Wine for Normal People is a wonderful resource for anyone struggling to understand wine.
Elizabeth Schneider is a certified sommelier and host of the successful podcast, Wine for Normal People, which sparked the creation of this book. In this guide she explores basic vocabulary, how wine is made, all the factors that impact flavor, and the reputation and geography of prominent wine countries. She also delves into how to match wine and food pairings, and generally how to feel more confident about your selections in the wine aisle.
Each explanation is easy to grasp and interspersed with helpful graphics or charts. She even includes some cheat sheets you can copy and take with you to the store or wine tasting.
I admit that I am not particularly interested in pursuing wine tastings, but I did want a better grasp on the world of wine. I had a bit of trouble getting through the chapter that discussed Old World wine countries and their specialties, largely because I had little confidence in my ability to remember that much information. I did, however, definitely pick up some knowledge.
The intricacies of wine may still be lost on me, but I have a better idea of what the legs in a wine glass actually indicate and how to better interpret a wine label.
The intricacies of wine may still be lost on me, but I have a better idea of what the legs in a wine glass actually indicate and how to better interpret a wine label.
Overall, I think this is an excellent resource to make wine less frightening and overwhelming.
As a side note, eBook may not be the best format to absorb this knowledge. Wine for Normal People would probably be more useful as a physical copy that could be flipped through or referred back to later.
As a side note, eBook may not be the best format to absorb this knowledge. Wine for Normal People would probably be more useful as a physical copy that could be flipped through or referred back to later.