Discovering Wine
The subtitle says it all:Discovering Wineis, indeed,  "a refreshingly unfussy beginner's guide to finding, tasting,  judging, storing, serving, cellaring, and, most of all,Discovering  Wine." If you thought you'd have to make a spectacle of  yourself in public--sniffing corks, gargling bordeaux, etc.--in order  to become educated on the subject of wine, relax. Author Joanna Simon  makes it clear that even the most retiring persons can learn to judge  wine without drawing attention to themselves. Using a combination of  pictures and text, Simon describes the steps involved in tasting,  serving, and storing wine. She offers suggestions for matching wines  with different foods, then takes the reader on a tour of famous  vineyards, explaining just what goes into a really fine vintage.  Finally, she includes brief descriptions of the best-known wines from  wine-growing regions the world over. So if you don't know your Asti  from your Madeira, let Joanna Simon set you on the road to knowledge  withDiscovering Wine.