California Wine For Dummies

Ed McCarthy, Mary Ewing-Mulligan

• Publisher: For Dummies
• Year: 2009
• ISBN:
  9780470506547
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Arte
• Subtopic: Arte culinaria

Discover the nuances of California wines and increase your drinking pleasure

Want to be a California wine connoisseur? This friendly guide gives you the knowledge you need to appreciate these fine wines, showing you how to taste them, select a good bottle, pair wine with food, and much more. You'll see why certain wine regions are renowned and how to further enrich your wine-drinking experience.

• California wine 101 — understand the range of California wines, what makes them unique, and what a varietal wine is

• Review the regions — explore the major wine regions of California and what makes each one special, from the soil to the climate
  
  

• Open the bottle — become fluent in the Big Six: Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinot Noir, and Zinfandel
  
  

• Go beyond the basics — appreciate Pinot Grigio, Viognier, Syrah, sparkling wines, and more
  
  

• Round out your wine experience — pair and share wines, learn about the proper glassware and serving temperatures, and prepare for a winery visit
  
  

Open the book and find:

• An overview of California wine today

• Wine recommendations for all budgets
  
  

• Explanations of wine label language
  
  

• A map of wine regions
  
  

• Tips for aging and collecting California wines
  
  

• Winery tasting etiquette
  
  

• The ins and outs of recent vintages
  
  

• Top wine country travel destinations