Do you love wine but not know much about it? Do wine lists (and wine snobs) make you nervous? Is your default order at a bar or restaurant, Gee, I guess I'll have a glass of Chardonnay? Well then, it's time you learn your ABC--Anything but Chardonnay!--and join the other budding oenophiles who are discovering that there's a whole wide wonderful world of wine beyond that mundane old standby.
Wine & food journalist Laura Holmes Haddad guides your exploration of scores of other well-known & not-so-well-known varieties of wine grapes: albarino & falanghina, riesling & tempranillo, carbernet franc & malbec (and many, many more). Haddad recognizes that gaining knowledge about wine can be an intimidating prospect, & so she's written her timely new guide in a style that's smart, lively, & very accessible to the non-expert reader.
Anything But Chardonnay is organized by the basic types of wine: red, white, bubbly, & dessert. In addition to her clear descriptions of each grape & the typical characteristics of the wines made from it, Haddad provides valuable information on wine regions, producers, prices, & pairing wines with food--all enlivened with splashes of fascinating wine trivia & lovely illustrations.