[...]... places to get bargains on midrange wines, costing $350–$1,500 per case Buying Great Wine 17 1000WineFINAL_INT 8/24/06 2:21 PM Page 18 34 To get the best wine you can at the best prices, go to www .wine- searcher.com This website lets you search for a wine by name, vintage, and location, telling you who stocks the wine in what country and at what price It’s a great site for wine drinkers, though merchants... meal 44 The best question to ask a sommelier is: What are the best two red or white wines in the [fill in your price] range? Stating your price range is critical because it creates a framework Then, ask for a description of the recommended wines This method taps a sommelier’s expertise quickly and effectively 20 1000 BEST WINE SECRETS 1000WineFINAL_INT 8/24/06 2:21 PM Page 21 45 If the on-site wine expert... whom you’re in love 38 Although all of the secrets listed above are true, none are the truth The truth is wine appreciation starts and ends with your connection with the wine and your respect for the fruit, earth, and sun that goes into it 18 1000 BEST WINE SECRETS 1000WineFINAL_INT 8/24/06 2:21 PM Page 19 2 Ordering Wine in a Restaurant 39 Before you order wine, ask the other diners if they would prefer... information, creating a lexicon of useful wine terms and jotted other useful bits and bobs for you to flip through with a glass of something delicious In short, this book is a list of 1000 wine secrets offered to you in friendship So sit back, pour yourself a glass of your favorite tipple, and let me share with you some of what I know about wine xiv 1000 BEST WINE SECRETS 1000WineFINAL_INT 8/24/06 2:21 PM Page... the more you pay for a bottle, the more wine you’re actually getting for your buck 14 1000 BEST WINE SECRETS 1000WineFINAL_INT 8/24/06 2:21 PM Page 15 23 Larger companies tend to economize wherever possible so you usually get what you pay for, but no more Underpriced wines tend to come from smaller producers driven by a fervent passion to produce the best quality wine for the sheer love of it They to... “barrel,” the winemaker has probably chosen one of the less expensive methods Barrels create more integrated wood flavors Buying Great Wine 11 1000WineFINAL_INT 8/24/06 2:21 PM Page 12 10 Traditional Old World wines tend to be more restrained and less fruit-forward than New World wines Some critics call New World wine alcoholic fruit juice, but it’s very popular The Old World includes the wine- growing regions... this book, “Flavors of the World.” 10 1000 BEST WINE SECRETS 1000WineFINAL_INT 8/24/06 2:21 PM Page 11 6 If you’re like me, your wine preferences vary with the weather, the seasons, and what you’re eating A sour white wine is a great refresher in the summer or with a spicy dish, while a robust red on a chilly day, perhaps with roasted meat, is most satisfying 7 Sour wines tend to come from cooler climates... taste some more wine Perhaps most directly responsible for this book are Jacqueline Sach, my literary agent; Bethany Brown, my editor; and Russell, my spectacular husband, who always has faith in everything I do xii 1000 BEST WINE SECRETS 1000WineFINAL_INT 8/24/06 2:21 PM Page xiii Introduction Wine is bottled poetry.” Robert Louis Stevenson had it right And like poetry, it reveals itself best when you’re... Great Wine 9 1000WineFINAL_INT 8/24/06 2:21 PM Page 10 3 Most wines are made from one or two grape varieties and, with very few exceptions, red grapes make red wine and white make white Pink wine can be made by mixing wines made from red and white grapes, or from just red grape varieties 4 Most wines name their grape varieties on their front or back labels.Those that don’t are usually traditional wines... now producing organic wines However, not all makers market themselves as such Some fear being associated with what may be a fad, and others want the freedom to treat vines when necessary 28 Some wine styles such as Pinot Noir are more expensive to make, which can mean the price is often higher than that of, say, Chardonnay, which is easier to produce 16 1000 BEST WINE SECRETS 1000WineFINAL_INT 8/24/06 . index. ISBN-13: 97 8-1 -4 02 2-2 05 4-8 97 8-1 -4 02 2-0 80 8-9 ISBN-10: 1-4 02 2-2 18 7-8 1-4 02 2-0 80 8-1 1. Wine and wine making. I. Title. II.Title: One thousand best wine secrets. TP548.H228 2006 641.2’2—dc22 20060 20836 Printed. www.sourcebooks.com 1000bestwine_fullcover 9/5/06 3:11 PM Page 1 1000 Best Wine Secrets 1000WineFINAL_INT 8/24/06 2:21 PM Page i 1000WineFINAL_INT 8/24/06 2:21 PM Page ii 1000 Best Wine Secrets CAROLYN HAMMOND 1000WineFINAL_INT. best 1000 1000 hammond Become a Wine Connoisseur best 1000 1000 wine secrets * Secrets to buying great wine * Insider secrets about wines from around the world * Serve and taste wine