Discovering Wine has been hailed by new and experienced wine lovers everywhere as the classic, approachable introduction to the luscious world of wine. In this revised and updated edition, Simon addresses the latest wine trends and provides brand-new information on vintages recently established in countries and continents around the globe.

More than 250 full-color photographs, maps, and charts beautifully complement Simon's effervescent approach to the fascinating world of wine, and 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

• Taste and judge wine like an expert
• Correctly match food and wine
• Follow the newest guidelines for serving and storing your wines
• Discern classic wines from those that emulate them
• Understand the importance and role of grapes
• Know when a particular wine is ready to drink

In addition to demystifying wine, Simon explores famous vineyards and explains how the winemakers use grapes to their most delicious advantage. And 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 Médoc to Moldova, and everywhere in between.

As entertaining as it is informative, Discovering Wine is destined to remain the definitive beginner's guide to wine.

Average Customer Review: ( 5 customer reviews )
Write an online review and share your thoughts with other customers.

Its strength is in the simple presentation of the facts. The chapters are clearly titled, like "Matching food with wine" and "Ways to store your wine." The writing is clean, though it comes across slightly elitist (ex: choosing 'wend' instead of 'wind,' noting a certain country produces a 'credible' variety of wine). It is balanced by an encyclopedic style, providing insight into the basics of wine appreciation.

Many countries are highlighted for their vineyards and wines. Learn which wines are made where, and how the process is distinguished from country to country.

The pictures are sharp, beautiful and informative. You'll see terraces of Germany, hills of Tuscany, and the mountains of Peru in sheer splendor and relevance.

Especially useful for me was the lexicon of tasting terms, a brief lesson on wine tasting and what to look for, and a discussion (with perfect pictures) on which glasses and decanters to use.

The weakest aspect of the book was the chapter on matching food and wine, but the weakness was not in the content, but in the brevity. Ten pages should have been 20.

I fully recommend "Discovering Wine" by Joanna Simon as a first book.

Anthony Trendl

5 of 5 found the following review helpful:

Nice beginner book, but some tips outdatedDec 27, 2001
By Ripped off Buyer
Overall, this was a nice introduction to wine. However, it was obviously written in the early nineties, so the good year/bad year tips on many of the white wines that were not meant to age for ten years are kind of useless today (For some wines, 1987 may have been a good year if you drank it in 1991, but in 2001 it might taste a little closer to vinegar than you prefer.) But if you learn enough to know that the book you are reading is outdated, then you must have learned something. Three stars.

Comprehensive yet easy readingJun 21, 2010
By Artica75
The book does a good job of briefing novice and experienced wine drinkers. I like the section on regions and explanations of varietals. Great coffee table book to educate and get friends interested in wines.

6 of 12 found the following review helpful:

funApr 11, 2000

I thought that all the pictures were very helpful. There is a lot of background infomation on the countries that make wine. The reading is positively refreshing and easily read.

Unfortunately, as an amatuer wine connoiseur I wished that they would have something a little more tangible. For example I like to drink zinfandel, but there are many different companies that make zinfandel. Some are good and some are bad. I was hoping to get a list of some of the more well liked as well as less liked brand names. That way I could have more of an idea what professional wine-tasters look for. Instead of thinking that my second rate 10$ bottle of wine is the same as some 50$ bottle of wine.

0 of 4 found the following review helpful:

A user friendly bookOct 03, 2001
By Steve Robbins "ilovewine"
This is a really nice book, to get you started in wine appreciation.

I also bought a Perfect Sommelier, because I wanted to taste the wine as soon as I bought it, instead of waiting years for it to be cellared. Use Google to search for it.

The book really helped in locating some of the many varieties of wine that are available today. I love the 'Dummy' book too!