Best Wine & Collecting

Announcing the completely revised and updated edition of The Wine Bible , the perennial bestselling wine book praised as “The most informative and entertaining book I’ve ever seen on the subject” (Danny Meyer), “A guide that has all the answers” (Bobby Flay), “Astounding” (Thomas Keller), and “A magnificent masterpiece of wine writing” (Kevin Zraly). “MacNeil’s writing style is engaging and conversational, and if you want to know anything about wine her book is the place to start” – Forbes.com. Karen MacNeil is the only U.S. winner of every major wine award in the English language, including the James Beard Outstanding Wine and Spirits Professional of the Year (2004). She is the host of Wine, Food and Friends with Karen MacNeil (PBS nationally); a writer whose work has appeared in The New York Times, Food & Wine, Saveur, and Town & Country ; and chairman emeritus of the Rudd Center for Professional Wine Studies at the Culinary Institute of America in Napa Valley.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Honestly, for the price (under $15 w/ Prime 2 day shipping) this resource should be in every persons collection if they are the least bit interested in wine, even if it just sits on a lonely coffee table. I highly recommend this section for anyone just seriously getting into wine or working around wine. It begins diving into the complex world of wine regions and never seems to decide on how it wants to take on this overwhelming task."
"I was so thrilled to get this newly revised version of The Wine Bible and Karen MacNeil did a wonderful updated version."
"The definitive wine book, although MacNeil's writing can be a bit unhelpful at times ("you don't drink this wine, the wine drinks you"."
"Well written book on wine without being pedantic."
"Reads like a digest."
"The Wine Bible has lots of wonderful information about wines."
"My only reservation is about hoe outdated some of the statistics might be."
"'classic' wine guide."

To assure that he had all the latest wine-producing news, he recently visited vineyards in Austria, Hungary, Greece, New Zealand, South Africa, Chile, and Argentina. As always, the book includes Wine Basics, Tasting Wine, Matching Wine and Food, Frequently Asked Questions About Wine, and a Selected Glossary. Subtitled Millennium Edition , this 14th annual update is again authored by Kevin Zraly, founder and teacher of the Wine School, begun in 1976 as an offshoot of New York's Windows on the World restaurant. Study Zraly's careful parsing and annotation of a German label and you'll be able to tell the region from the town from the vineyard the next time someone hands you a Mosel-Saar-Ruwer Ürziger Würzgarten Riesling Spätlese. The silver anniversary version of this perennial bestseller by legendary wine personality Zraly still emphasizes consumer enjoyment and user friendliness in the pursuit of education and appreciation. The DIY edition of his now-legendary class tackles the wide world of vini- and viticulture with a sense of humor, erudition and modesty, and includes expanded material on wine regions beyond France, Italy and California.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Still reading the book but one thing I am finding VERY frustrating is none of the QR codes (or the Bitly addresses below them) are functional."
"The layout is friendly, and the side bars with wine labels and blurbs with info are interesting. Unfortunately a few obvious errors make it feel a bit cobbled together, and they aren't in areas of the book I would have believed to just be about a recent update."
"I suppose as a bare-bones introduction to wine I suppose it's okay, but there are better for that purpose, such as MacNeil's Wine Bible or Hugh Johnson's World Atlas of Wine."
"Being a sommelier with numerous wine books in my collection, I was hesitant to add another entry level book to my repertoire."
"This is a very nice book with one very major flaw - all of the internet links do not work because the publisher allowed their bit.ly links to lapse."
"The only problem I had is too much information, I suggest you take screen shots or notes; the book is too bulky to travel with."
"I have contacted the publisher; Sterling is aware of the problem, as they get several calls a week with the same complaint."
"Otherwise the information in it short of the personal touches and quotes can be found in any other book on my shelf."

I want to be hilarious and sexy and smart and insanely knowledgeable about wine.” —Mindy Kaling A fresh, fun, and unpretentious guide to wine from Marissa A. Ross, official wine columnist for Bon Appétit . Bon Appétit wine columnist and Wine. In this utterly accessible yet comprehensive guide to wine, Ross will walk you through the ins and outs of wine culture. I want to be hilarious and sexy and smart and insanely knowledgeable about wine.” —Mindy Kaling, New York Times bestselling author of Why Not Me? breaks down one of the most exclusive-seeming concepts and industries of our time, making it more approachable and inviting in anyone who cares to participate.” —Leandra Medine, founder of Man Repeller. No boring bourgeois sleeper chapters … super funny and inspiring and very important to the impending food and wine revolution!” —Eric Wareheim, actor, comedian and creator of Tim & Eric Awesome Show. “Colorful wine descriptions are Ross’s specialty… Young (or young-at-heart) readers can enjoy this book for the brazen attitude and frank advice—and maybe learn a bit too.” –Wine Spectator. “Feels like Marissa wrote this for me—someone utterly fascinated by wine but completely incapable of describing, buying, or pronouncing it.” —Kelsey Burrow, Food52. Cheers to that!” —Elizabeth Enteman, HelloGiggles "Ross confidently, yet carefully, provides everything you’ve ever wanted to know about wine...This is the book I plan to keep in my shopping bag at all times."
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"If you know a lot about wine, I still think there is something here to learn."
"All her promises ring true, after reading this guide on my very next trip to my local wine shop I was more confident and had more fun shopping for wine!"
"UHBsessed with this book."
"This book is a great starting point for anyone who is interested in learning more about wine."
"Reading this book has inspired me to do more research and branch out of my comfort zone of grocery store wines."
"It taught me to enjoy wine more and not be afraid to experiment."
"I love this book!"
"If you love your glass of vino and also want to start becoming a confident wine consumer, Wine."
Best California Cooking

2014 marks the twentieth anniversary of the acclaimed French Laundry restaurant in the Napa Valley—“the most exciting place to eat in the United States” ( The New York Times ). In The French Laundry Cookbook , Keller articulates his passions and offers home cooks a means to duplicate the level of perfection that makes him one of the best chefs in the U.S. and, arguably, the world. After winning rave reviews when he was still in his 20s, it took a more experienced chef throwing a knife at him because he did not know how to truss a chicken to open his eyes to the importance of the discipline and techniques of classical French cooking. The 200 photographs by Deborah Jones include more than just beauty shots: they show how to prepare various dishes; how Keller, shown stroking a whole salmon, respects his ingredients; and how the perfection of baby fava beans still nestled in the downy lining of their succulent pod, or the seduction of an abundance of fresh caviar, calls out the best from the chef. Move slowly and deliberately, and with great attention," writes Keller, the owner of the French Laundry in Napa Valley who was named 1997's best chef in America by the James Beard Foundation. Throughout, Keller conveys his vision as a culinary artist in spare, meticulous prose, emphasizing form over expedience: "the great challenge [of cooking] is... to derive deep satisfaction from the mundane."
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Beautiful publication with an inexhaustible amount of recipes."
"A gift to someone who eats here all the time."
"I consider this to be the best one I have ever purchased, excluding pastry books."
"My significant other is a chef, so this one is a favorite!"
"This is a stunning cookbook, the only downside is some of the ingredients may be hard to find and the recipes are fairly complicated."
"Classic cookbook with timeless stories and recipes."
"Can't wait until I visit French Laundry I've fallen in love with Yountville,CA."
Best Consumer Guides

Announcing the completely revised and updated edition of The Wine Bible , the perennial bestselling wine book praised as “The most informative and entertaining book I’ve ever seen on the subject” (Danny Meyer), “A guide that has all the answers” (Bobby Flay), “Astounding” (Thomas Keller), and “A magnificent masterpiece of wine writing” (Kevin Zraly). “MacNeil’s writing style is engaging and conversational, and if you want to know anything about wine her book is the place to start” – Forbes.com. Karen MacNeil is the only U.S. winner of every major wine award in the English language, including the James Beard Outstanding Wine and Spirits Professional of the Year (2004). She is the host of Wine, Food and Friends with Karen MacNeil (PBS nationally); a writer whose work has appeared in The New York Times, Food & Wine, Saveur, and Town & Country ; and chairman emeritus of the Rudd Center for Professional Wine Studies at the Culinary Institute of America in Napa Valley.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I was so thrilled to get this newly revised version of The Wine Bible and Karen MacNeil did a wonderful updated version."
"The definitive wine book, although MacNeil's writing can be a bit unhelpful at times ("you don't drink this wine, the wine drinks you"."
"Well written book on wine without being pedantic."
"Reads like a digest."
"The Wine Bible has lots of wonderful information about wines."
"My only reservation is about hoe outdated some of the statistics might be."
"I have my copy highlighted and full of sticky notes."
"Aside from the serious stuff about grapes and winemaking, etc,, it also has nice little tid-bits like explaining why waiters in restaurants give you the cork to inspect when they open your wine (Her explanation makes perfect sense, but I'd never heard it before)."
Best Beer

Nancie McDermott, experienced cook, teacher, and author of the best-selling cookbook Real Thai , presents this collection of 70 delicious recipes that focus on easy-to-find ingredients and quick cooking methods to whip up traditional Thai. Nancie McDermott is a food writer and cooking teacher specializing in the cuisine of Thailand, where she spent three years as a Peace Corps volunteer.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"If you a) are cooking for your Thai grandmother or b) want to exactly re-create the meal you enjoyed at that noodle shop in Bangkok and are willing and able to go to all the related trouble, this book is not for you. The author readily admits when and where she alters the original recipes to save time or because a traditional ingredient is very difficult to find in the US. I certainly cannot, and being able to create Thai food at home with a minimum of difficulty is more important to me at this stage of my life (busy with a toddler who has very little patience to wait for dinner). By the way, I have tried four recipes so far from this book - the massaman, green chicken, and red shrimp curries, and the Chiang Mai noodles."
"Apparently this cookbook has a lot of history written in it: about the author's experiences, the country, info about certain ingredients and preparation methods native to Thailand."
"I bought the book hoping to experience a bit of Thai at home without Hrs in the kitchen."
"Great book with truly very easy recipes."
"I have made several recipes for friends and they raved about it so much that I decided to buy another book as a present."
"Wow!"
"Fast easy recipes with common ingredients and or substitutions."
"Everything I've made from this book (and I've made a lot of the recipes) tastes absolutely delicious and restaurant quality."
Best Liquor, Spirits & Mixed Drinks

Wine Folly: The Essential Guide to Wine will help you make sense of it all in a unique infographic wine book. Designed by the creators of WineFolly.com, which has won Wine Blogger of the Year from the International Wine & Spirits Competition, this book combines sleek, modern information design with data visualization and gives readers pragmatic answers to all their wine questions, including: “A magically vivid wine guide for our information age—cuts through the complexity of wine like a Champagne saber.”-- Mark Oldman , renowned wine expert and author of Oldman’s Guide to Outsmarting Wine. – Geoff Kruth , MS, President Guildsomm.com. "With clever graphics, Madeline has created a wine navigator that effortlessly guides new wine lovers to a better understanding of the taste, origins and geography of wine." Court of Masters, Certified Sommelier (Level 2) 40 Under 40, Wine Enthusiast Magazine, 2015-2016 Wine Blogger of the Year, International Wine and Spirits Competition, 2013-14 Top Wine Writer, Quora, 2012.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"The page that explains how to write useful personal wine notes, for example, instantly organizes the way you do your evaluations of wine."
"Wine Folly does not only provide data about several kinds of wines but also explanes the art of wine tasting and evaluation."
"It talks about how to taste wine how to “eye” the wine, how to compare it, and, really breaks down the wine experience for anybody who aspires to be a wine connoisseur."
"VERY NICE coffee table book !"
"Great book and I've learned a lot about wines so far."
"This wine book is phenomenal!"
"Having the book in hand now allows me to provide visuals for every aspect of wine discussion."
"Perfect if you need a basic overview of wine."