Windows on the World Complete Wine Course

August 17, 2009
The silver anniversary version of this perennial bestseller by legendary wine personality Zraly still emphasizes consumer enjoyment and user friendliness in the pursuit of education and appreciation. The DIY edition of his now-legendary class tackles the wide world of vini- and viticulture with a sense of humor, erudition and modesty, and includes expanded material on wine regions beyond France, Italy and California. The 25-year benchmark provides frequent opportunity to look back over changes in grape growing and winemaking over the past quarter century. While the book's frequently busy layout may reflect changes in traditional media and information acquisition—large sections are laid out like FAQs—it allows room for a broad range of information without oversaturation. Tasting work sheets and self-administered questionnaires are included, while sidebars include lighter material, such as wine-related quotes and other assorted trivia. Among the handy visuals are wine-growing maps and wine labels included not merely for aesthetic appreciation but for useful comparisons in areas with complicated classifications like Burgundy. Appropriate for professional and layperson alike, the volume continues to be one of the most indispensable titles of its kind.

Starred review from September 1, 2005
Picking out a wine book, either for yourself or as a gift, can be almost as daunting as the wine list itself. Kevin Zraly, founder of the Windows on the World Wine School, knows this, and his newly-updated twentieth anniversary edition is as indispensable as the corkscrew. Zraly starts small, with an overview of developments in the wine industry since the book's last publication, and then covers the basics of fermentation, important wine regions and how to taste wine. What really sets the book apart from its peers is Zraly's patience with the reader. The book is peppered with questions ranging from "How long should I keep a Beaujolais?" to strategies on creating and stocking a wine cellar. Quirky quotes, anecdotes and cocktail party trivia are scattered throughout the book's margins. The result is an eminently readable book that manages to teach while it entertains. Through it all, Zraly remains down-to-earth and free of the snootiness many newcomers associate with the daunting world of wine. Wine experts may find this book lacking, though, and might be better served by a more exhaustive, encyclopedic book, as Zraly focuses on French and domestic wine at the expense of Italian, Spanish and Australian brands. (Including Yellow Tail, an Australian wine that, according to Zraly, is the top-selling imported wine.) Still, this is an excellent introduction to the world of wine and should be warmly received by those looking for a well-structured and informative book on the subject.

Starred review from September 15, 2009
Because of its textbook format, novices and seasoned wine tasters will find this 25th-anniversary edition of the best-selling wine guide extraordinarily useful. Although Zraly has written the chapters (called classes) to instruct new wine enthusiasts, they are complete enough to enhance the knowledge of longtime aficionados. While covering classic wine regions (France, Italy, and California) of the world, Zraly has also added six new sections and expanded coverage of wine-producing countries, including Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and Chile, that have gained world recognition over the past quarter century. Each chapter/class is followed by two pages of questions that cover the material presented in the chapter. Recommended examples of each varietal are generously dispersed throughout the book, including reproductions of their labels. VERDICT The casual browser will find fascinating trivia and facts about wine in numerous sidebars, but may not be able to resist becoming involved in the main text, making this difficult to put down. Highly recommended for all wine connoisseurs. (Index not seen.)Ann Weber, Bellarmine Coll. Prep., San Jose, CA

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