While the subject of wine, beer, and spirits continues to grow in popularity, there are very few books that approach the subject in an accessible manner and that also contain the pedagogical features needed by instructors. In addition, most books cover the subject of wine only, while hospitality students need a broader base on knowledge that also includes beer and spirits. After finishing the book, readers will be prepared to take the introductory certification exams of the Court of Master Sommeliers, International Sommelier Guild, and Society of Wine Educators and receive a first-level certification. Divided into five parts, Gibson covers wine, beer, and spirits. Along with a history of each type of beverage, he also covers how these beverages are produced and manufactured, varieties and styles of these beverages, and food pairings. Most importantly, Gibson covers costing, pricing, merchandising, marketing, and storing wine, along with creating a balanced wine list and table service.

Looks at how and where wine is made and how this affects its quality and pricing, including information on how the professionals taste and rate wine and a country-by-country tour of the latest vintages.

Zraly employs his usual inimitable irreverent style as he takes a close look at America's wines and their history, discussing varieties from all 50 states.

In Postmodern Winemaking, Clark Smith shares the extensive knowledge he has accumulated in engaging, humorous, and erudite essays that convey a new vision of the winemaker's craft--one that credits the crucial roles played by both science and art in the winemaking process. Smith, a leading innovator in red wine production techniques, explains how traditional enological education has led many winemakers astray--enabling them to create competent, consistent wines while putting exceptional wines of structure and mystery beyond their grasp. Great wines, he claims, demand a personal and creative engagement with many elements of the process. His lively exploration of the facets of postmodern winemaking, together with profiles of some of its practitioners, is both entertaining and enlightening.

Do you enjoy fine wine? Can you name the different varieties of grape and the wines that are made from them? Are you an expert on all aspects of the wine making process? If so, find out how much you really know about wine with the 500 testing questions in this new quiz book. What grape produces wine that sometimes has the aroma of diesel or petrol? From which wine region in France does Sancerre come? In making Sherry, what is the system of topping up casks with older sherry called? The answers to these questions and more can all be found in The Wine Quiz Book. With sections on different wines from countries around the world, wine growing and making, anagrams of well-known wines, grape varieties, as well as general questions about the entire wine making process, you are certain to learn something new. This is a must-have book for anyone with an interest in the wine industry from the most discerning connoisseur to the enthusiastic amateur. If you like wine, you won't want to be without this book.

“When it comes to beginners’ wine guides, Windows on the World Complete Wine Course is one of the perennial best.” —Wall Street Journal With more than three million copies sold, this perennial bestseller by James Beard Lifetime Achievement Award Winner Kevin Zraly is the definitive guide to understanding and appreciating wine. Kevin Zraly, America’s ultimate wine educator, demystifies every aspect of choosing, tasting, and enjoying wine. From the renowned reds of Bordeaux and California to the trail-blazing whites of Washington State and New Zealand, this essential volume features maps of each region, lush photographs, a wealth of infographics, best value bottles for each country, hundreds of labels to help you find the right wines, and guided tastings. It also includes the latest vintages to savor, comprehensive notes on food pairings, and answers to frequently asked questions. This revised and expanded edition features new classes on South America, Australia, and New Zealand, sparkling wine, and fortified wine as well as information on cutting-edge trends (rosé, Prosecco) and emerging wine regions, including Sicily and China. The Windows on the World Complete Wine Course gives you all the tools you need to discover and enjoy the best wines for you.

With acerbic wit, irreverent tone, and bountiful hilarious anecdotes, Jay McInerney writes the first wine book that makes sense to all those dazed by the prevailing, dull technical wine writing. McInerney generously reveals all he's learned on his worldwide journey to understand wine in chapters on reds, whites, dessert wines, champagne, aperitifs, and more. McInerney holds forth in forty-nine essays - with agile humor; an astonishing amount of hard fact, and an ample dose of personal taste - on: how to make your way around a German wine label; what to drink with Thanksgiving turkey; the truth about Zinfandels; why Burgundy is so hard to predict; Napa Valley's finest winemakers; the pleasure of flinty Chablis, the deep satisfaction of port, the glorious potential of Oregon's Pinot Noir; the respectability of RosT; and the most colorful characters in the business. It is actually possible for a reader of Bacchus & Me to take what is learned to the bank, and immediately thereafter to wine shop or restaurant to indulge in the wine of his or her fantasy with the confidence of a sommelier. Bacchus & Me is for everyone interested in learning more about the wines of the world. For both those of broad means and of modest purse, there is intense vicarious pleasure to be found in McInerney's vinous adventures.

Master the mysteries of wine. The study of wine and beverages has become integral to hospitality education. The Wine, Beer, and Spirits Handbook demystifies the wine and wine-making process, examining not only the making and flavor profiles of wine, beer, and spirits, but also the business of wine service as practiced by a chef or sommelier. Unique to this book, is the strong emphasis on food and wine pairings, as well as food and beverage interactions. An entire chapter uncovers this broad, often intimidating, topic with detailed information on table wines, sparkling wines, fortified wines, beer and spirits. More importantly, The Handbook explains the responsibilities of a sommelier from both service and managerial perspectives. Readers explore their wine-related duties including: the developing of wine lists, identifying faulty wines, ordering, receiving, and storing wines, conducting inventory control, pricing, product research, cellar management, and the health and legal implications of wine consumption. A comprehensive, one-stop resource to the character and best use of beverages, The Wine, Beer, and Spirits Handbook will help every student, chef, sommelier and wine enthusiast confidently master the mysteries of wine and other beverages.

From aperitif to digestif, approach every meal with savvy and grace. We’ve all experienced Fancy-Pants Restaurant Jitters at some point – the fear that you will unknowingly commit some fine-dining crime, whether it’s using the wrong fork, picking an amateur wine, mispronouncing foie gras, or gasping when your fish entrée arrives with its head still attached. Relax. The Mere Mortal’s Guide to Fine Dining is the ultimate antidote to restaurant anxiety. Where does your napkin go when you leave the table? Should you sniff the wine cork? And why, pray tell, are there so many forks? This comprehensive and accessible primer answers these and dozens of other questions and offers the basics on every aspect of fine dining, including: * How to navigate a place setting * Speaking menu-ese and the language of fine food * A refresher on polite and polished table manners * 911 for wine novices * A carnivore’s guide to beef, pork, lamb, and veal * What local, sustainable, and organic really mean * Japanese dining dos and don’ts * Who’s who on a restaurant’s staff * How to be a regular—or get the perks like one * Top restaurants across the country * What the food snobs know (and you should, too) * And much more… With a little help, any Mere Mortal can order wine with confidence, get great, attitude-free service, decipher menus, and finally, truly, savor any dining experience.