place as the driving plot bcause she is a secondary character.

Overall WT&S is an entertaining book but not likely to hit my keeper shelf or my list of recommended reads.

Customer Review: Felt Like Old Times
This book made me reread all SJ old historical romance novels that were what I now consider my first dip into erotica. I’ve enjoyed her strong male characters in denial and her also strong female characters who are always prepared to pick up the pieces and move on if love fails which it never does. This book is modern version and slightly toned down though SJ’s written sex scenes as always are HOT!. I’m glad I read this book and I think fans of her old work will enjoy this also.