From the Editors

The wide world of wine between two covers<BR> "There is not another book that simultaneously serves both the public and the profession—Exploring Wine makes that leap with grace and style."—Martin R. Shanken, Editor and Publisher, Wine Spectator, from a review of the first edition<BR> "The nation’s most influential training school for professional cooks."—Time magazine<BR> The experts who train today’s leading chefs and wine professionals take readers on a grand tour of the wines of the world. Written for culinary professionals, as well as experienced and beginning wine enthusiasts, this lively guide covers everything you ever wanted to know about the history, culture, romance, science, and business of wine. From the basics of wine production to the nuances of wine service, from the science of proper wine storage to the art of wine tasting, from the knack of reading wine labels to the subtleties of matching wine with food, from the compelling histories of the most renowned wines to the key personalities in the wine world today, it covers all the fascinating facts and practical knowledge to enlighten for food service professionals and novices alike. Revised to reflect the many recent changes in the worldwide wine industry, this Second Edition of the critically acclaimed guide features an expanded American wines section, with an entire chapter dedicated to California wines; coverage of the latest developments in Italian wines and the new face of the German and South American wine trades; an expanded wine and food pairing section; an updated wine and health section; additional vintage wine charts; and more.<BR> Steven Kolpan, Brian H. Smith, and Michael A. Weiss (Hyde Park, NY) are leading wine educators at The Culinary Institute of America. They have traveled extensively in virtually every wine-producing region of the world.
Product Description

Accessories for the Exploring Wine: The Culinary Institute of America's Guide to Wines of the World, 2nd Edition Model 

WineWise

Customer Response

Great book
Call it a bias opinion but since i was taught this book by the author Mr. Kolpan. This book has done wonders for me. No this book is not for the weak reader it has alot of information and can get a bit wordy but all of it has relevance in its own context. Who ever says this book is not a good resource is disagreeing with UC Davis and The Culinary Institute of America cause both Schools use this text book for there classes. This has kicked started my passion for wine and i absolutely love this book.

Great Resource
Quite Comprehensive. A true text book - not just a collection of maps. Helpful with food and wine pairings and a strong glossary.

Review of Culinary Institute
Very large book, almost too large to read and enjoy comfortably. However, makes a good coffee table book.

great for a gift
So the book might be a bit too technical-tongued sometimes, or it may contain unbalanced chapters (the one about serving wine should have been either more accurate or none at all) but by all means it is a great book. Graphics and pictures are superb. I enjoyed reading it, although, as an Italian, I found the story about Italian produce a bit modest (forgive me, it's only that we have the best wines in all the world, it's a fact...). I just need to find a wine book that tells it like it is: THE BEST WINE IS THE ONE YOU LIKE, OR THE ONE YOU DRINK WITH YOUR GREAT FRIENDS.

P.S. : my mom told me Mr. Mondavi, the prefator, is a relative of a relative. The world is small.

Toss-Up
Althought this is a good book, I would not recommend it as a primary purchase (try "Wine for Dummies" or "Windows on the World Complete Wine Course") nor as a secondary purchase (try "Wine Bible" or "Oxford Companion to Wine"), but I would recommend it as a tertiary purchase. There is a decent amount of material presented in a professional and eye-pleasing manner. Be forewarned that the book is large (9"x11") and heavy -- probably not something you would read in bed. The coverage of the different areas is pretty good, but not exceptional, hence my four-star rating.

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