The Wine Bible, By Karen MacNeil
Reviewed by A.J. Rathbun
Amazon.com's Best of 2001
Though it drinks deep of its subject, Karen MacNeil's
Wine Bible deftly avoids two traps many wine
books fall into: talking down to wine novices or talking
up to more experienced enophiles. The book avoids these
traps through MacNeil's obvious, and infectious, love
of her subject, which comes out in almost every sentence
of the book, and which lets her talk about wine in a
way that combines the good teacher, the trusted friend,
and the expert sommelier. As director of the wine program
at the Culinary Institute of America in Napa Valley,
California, MacNeil is one of the world's true experts
on wine. After reading a chapter on the Burgenland,
for example, you've learned about the region's sweet
wines while feeling like you're actually there, toasting
a glass of Cuvee Suss with the author. It is this passion
that leads to describing an Italian riservas as "mesmerizing"
and a Cabernet Sauvignon as having "texture like
cashmere."
The Wine Bible is broken
into countries, hitting all of the major wine producers
and most of the minor ones. Each section gives detailed
descriptions of the country's wines (with chapters on
individual regions when necessary), highlighting specific
wine producers and individual wines, as well as talking
about local foods, customs, and other tidbits that add
to the reading experience. MacNeil begins her journey
through the world's wine with an invaluable section
on "Mastering Wine," which lets a reader get
ready before uncorking separate sections.
