Summer Read: Wine For Dummies 7th Edition

When you see a book titled Wine for Dummies it might make you think, “should I pick this up?” “What will people think?” BUT, if you want an intro to wine book..yes this is one for you and nobody is a dummy when it comes to wine, there is so much to learn.The 7th edition of Wine for Dummies by Ed McCarthy, Certified Wine Educator and Mary Ewing-Mulligan, Master of Wine. I actually had the pleasure of judging a wine competition with Mary. Mary Ewing-Mulligan is the first women in America to become a Masters of Wine and one of only 50 MW’s in the US. She operates the International Wine Center in New York City. Ed McCarthy is a wine writer and a Certified Wine Educator and a leading Champagne authority in the United States. This the perfect book to get you started on your wine knowledge. It’s well laid out and thought out. There are icons in the margins to note tips, warnings, technical stuff, things to remember. It is jammed packed with information and covers everything in the wine world.Anything technical is explained with-out fancy words so it’s easy to understand. They give you everyday tips and warnings you might not have thought about like don’t swirl the wine in your glass if your glass is more than half full.

If you think some wine labels are confusing, there is a chapter devoted to decoding the label. They also cover purchasing wine either via an online merchant, your local wine shop and in a restaurant. Following all this is the wine pairing section. A natural progression from reading the label, purchasing the wine to pairing it.The book goes into great detail on all the different wine regions, new and old world and emerging. Really explains the different regions and some of the notable producers, you will feel like you were touring with the two of them. While traveling through the various wine regions of the world take note of the “real deal” icons. This is where they point out pricing and some of the producers to look for.After you read this book and want to continue on with your wine reading there is a section on recommended books to seek out. As you’re reading and thinking of starting that wine cellar, well, there is an entire section devoted to buying and collecting wine.You can never stop learning about wine. Even I learned quite a few things from reading this edition. While I am not an expert, I am not a dummy, Wine for Dummies has a lot of valuable information, easily explained so you can begin your wine journey, or learn more about wine.