Review: Wine or Beer?
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 11 17, 2012
I am a beer drinker and a woman. In most people's opinion this combination does not make a good pair, but that's their problem. My problem is that I find wine fickle, it never tastes the same. Having read this book, I now understand why. I have a friend who loves her food and wine and passes herself off as a connoisseur of both. She is a great fan of seafood, I love "fillet steak a la Francaise". She orders a bottle of Chardonnay for both of us 'as she is the expert', and totally disregards my craving for Cabernet Sauvignon when I order steak, as 'my taste in wines is pitiful'.I now understand that she may be good at rattling off the names of wines but my taste buds have an innate expertise and explains why at the same meal where she enjoys her Chardonnay paired with seafood, the same wine tastes like vinegar to me combined with steak. I shall never lose that argument again.I bought this book so I will never again be dismissed when making a wine selection on my outings, but I discovered so much more. I loved the "Fun Facts" and the section on Myths about Fish & White Wine. I feel vindicated on so many levels. I can't believe it contains recipes for making wine. It also educates you on the various ways of cooking fish, which is a great bonus, as I am leaning more and more towards fish which can be a let-down compared to the oomph of a fillet steak (This might resolve the wine selection issue with my best friend but take the fun out of our arguments).I think I am on my way to enjoying wine, but more importantly WINE can now be another subject where I can dominate the conversation at the dinner table, should I choose to do so. It's a nice option to have.Oh, I forgot to mention how beautifully this book is presented. It's a joy to read and goes down like a good, solid glass of Cabernet Sauvignon when paired with my resolve to learn more.