Wine Style : Using Your Senses to Explore and Enjoy Wine

by Mary Ewing-Mulligan; Ed McCarthy

• ISBN13: 9780764544538
• ISBN10: 0764544535
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2005-10-01
• Publisher: Wiley

Summary

From the bestselling authors of Wine For Dummies, a different way to choose and enjoy wine Because the choices in a wine store or on a wine list can seem limitless or intimidating, wine drinkers often stick with what they know, such as Merlot, or go with the choice made by a wine critic or a waiter. This appealingly straightforward and unintimidating guide will help wine drinkers discover what they like and make informed choices. The authors identify 12 wine styles, or taste categories, including four for red wine and four for white wine. For each style, the authors detail how it tastes, where it comes from, grape varieties that are common for the style, and a few recommended wines. The style "Soft, Fruity Red Wines," for instance, includes U.S. Merlots, Beaujolais, Burgundies and other Pinot Noirs, and southern Italian reds, among other wines. Complete with tips on pairing wine with food and a pull-out wine wheel to help readers remember the styles, this is the refreshingly different book wine drinkers have been waiting for. Mary Ewing-Mulligan, Master of Wine, and Ed McCarthy, Certified Wine Instructor (New York, NY), are among the best-known, most widely respected wine experts in the United States. They have appeared frequently in the media, including on television's Food Network and CNNfn, and have written seven wine books in the For Dummies series.

Author Biography

MARY EWING-MULLIGAN, Master of Wine, and ED McCARTHY are among the best-known, most widely respected wine experts in the United States. They are coauthors of the bestselling Wine For Dummies and six other wine books, and each is a wine columnist and frequent contributor to magazines, radio, and television. Mary, the first female Master of Wine in the U.S., is president of International Wine Center, a New York City school that trains hundreds of wine professionals and wine lovers each year. Ed is generally considered the leading U.S. expert on Champagne.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments	vii
Introduction	ix
What Is Wine Style---and Why Does It Matter?	1	(8)
Categorizing wines by taste, and where quality enters the picture
Tasting Wine for Quality and Style	9	(15)
What constitutes a wine's taste and its quality
Getting Down to the Styles	24	(13)
Twelve wine styles---four for white wine, four for red, two for rose, and two for sparkling wine---plus two overarching stylistic influences
Fresh, Unoaked White Wines	37	(16)
Light, crisp, refreshing whites with fairly subdued aromas and flavors, such as Muscadets, inexpensive white Bordeaux wines, Pinot Grigios, and various other European whites
Earthy Whites	53	(18)
Unoaked or gently oaked wines with broad, earthy flavors, such as Rhone whites, Macons, Vouvrays, and similar wines
Aromatic Whites	71	(23)
Flavorful, unoaked whites from aromatic grapes, such as Rieslings, Gruner Veltliners, Gewurztraminers, Viogniers, Albarinos some Pinot Gris wines, some Sauvignon Blancs
Rich, Oaky Whites	94	(19)
Full-bodied, flavorful whites with oaky character, such as most New World Chardonnays, oaked Sauvignon Blancs, elite white Bordeaux wines, and other wines
Mild-mannered Reds	113	(15)
Easy-drinking, subtle reds, such as inexpensive red Bordeaux wines, traditional Rioja wines, Northeastern Italian Merlots and Cabernets, simple Chiantis, and similar wines
Soft and Fruity Reds	128	(19)
Uncomplicated, youthful reds, such as most Beaujolais wines, many Southern Rhone wines, some Southern Italian reds, some Pinot Noirs from the New World, some U.S. Merlots, and inexpensive American and Australian reds
Fresh, Spicy Reds	147	(21)
Savory, firm reds with lots of personality, such as Dolcettos, Barberas, some Zinfandels, cru Beaujolais wines, Argentine Malbecs, Chilean Carmeneres, and other wines
Powerful Reds	168	(25)
Full-bodied, intense red wines, such as elite California Cabernets and Merlots, elite red Bordeaux wines, Barolos, Brunello di Montalcinos, most Northern Rhone reds, and similar wines
Rose Wines in Two Styles	193	(18)
Blush wines such as those from Zinfandel, Merlot, or Grenache grapes in California and dry roses such as those from Tempranillo in Rioja, Spain, and blends from Provence
Sparkling Wines in Two Styles	211	(21)
Fruity bubbly wines such as Prosecco, and serious, complex sparklers such as Champagne
Glossary	232	(7)
Index	239