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The River Cafe Wine Primer by Joseph Delissio
Book Summary InformationAuthor: Joseph Delissio Contributor: Robert Mondavi Edition: Hardcover Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published) Published: 2000-06-01 ISBN: 0316185922 Number of pages: 288 Publisher: Little, Brown
Book Reviews of The River Cafe Wine PrimerBook Review: THE WINE BOOK THAT WILL SAVE YOU MONEY Summary: 5 Stars
While I have always liked wine I have always hated the arrogance of most people who sell wine. Be it the cocky wine shop clerk or the restaurant wine whatever you call them guys with the silly silver cup, they seldom make me feel like my opinion means anything. They make me feel stupid! That has all changed since I have read The Wine Primer. While I did not buy the Wine Primer, (it was a gift from a woman who has become my ex woman) I love the power and comfort it has given me.Best of all this book saves me money. I didnt know wine shops give quantity discounts until I read it in the Wine Primer. I tried it out when I bought six bottles of wine in my local wine shop when at checkout, I asked if there was any multiple bottle discount- to my surprise there was, 10 % to be exact. I have saved over a hundred dollars since I read of this tip in The River Cafe Wine Primer. I like red wine with almost every thing I eat. Once at a well known restaurant I ordered a French red Bordeaux with my Tuna and was given a three minute lecture by "The Wine Guy" on how it as a horrible match. Needless to say I was so intimidated I changed my order. Here I am I'm thirty four years old, I own my own buisness, my own home, repair my boat and car by myself, and coach a little leaugue soccer team, and I found my self embarrassed to have red wine with Tuna. Mr. Delissio says in his book that "the only palate one ever needs to impress is his own" and puts it in a way that you believe it. There is a saying in the bible that if you teach a man to fish you will never have to feed him. The River Cafe Wine Primer has taught me how to let myself enjoy my own tastes, and after reading it I find that when it comes to wine I don't need any help. Best of all it keeps saving me money. I recommend everyone learn how to fish and read this book.
Summary of The River Cafe Wine PrimerJoseph DeLissio has been informing customers about wine at the River Caf for more than eighteen years. DeLissios approach to the fundamentals of wine appreciation is unintimidating. He explains what bad tastes to look for as well as what good tastes to search out. He shows how to observe, sniff, smell, and taste wine. He suggests the right tools for wine tasting and includes a full list of wine terminology. He thoroughly explores the major wine regions and grape varieties of America, France, Spain, and Italy. With this indispensable guide, DeLissio makes learning about wine fascinating and surprisingly simple. Joseph DeLissio, wine director of the venerable River Cafe in Brooklyn, New York, throws his Haut-Brion into the crowded field of wine books for people who know nothing about wine. This self-styled primer opens with a mission statement about being "straightforward, honest, unintimidating, informative, liberating, and--above all--enjoyable," but after a few pages it becomes clear that, for the author at least, wine knowledge is wieldable weaponry. When opening pages suggest rituals such as sniffing your empty restaurant glassware for chlorine/dishwasher odors to "send a strong signal that you are... serious," most novices may well start backing off. That is, if they haven't already been spooked by the discussions on wine terminology, investing, cellaring, restaurant lists, and wine auctions that occur in the first 60-some pages. It's a shame, because DeLissio is obviously informed, opinionated, and passionate about the grape. Fortunately, he more often delights with insider advice: a winemaker's signature on a bottle may actually decrease its value; beware 11 bottles in an auction lot (frequently indicating that the 12th was drunk and deemed unsuitable). The Burgundy chapter alone is worth the purchase price; it could serve as a Cliffs Notes summary for the Master of Wine exam. --Tony Mason
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