Oldman's Guide To Outsmarting Wine

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Summary: A treat for wine beginners and aficionados alike
Review: A treat for wine beginners and aficionados alike, Oldman's "Guide to Wine" is
filled with snappy dialogue and insider tips that make it both a fun and
accessible read. I fall somewhere between beginner and knowledgeable, and I
learned much from this book. My favorite chapter included a list of
"instead of's": instead of Chianti, try Primitivo, instead of Merlot, try
Argentinian Malbec, and so on. It's a great way to branch out beyond the
tired old classics. Oldman encourages his readers to explore new things and
makes this process as unintimidating as possible.

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Summary: A jeroboam of wine wit, whimsy and wisdom
Review: A true treasure! I keep my copy in my car so I can take it with me when wine shopping. The pages are so dog-eared, it's twice as thick as when I bought it. Not only is it highly informative, Mark's writing style is accessibly piquant, mouth-wateringly descriptive and often outright hilarious. I fell in love with this book so much, I bought copies for all my clients and closest friends for the holidays. Packaged with a bottle of wine or a Vacuvin (which preserves wine in opened bottles), it was a big hit. I also loved the wide range of people he polled for their input, from the world's top chefs, vintners and sommeliers to rock stars Geddy Lee and Tori Amos. Like a 19th century Madeira, Mark Oldman's guide will last long after others have gone flat.

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Summary: Oldman's Guide Hits On All Cylinders
Review: As an oenophilic novice with a couple of barely-read wine books on my shelf, I'm happy to report that Oldman's Guide is the first wine book that really hit on all cylinders. For me, the book's magic can be summed up three ways: (1) it's easy and SMOOTH to read, with the information logically ordered and naturally flowing; (2) the essential subjects are covered with clarity and FINESSE (e.g., I now finally understand the difference between the grape and the region in wine names (via Oldman's Label Decoder), what terroir really means (it's not just the smell of the soil), and how to find deal closing wines for business dinners; and (3) the book brims with clever HUMOR, with arch references and pop-culture analogies that had me laughing out loud (this has got to be the only book in the world ever to quote both Champagne legend Remi Krug AND Champagne lover/rapper Ludacris!) In sum, Oldman has created a book that really informs, but does so without making you feel like youre "being taught".

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Summary: Wit and Wisdom in generous doses-quaff this book!
Review: I own at least a dozen wine books and this one is my pick for best book to start one's wine library. Even if you know a good amount about wine like me (I've worked in the industry) you'll find plenty of gems in Oldman's Guide to Outsmarting Wine, making it well worth the purchase. Where else can you get the wine picks of many industry insiders? The shortcuts are succinct enough to avoid overburdening you with an unnecessary level of detail and yet thorough enough that you'll be able to enter a conversation on the topic with self-confidence. This book contains the best wine and cheese pairing advice I've come across--it was informative and hilarious. The author advises that "when things get stinky... call in the big guns", then helpfully provides a list of cheeses that go with pretty much everything. Another of my favorite shortcuts told how to tell if a restaurant is on your side when it comes to wine. Using the tips that follow, you'll be able to save the money spent on this book, and then some, on your next restaurant wine choice. Not only that, if the wine steward sneers at you, you'll be able to confidently sneer back and order with style. I gave this book as a gift to my boss, colleagues, and friends alike-it's the perfect accompaniment to a bottle of good wine.

Rating:
Summary: Two Thumbs Up - Oldman's Guide to Outsmarting Wine
Review: This (Oldman's Guide to Outsmarting Wine) book is a must read for wine enthusiasts who want to become more educated on the topic. After reading the book, I can confidently order the appropriate wine at a business dinner and feel secure about the wine I give as gifts. The "what's on my table" and quick tips sections of the book are terrific and enabled me to benefit even
when I only had 5 spare minutes to read. While some wine books are too obtuse, Oldman's style makes it easy for the wine layperson to learn.

Net, net...a great book, and the best part is that you'll end up with better (but not necessarily more expensive) wine on your table.

-- Steve Apfelberg


Rating:
Summary: Best all-around wine book, hands-down
Review: With this incredible book, it's hard to even know where to start.

Ever since I accidentally opened a friend's bottle of '86 Heitz Napa cabernet and fell in love, I've been studying wine whenever I get a chance. I've purchased books like "The Wall Street Journal's Guide to Understanding Wine," "Wine for Dummies," and some more advanced "grape-specific" books. After reading through a few pages of this book, I was blown away and proceeded to spend two hours engrossed in one of the most entertaining books I've ever read - even among non-wine books! I laughed throughout, poked on by Oldman's extremely clever wit and knowledge.

The book can be used as a reference - lately I've been checking it to make sure I'm serving Fume Blanc (same as Sauvignon Blanc, as I've found out) at the appropriate temperature - but it's more likely that you'll read this as a novel. A very, very entertaining one.

Among the valuable things I've picked up from the book - besides the already-cited examples of what prominent and celebrity wine lovers like to have on their tables - include:

- How to pronounce everything related to wine you ever worried about trying to say. I'm talking about Riedel, Taittinger, Chateau Cos d'Estournel and Moet, which is pronounced "Mo-EHT, not Moe-AY."

- The many affordable options in the world of wine - encouraging those who are either shy, unadventurous, poor or all of the above to try new, good-value wines.

- What wines to pair with food, and more importantly why - from the science to the history to what is most accepted in popular culture (things like champagne and cake at weddings) even though they technically might not taste that great together.

- Decoding the many different designations: reserva, gran reserva, brut, extra-dry, sec, demi-sec, classico, classico riserva... to a point where you're more than comfortable with them.

- Wine etiquette and a generous helping of insider information on getting the most bang-for-your-buck at a restaurant without looking like a cheapskate.

If you're a wine lover and think you know everything about wine, you'll prove yourself wrong with this book. If you're a wine consumer, you will at least double the value of wine you drink - just based on how much more you'll appreciate what's in your glass. If not that, then on the tips Oldman gives you to save dough. It will likely be both. Even if you don't know anything about wine, this book will grab you in.

I've watched my girlfriend - who didn't care much for my wine obsession before - turn into an crazed fan: we were at Costco (tips on this, too!) and she replaced the bottle of BV cabernet I chose for dinner with a Pinot Noir because "Pinot Noir goes better with smoked sausage."

I'm obviously a very big fan. This book has been worth every penny.