| Foreword | ix |
| The Top Ten Wine Myths | x |
| Introduction | xi |
| Acknowledgments | xii |
| 1 | A Brief History of Wine | 1 |
| Wine in the Ancient World | 2 |
| Wine in Europe | 5 |
| Wine in the Americas | 7 |
| Prohibition Wipes Out an Industry | 10 |
| The Wine Boom in the United States | 12 |
| 2 | Categories of Wine: More Than Red, White, and Pink | 17 |
| How Wine Is Made | 18 |
| Red Wine | 21 |
| White Wine | 22 |
| Rose Wine | 23 |
| Sparkling Wine | 24 |
| Fortified Wine | 25 |
| Dessert Wine | 26 |
| Kosher Wine | 27 |
| Organic Wine | 30 |
| Vegetarian and Vegan Wine | 33 |
| 3 | Types of Wine: What's in a Name? | 35 |
| The Grapes | 36 |
| Growing the Grapes | 38 |
| Hybrids | 41 |
| Naming Wines: Region vs. Grape | 42 |
| Made-Up Names | 44 |
| How to Read a Label | 46 |
| Is Vintage Important? | 49 |
| 4 | A Primer on Red Grape Varieties | 51 |
| Cabernet Sauvignon | 52 |
| Merlot | 54 |
| Pinot Noir | 55 |
| Syrah/Shiraz | 57 |
| Sangiovese | 58 |
| Tempranillo | 59 |
| Zinfandel | 59 |
| Other Red Grape Varieties | 61 |
| 5 | A Primer on White Grape Varieties | 65 |
| Chardonnay | 66 |
| Chenin Blanc | 68 |
| Gewurztraminer | 69 |
| Muscat | 70 |
| Pinot Gris | 71 |
| Riesling | 72 |
| Sauvignon Blanc | 74 |
| Viognier | 75 |
| Up-and-Comers | 76 |
| 6 | Wine Regions of the "Old World" | 79 |
| France | 80 |
| Italy | 86 |
| Germany | 89 |
| Spain | 91 |
| Portugal | 93 |
| Austria | 94 |
| 7 | Wine Regions of the "New" World | 95 |
| Australia | 96 |
| New Zealand | 98 |
| South Africa | 100 |
| Chile | 102 |
| Argentina | 104 |
| Canada | 106 |
| New Frontiers | 108 |
| 8 | Wine Regions of the United States | 109 |
| You're Not in France Anymore, Dorothy | 110 |
| California | 111 |
| New York | 115 |
| Oregon | 117 |
| Washington | 119 |
| The "Other" 46 | 121 |
| 9 | Enjoying Wine: Tasting It and Talking about It | 123 |
| Why Wine Tastes Good: The Physiology of Taste | 124 |
| Winetasting Techniques from the Pros | 126 |
| Mastering the Lingo...Terms to Know | 127 |
| Recognizing "Flaws" | 129 |
| Do Critics Know Best? | 131 |
| 10 | Wine and Food | 135 |
| The Dynamics of Food and Wine | 136 |
| Matching Likes to Likes | 137 |
| More Than Taste | 140 |
| Wine and Cheese: The Classic Match | 141 |
| Warning: Bad Matches Ahead | 142 |
| Fail-Safe Measures | 143 |
| Cooking with Wine | 144 |
| 11 | The Cost of Wine: What Goes into the Bottle | 147 |
| Costs of Wine Production | 148 |
| More Winemaker Decisions | 150 |
| The Distribution System | 151 |
| The Changing Landscape of Wine Distribution | 153 |
| Demand for Wine | 155 |
| Price Influences Demand | 156 |
| From Wholesaler to the Table | 157 |
| 12 | Shopping for Wine | 159 |
| Wine Stores | 160 |
| Discount Warehouses and Superstores | 162 |
| What Are You Looking For? | 163 |
| Strategies for Buying Wine | 164 |
| Screw Tops Make the Big Time | 167 |
| Box Wines Come Out of the Closet | 169 |
| Buying Wine Online | 170 |
| Rare Finds at Auctions | 171 |
| Keeping Track of What You Like | 172 |
| 13 | Entertaining at Home | 175 |
| Choose Your Entertaining Style | 176 |
| Glassware Basics | 176 |
| Corkscrewing Around | 178 |
| Serving Tips | 179 |
| Serving Wine at Your Dinner Party | 182 |
| Wine for Cocktail Parties | 184 |
| Winetasting Parties | 186 |
| Holidays with Wines | 189 |
| Post-Party Tips | 190 |
| 14 | Wine at Restaurants: You're in Charge | 193 |
| A Restaurant's Attitude Toward Wine | 194 |
| Deciphering the Wine List | 196 |
| Strategies for Choosing a Wine | 198 |
| Wine Etiquette | 200 |
| Getting the Most for Your Money | 204 |
| 15 | All Things Bubbly | 207 |
| Champagne vs. Sparkling Wine | 208 |
| History of Champagne | 210 |
| Champagne Houses | 212 |
| Choosing a Champagne | 213 |
| Champagne by Any Other Name | 216 |
| Storing and Serving Bubbly | 219 |
| Champagne Leftovers | 221 |
| Champagne Recipes | 222 |
| 16 | Dessert Wines and Fortified Wines | 225 |
| Sweet Wines in History | 226 |
| Late Harvest and Noble Rot | 226 |
| Ice Wines | 228 |
| Port | 230 |
| Sherry | 233 |
| Madeira | 235 |
| 17 | Establishing a Home Wine Cellar | 237 |
| Why Do You Want a Wine Cellar? | 238 |
| What Does a Wine Cellar Look Like? | 239 |
| Starting Your Wine Collection | 242 |
| Wines Worth Cellaring | 244 |
| Expanding Your Wine Collection | 247 |
| Where to Buy Collectible Wines | 248 |
| Managing and Maintaining Your Cellar | 252 |
| 18 | Wine and Health | 255 |
| The French Paradox | 256 |
| What the Studies Say | 257 |
| Health Components in Wine | 260 |
| Wine and Weight Loss | 261 |
| Too Much of a Good Thing | 262 |
| The Hangover | 263 |
| Headaches | 264 |
| Wine-Health Challenges | 267 |
| 19 | Visiting a Winery | 269 |
| Types of Wineries | 270 |
| Planning Your Trip | 270 |
| Tasting Rooms | 272 |
| Tasting Room Etiquette | 274 |
| To Buy or Not to Buy | 276 |
| Experiencing Wine Country | 277 |
| Postcards from Winery Visits | 278 |
| 20 | Wine Information Resources | 287 |
| Who Do You Trust? | 288 |
| Wine Magazines, Newsletters, and Web Sites | 288 |
| Have Wine, Will Travel | 290 |
| The Pleasure of Your Company | 294 |
| The Big Wine Marketplace | 295 |
| Is a Career in Wine Part of Your Future? | 297 |
| It's Time to Fly | 299 |
| Appendix A | Pronunciation Guide | 301 |
| Appendix B | Glossary | 307 |
| Index | 313 |
