Complete Idiot's Guide to Choosing Wine Manuscript Edition By Philip Seldon ABOUT THE AUTHOR Philip Seldon had his first taste of wine at age five at the traditional Passover seder. The wine was sweet kosher wine (not the kind of wine subject of this book) and watered down but nevertheless delicious. From this first introduction, came a lifelong fascination with wine that has made him a leading figure on the international wine scene. In the mid 60’s he drank his way through the classified growths of Bordeaux and the Premier and Grand cru of Burgundy with abandon as they were extremely inexpensive the and thus honed his wine tasting skills on the world’s finest wines. After graduation from college he devoted two years to world travel in quest of knowledge of gourmet food and fine wines. His classroom were the great restaurants of the world as well as the elegant dining tables of gastronomes he befriended in his travels. In 1971 he founded the wine magazine publishing industry in America with his launch of Vintage Magazine, America’s first wine magazine which he published for seventeen years after which he retired from active business. He is a member of numerous prestigious gourmet and wine societies and was founding chairman of the prestigious Wine Writers Circle in New York. He is a director of the Vintage Society Foundation and head of its wine and health project. He is author of the best-selling Vintage Magazine Consumer Guide to Wine and editor of The Great Wine Chateau of Bordeaux. He has received numerous honors and awards for his publication of Vintage Magazine. He lives in New York City with his two cats who constantly sit on his keyboard whenever he tries to write. He has also written The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Wine, The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Classical Music, The Complete Cigar book, The Business Traveler’s World Guide and is working on a book on Astronomy for Harvard University Press. Dear Reader, There is no finer experience than drinking a wine that makes you feel good to be alive. This book in its manuscript form will tell you just about everything you need to know to choose such a wine. You will learn all the wine basics. You will be able to recognize the difference between a wine that’s just good and a wine that is truly great. The Complete Idiot’s Pocket Guide to Wine will tell you how to become a savvy wine consumer. With a firm foundation of knowledge, you will be able to talk about wine like an expert. And you will be able to choose a wine from the myriad of available selections like a pro. I hope that you will learning about how to choose a wine from this book as much as I have enjoyed writing it. A votre sante - Philip Seldon Page 1 - 4 (a)Chapter 1 (b)If You Know Nothing About Wine, Start Here (d)In This Chapter [lb] A basic knowledge of wine will make wine drinking more enjoyable [lb] Wine is the fermented juice of grapes or fruit [lb] Wines range in quality from ordinary to works of art [lb] The types of wine [lb] The quality categories of wine In this chapter you'll find out why wine is more than just an ordinary beverage. Wine is the fermented juice of grapes or other fruit, although in this book we'll be concentrating on grapes. Through a combination of centuries-old tradition and late 20th century technology, these unassuming-looking fruits can be turned into anything ranging from a simple and enjoyable drink to a complex and noble tribute to the winemaker's art. Wine comes in many types and qualities, and this chapter will provide an introduction to the awesome but thoroughly accessible world of wine. (d)This Book Is About Wine If you're serious about learning about wine, you've probably got a lot of questions. For example, what distinguishes a mediocre wine from a great wine? Try the following analogy: Have you ever heard Beethoven's Fifth Symphony played by a high school orchestra? The orchestra diligently rehearsed so everyone was in time and on Page 1 - 5 key and the result was pleasant enough to listen to. But if this was your first exposure to Beethoven, you wondered why so many generations have been so awed by the scowling, shaggy-haired maestro. On the other hand, if you've heard the same symphony played by a truly great orchestra, you can probably figure out what was missing from the high school orchestra: subtlety, style, and flavor. A great conductor knows how to accent the subtle nuances of orchestration, to draw on the talents of each musician. Each orchestra has its own unique style, which further sets it apart from the mainstream. The flavor lies in the rich harmony of sounds, and it makes you want to hear more. Instead of applauding politely, you want to stand up and yell, "Bravo! Bravo!" Wine Wisdom These are three keywords to remember when learning about wine: subtlety, style, and flavor. (c)What Is Wine? At the most basic level, wine is fermented fruit juice. In simple terms, fermentation is the conversion of sugar[md]in the case of wine, grape sugar[md]into alcohol by the interaction of yeast. Wine can be made from a number of fruits[md]from apples to pomegranates[md] but the focus of this book is wine that is made from grapes. Wine Word Page 1 - 6 A wine with complexity is a wine with more than one simple flavor. Complex wines have layers of flavors and nuances that make it more interesting and enjoyable than a simple wine. The flavor of a complex wine might be described as "tasting of raspberries with hints of chocolate." Three factors interact to determine the character of a wine: 1) the grape variety and how it's grown, 2) the climate and soil where it is grown, and 3) the vintner's (winemaker's) creative or commercial objective and winemaking skills. The vintner has the dual role of scientist and artist. Europeans tend to favor the artistic element, while New World winemakers accent the scientific. Globally, winemakers today have sophisticated technology that enables them to make good quality wine at the lowest price (a good thing to know when you feel like telling off snobbish acquaintances). Technology serves as the background for artistry, enabling winemakers to infuse their wines with the subtle differences in flavor and style that distinguish the products of one vintner from another, grapes and environment being the same. Important Things to Know Research studies have revealed that drinking wine in moderation is good for your health,but that does not mean that you should cancel your health insurance and buy more wine with the money you save. A glass or two of red wine a day will reduce your cholesterol level and lower your risk of heart disease. One or two glasses of any kind of wine a day will reduce the risk of heart attack from other causes. However, keep in mind that drinking any alcoholic beverage in excess can cause serious health problems, including cirrhosis of the liver. (c)What Kind of Wine Is My Wine? Page 1 - 7 Understanding things like harmony and subtlety are essential to fine wine appreciation, but that understanding doesn't address the practical considerations that separate a superb wine from the merely good, and the good from the mediocre. For example, why do some German Rieslings stand head and shoulders above those wines made from the same grape variety in California? Conversely, why does a Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon sometimes run circles around an Italian Chianti Classico? There is nothing inherently "better" or "worse" about European or New World wine. A number of factors are involved, and the quality of the end product depends on the interaction between them. Wine Word A wine is said to be harmonious if all its elements are in proper relation to each other. The acidity does not overpower the flavor. The body seems right for the other elements of the wine. The aftertaste does not fall short. More on this to come when we discuss wine tasting in Chapters 5 and 6. To help you understand what to expect from a particular wine, you need to understand what kind of wine it is. Next, I'll cover the basic types of wine: table wine, sparkling wines, fortified wines, and aperitif wines. (d)If Wine Is Not Made out of Wood, Why Do They Call It Table Wine? If the term table wine evokes the image of a bottle or carafe sitting on a red and white checkered table cloth, you have the right idea. Table wines are reds, whites, and ros[e]s which are produced to accompany a meal. Most of the wines we drink and will discuss in this book fall into this basic category. Important Things to Know Page 1 - 8 Table wines range in alcohol content from nine to fourteen percent. Wines with more than fourteen percent alcohol (that is, fortified wines) are subject to higher taxation and are therefore classified separately. (d)Do Varietal Wines Belong in Variety Magazine? Varietal wines are named for the primary grape used to make the wine. Some varietal wines use one grape exclusively, while others blend the dominant grape with other grape types. When more than one grape is used, the minimum percentage of the designated grape is regulated by law.