Wine Isn't Rocket Science: A Quick and Easy Guide to Understanding, Buying, Tasting, and Pairing Every Type of Wine

by Ophelie Neiman, Yannis Varoutsikos (Illustrator)

Overview

This fully illustrated and highly informative guide is an exciting introduction to the world of wine for anyone who has ever wanted to learn but didn't know where to begin.

Rocket science is complicated, wine doesn't have to be! With information presented in an easy, illustrated style, and chock-full of the fool-proof and reliable knowledge of a seasoned oenophile, Wine Isn't Rocket Science is the guide you always wished existed. From how grapes are grown, harvested and turned into wine, to judging the color, aroma, and taste of the world's most popular varietals (wine made from a particular grape), to understanding terroir and feeling confident ordering and serving wine at any occasion, this book explains it all in the simplest possible way. Every page, every piece of information, and every detail is illustrated in charming and informative four-color drawings that explain concepts at a glance.

Includes detailed information on a vast array of varietals that will help transform a beginner into a connoisseur.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780316431309
Publisher:	Running Press Book Publishers
Publication date:	04/04/2017
Pages:	272
Sales rank:	1,079,888
Product dimensions:	7.40(w) x 9.50(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

Ophelie Neiman is the author of the wine blog Miss GlouGlou. Hosted on the LeMonde website, it's one of the most popular wine blogs in France. Wine Isn't Rocket Science is her first book and it has been translated into eleven languages. She lives in France.

Yannis Varoutsikos is an illustrator and graphic designer. He is artistic director at Woll Beer and founder of the website Good Manners, which sells bags and accessories for men. He lives in France.

Table of Contents

Juliette plans a party 6

Before the party 8

During the party 20

After the party 27

Jack learns to taste wine 32

The colors of wine 34

The aromas of wine 40

In the mouth 50

Finding the wine of your dreams 64

Henry participates in the grape harvest 70

The grape, from berry to harvest 72

White varieties 74

Red varieties 95

The life of the vine 130

Harvest time 140

Making wine 144

Aging 152

Caroline visits the vineyards 162

The terroir 164

The wines of France 168

The wines of Europe 187

The wines of the world 196

Elizabeth becomes an apprentice sommelier 210

The basics of food and wine pairing 212

Which wine goes with my meal? 214

Food assassins 221

Which dish goes with my wine? 222

Paul buys wine 232

At a restaurant 234

How to decode a wine label 239

How to buy a bottle 245

How to build a wine cellar 253

Cheat sheets 261

Index 268

Editorial Reviews

★ 04/17/2017
While wine blogger Ophelie Neiman’s debut isn’t the first book to attempt to introduce novices to the immersive world of wine, it’s easily one of the best. Neiman begins with a practical approach to selecting wine, offering tips for hosting a party. She explains the pros and cons of various glasses and corkscrews and gives advice on selecting the appropriate wines as well as on chilling wine quickly and how to quickly recover from a bad wine. This brief opening distillation of the subject matter is brilliant—even if readers never get past the first twenty-five pages they still will have acquired enough information to confidently serve wine at a get-together. That strong opening will likely carry readers through the rest of the book, where they’ll learn the flavor profiles of various wines and their respective regions as well as the expected food pairings. They’ll also pick up great tips on selecting the right wine at a restaurant and at the supermarket. Neiman offers all sorts of trivia along the way, on such subjects as the secrets of cork, how to remove red-wine stains, and surefire phrases to make you sound like a card-carrying oenophile. Yannis Varoutsikos’s whimsical illustrations add to the instructional material and keep readers engaged. This book is a terrific introduction to an often intimidating subject. (Apr.)

Publishers Weekly

★ 04/01/2017
French wine blogger Neiman delivers an excellent starting point for novices—and a terrific refresher for those with a little more knowledge. Ignore the framing device wherein each chapter supposedly follows the ventures of a different character (Juliette plans a party, Paul buys wine) into different areas of understanding wine. Far better is how Neiman skillfully distills the essential information about a gamut of topics such as grapes and terroirs, food pairings, and more. The translation maintains a consistent, approachable voice, and readers will be able to skip to sections of interest without confusion. The simply colored line art by Varoutsikos is a marvelous enhancement to the text. As the author proves, wine isn't at all rocket science, but rather can be grasped with relative ease and the confident assistance of the right guide. Exceptionally helpful, particularly for those beginning to learn about wine. VERDICT Highly recommended where books on wine are popular.—Peter Hepburn, Coll. of the Canyons Lib., Santa Clarita, CA

Library Journal