More than 250 full-color photographs, maps, & charts beautifully complement Simon's effervescent approach to the fascinating world of wine, & help to dispel the mystique that so often surrounds the subject. She provides the crucial hints that will help you to become a wine aficionado -- virtually overnight. You will learn how to
In addition to demystifying wine, Simon explores famous vineyards & explains how the winemakers use grapes to their most delicious advantage. & after a concise but thorough roundup of today's wine styles, Simon conducts a tour through the wine regions of the world -- from Chianti to Coonawarra, from Medoc to Moldova, & everywhere in between.
As entertaining as it is informative, Discovering Wine is destined to remain the definitive beginner's guide to wine.
The life story of a house is told by the stones, bricks, timber, tiles & thatch that make up its walls, floors & roof. This book describes how different structural techniques adopted by house builders down the centuries may provide clues to the date of construction. An unfolding story of alteration, improvement, extension (and occasional dilapidation) may be read in the layout f rooms or the style of features, fixtures & fittings. The history of an old house is also discovered in manuscripts & printed books, in archives & public libraries. These crucial sources are described & explained with the help of apt"ations & old documents & reproductions of maps, plans & pictures. Separate chapters unravel the intricacies of old title deeds, place-names & on-site survey methods.