Michael Pollan rates America's dinner menu

Delving deep into the murky underwaters of the modern agricultural complex, The Omnivore's Dilemma is not the kind of book you'll want to read with a fast-food burger and fries in your hand. As the book traces the provenance of four meals industrial, industrial organic, pastoral organic and hunted/gathered you might not even feel comfortable with takeout from the local health food store.

How did we ever get to a point where we need investigative journalists to tell us where our food comes from and nutritionists to determine the dinner menu? asks best-selling author Michael Pollan in an introduction entitled, Our National Eating Disorder. Faced with a constant barrage of information and an increasingly large distance between the consumers and producers of food, most of us are able to choke down dinner only by willfully forgetting the latest headlines about cancer-causing chemicals or animal conditions at many super-sized farms.

In Pollan's personal quest to shake loose that fog of forgetfulness and lack of real information, he does everything from buying his own cow to helping with the open-air slaughter of pasture-raised chickens to hunting morels in Northern California. This is not a man who's afraid of getting his hands dirty in the quest for better understanding. Along with wonderfully descriptive writing and truly engaging stories and characters, there is a full helping of serious information on the way modern food is produced. This can, occasionally, be a little slow going, but that does not mean it's not worth the effort.

Pollan doesn't suggest that we hunt and gather our own food, the basis of his own (rather fancy) final, perfect meal, but he believes that, if we could see what lies on the far side of the increasingly high walls of our industrial agriculture, we would surely change the way we eat. Once we've read The Omnivore's Dilemma, we've bitten the apple of knowledge and we can only hope it was grown on the right kind of farm.

Trained chef Megan Brenn-White is the author of Bake Me a Cake (HarperCollins).

For a country, and a generation, accustomed to immediate gratification, the idea of waiting for wine either to understand it or to enjoy it is only beginning to take hold. Even with the growing availability of wines by the glass or tasting flights, most Americans still know few words of winespeak beyond “Cabernet” and “Chardonnay” and still think them synonymous with steak and seafood. And the concept of drinking wines that were bottled before the Bastille fell or the 19th century turned, as I’ve been lucky enough to do, strikes many casual and perfectly contented drinkers as sheer pretension. But for those who may be increasingly intrigued by the subtleties of the world’s wines, the Christmas season turns up several prime gift ideas.

Robert Parker is the 900-pound gorilla of wine criticism, and during the last few years has arguably become the industry guerrilla, as well. His own personal preferences and the undoubted power of his ratings, published monthly in the Wine Advocate, has clearly pressured many winemakers to alter their style. And his castigating of other wine writers who accept free samples is more than a little disingenuous (“I purchase more than 75 percent of the wines I taste, and though I have never requested samples, I do not feel it is unethical to accept unsolicited samples.”). Although the latest (the sixth) edition of Parker’s Wine Buyer’s Guide (hardcover, Simon ∧ Schuster, $60, 1,648 pages, ISBN 0743229312; paperback, Fireside, $30, 1,696 pages, ISBN 0743229320) occasionally falls prey to this sanctimony, it is yet another example of his thoroughness, bulldog bluntness and unexpected humor. His tongue-in-cheek translations of winemaker jargon are priceless, as are his comments on the distinction between consumers and mere “collectors.” Nor is he a price snob: His lists of regional best bargains under $12 or $15 should be bookmarked for quick reference. Still, this may not be the best choice for someone just setting out to make respectable choices from restaurant wine lists. Parker’s knowledge of seasonal affect, so to speak, may be more than many beginners need to know, although serious collectors will find his summaries of older vintages helpful. The book’s subtitle describes it as “The Complete, Easy-to-Use Reference on Recent Prices and Ratings for More than 8,000 Wines from All the Major Wine Regions,” and one can well believe it.

Michael Broadbent has been a Master of Wine for more than 40 years and head of Christie’s wine department for 35 years. His Vintage Wine: Fifty Years of Tasting Three Centuries of Wines (Harcourt, $50, 560 pages, ISBN 0151007047) is an unobtrusively erudite mixture of history and anecdote with personal observation and characterization it has an unmistakably British sense of propriety and, well, good sportsmanship. Broadbent writes with a fine painterly palate, to force a pun, and a sometimes surprising sensual abandon that fully captures each wine. Again, however, this is a fairly compendious reference aimed at the serious drinker, or at least the platinum-card diner.

The small but wide-ranging Oz Clarke’s Pocket Wine Guide 2003 (Harcourt, $14, 320 pages, ISBN 0151008760) is disappointing only because the limited space allotted each entry Clarke covers regions, specific wineries and varietals alphabetically forces him to omit the pungent thumbnail witticisms that are his trademark. But it would be a fine volume to keep in the car’s glove compartment for unexpected buying sprees. The revised version of Clarke’s New Wine Atlas (Harcourt, $60, 336 pages, ISBN 0151009139), on the other hand, is very nearly what it sounds like a collection of maps but its glossy photos and labels and cut-to-the-chase intelligence are just the things to remove a budding connoisseur’s terror of terrior.

Dorothy J. Gaiter and John Brecher have made their career, and marriage, drinking as unabashed ordinary people, and their Friday “Tastings” column in the Wall Street Journal is democratically aimed at casual wine clubs and amateur collectors. The Wall Street Journal Guide to Wine (Broadway, $26, 304 pages, ISBN 0767908147) is ideal for novice wine drinkers, focusing on the basic flavors of various wines basic in description, too, which may reassure less experienced readers put off by “hints of tobacco” or “musty bookbindings.” It’s not a comprehensive guide, and is sometimes too conversational (“Whoa! the first blind flight of these [New Zealand sauvignon blancs] blew us away!”), but it would make a good gift for a neighbor you’d like to swap Friday dinners with. Eve Zibart is a writer for The Washington Post and author of The Ethnic Food Lover’s Companion.

For a country, and a generation, accustomed to immediate gratification, the idea of waiting for wine either to understand it or to enjoy it is only beginning to take hold. Even with the growing availability of wines by the glass or tasting flights, most Americans still know few words of winespeak beyond “Cabernet” and “Chardonnay” and still think them synonymous with steak and seafood. And the concept of drinking wines that were bottled before the Bastille fell or the 19th century turned, as I’ve been lucky enough to do, strikes many casual and perfectly contented drinkers as sheer pretension. But for those who may be increasingly intrigued by the subtleties of the world’s wines, the Christmas season turns up several prime gift ideas.

Robert Parker is the 900-pound gorilla of wine criticism, and during the last few years has arguably become the industry guerrilla, as well. His own personal preferences and the undoubted power of his ratings, published monthly in the Wine Advocate, has clearly pressured many winemakers to alter their style. And his castigating of other wine writers who accept free samples is more than a little disingenuous (“I purchase more than 75 percent of the wines I taste, and though I have never requested samples, I do not feel it is unethical to accept unsolicited samples.”). Although the latest (the sixth) edition of Parker’s Wine Buyer’s Guide (hardcover, Simon ∧ Schuster, $60, 1,648 pages, ISBN 0743229312; paperback, Fireside, $30, 1,696 pages, ISBN 0743229320) occasionally falls prey to this sanctimony, it is yet another example of his thoroughness, bulldog bluntness and unexpected humor. His tongue-in-cheek translations of winemaker jargon are priceless, as are his comments on the distinction between consumers and mere “collectors.” Nor is he a price snob: His lists of regional best bargains under $12 or $15 should be bookmarked for quick reference. Still, this may not be the best choice for someone just setting out to make respectable choices from restaurant wine lists. Parker’s knowledge of seasonal affect, so to speak, may be more than many beginners need to know, although serious collectors will find his summaries of older vintages helpful. The book’s subtitle describes it as “The Complete, Easy-to-Use Reference on Recent Prices and Ratings for More than 8,000 Wines from All the Major Wine Regions,” and one can well believe it.

Michael Broadbent has been a Master of Wine for more than 40 years and head of Christie’s wine department for 35 years. His Vintage Wine: Fifty Years of Tasting Three Centuries of Wines (Harcourt, $50, 560 pages, ISBN 0151007047) is an unobtrusively erudite mixture of history and anecdote with personal observation and characterization it has an unmistakably British sense of propriety and, well, good sportsmanship. Broadbent writes with a fine painterly palate, to force a pun, and a sometimes surprising sensual abandon that fully captures each wine. Again, however, this is a fairly compendious reference aimed at the serious drinker, or at least the platinum-card diner.

The small but wide-ranging Oz Clarke’s Pocket Wine Guide 2003 (Harcourt, $14, 320 pages, ISBN 0151008760) is disappointing only because the limited space allotted each entry Clarke covers regions, specific wineries and varietals alphabetically forces him to omit the pungent thumbnail witticisms that are his trademark. But it would be a fine volume to keep in the car’s glove compartment for unexpected buying sprees. The revised version of Clarke’s New Wine Atlas (Harcourt, $60, 336 pages, ISBN 0151009139), on the other hand, is very nearly what it sounds like a collection of maps but its glossy photos and labels and cut-to-the-chase intelligence are just the things to remove a budding connoisseur’s terror of terrior.

Dorothy J. Gaiter and John Brecher have made their career, and marriage, drinking as unabashed ordinary people, and their Friday “Tastings” column in the Wall Street Journal is democratically aimed at casual wine clubs and amateur collectors. The Wall Street Journal Guide to Wine is ideal for novice wine drinkers, focusing on the basic flavors of various wines basic in description, too, which may reassure less experienced readers put off by “hints of tobacco” or “musty bookbindings.” It’s not a comprehensive guide, and is sometimes too conversational (“Whoa! the first blind flight of these [New Zealand sauvignon blancs] blew us away!”), but it would make a good gift for a neighbor you’d like to swap Friday dinners with. Eve Zibart is a writer for The Washington Post and author of The Ethnic Food Lover’s Companion.

For a country, and a generation, accustomed to immediate gratification, the idea of waiting for wine either to understand it or to enjoy it is only beginning to take hold. Even with the growing availability of wines by the glass or tasting flights, most Americans still know few words of winespeak beyond “Cabernet” and “Chardonnay” and still think them synonymous with steak and seafood. And the concept of drinking wines that were bottled before the Bastille fell or the 19th century turned, as I’ve been lucky enough to do, strikes many casual and perfectly contented drinkers as sheer pretension. But for those who may be increasingly intrigued by the subtleties of the world’s wines, the Christmas season turns up several prime gift ideas.

Robert Parker is the 900-pound gorilla of wine criticism, and during the last few years has arguably become the industry guerrilla, as well. His own personal preferences and the undoubted power of his ratings, published monthly in the Wine Advocate, has clearly pressured many winemakers to alter their style. And his castigating of other wine writers who accept free samples is more than a little disingenuous (“I purchase more than 75 percent of the wines I taste, and though I have never requested samples, I do not feel it is unethical to accept unsolicited samples.”). Although the latest (the sixth) edition of Parker’s Wine Buyer’s Guide (hardcover, Simon &and Schuster, $60, 1,648 pages, ISBN 0743229312; paperback, Fireside, $30, 1,696 pages, ISBN 0743229320) occasionally falls prey to this sanctimony, it is yet another example of his thoroughness, bulldog bluntness and unexpected humor. His tongue-in-cheek translations of winemaker jargon are priceless, as are his comments on the distinction between consumers and mere “collectors.” Nor is he a price snob: His lists of regional best bargains under $12 or $15 should be bookmarked for quick reference. Still, this may not be the best choice for someone just setting out to make respectable choices from restaurant wine lists. Parker’s knowledge of seasonal affect, so to speak, may be more than many beginners need to know, although serious collectors will find his summaries of older vintages helpful. The book’s subtitle describes it as “The Complete, Easy-to-Use Reference on Recent Prices and Ratings for More than 8,000 Wines from All the Major Wine Regions,” and one can well believe it.

Michael Broadbent has been a Master of Wine for more than 40 years and head of Christie’s wine department for 35 years. His Vintage Wine: Fifty Years of Tasting Three Centuries of Wines (Harcourt, $50, 560 pages, ISBN 0151007047) is an unobtrusively erudite mixture of history and anecdote with personal observation and characterization it has an unmistakably British sense of propriety and, well, good sportsmanship. Broadbent writes with a fine painterly palate, to force a pun, and a sometimes surprising sensual abandon that fully captures each wine. Again, however, this is a fairly compendious reference aimed at the serious drinker, or at least the platinum-card diner.

The small but wide-ranging Oz Clarke’s Pocket Wine Guide 2003 is disappointing only because the limited space allotted each entry Clarke covers regions, specific wineries and varietals alphabetically forces him to omit the pungent thumbnail witticisms that are his trademark. But it would be a fine volume to keep in the car’s glove compartment for unexpected buying sprees. The revised version of Clarke’s New Wine Atlas (Harcourt, $60, 336 pages, ISBN 0151009139), on the other hand, is very nearly what it sounds like a collection of maps but its glossy photos and labels and cut-to-the-chase intelligence are just the things to remove a budding connoisseur’s terror of terrior.

Dorothy J. Gaiter and John Brecher have made their career, and marriage, drinking as unabashed ordinary people, and their Friday “Tastings” column in the Wall Street Journal is democratically aimed at casual wine clubs and amateur collectors. The Wall Street Journal Guide to Wine (Broadway, $26, 304 pages, ISBN 0767908147) is ideal for novice wine drinkers, focusing on the basic flavors of various wines basic in description, too, which may reassure less experienced readers put off by “hints of tobacco” or “musty bookbindings.” It’s not a comprehensive guide, and is sometimes too conversational (“Whoa! the first blind flight of these [New Zealand sauvignon blancs] blew us away!”), but it would make a good gift for a neighbor you’d like to swap Friday dinners with. Eve Zibart is a writer for The Washington Post and author of The Ethnic Food Lover’s Companion.

For a country, and a generation, accustomed to immediate gratification, the idea of waiting for wine either to understand it or to enjoy it is only beginning to take hold. Even with the growing availability of wines by the glass or tasting flights, most Americans still know few words of winespeak beyond “Cabernet” and “Chardonnay” and still think them synonymous with steak and seafood. And the concept of drinking wines that were bottled before the Bastille fell or the 19th century turned, as I’ve been lucky enough to do, strikes many casual and perfectly contented drinkers as sheer pretension. But for those who may be increasingly intrigued by the subtleties of the world’s wines, the Christmas season turns up several prime gift ideas.

Robert Parker is the 900-pound gorilla of wine criticism, and during the last few years has arguably become the industry guerrilla, as well. His own personal preferences and the undoubted power of his ratings, published monthly in the Wine Advocate, has clearly pressured many winemakers to alter their style. And his castigating of other wine writers who accept free samples is more than a little disingenuous (“I purchase more than 75 percent of the wines I taste, and though I have never requested samples, I do not feel it is unethical to accept unsolicited samples.”). Although the latest (the sixth) edition of Parker’s Wine Buyer’s Guide (hardcover, Simon ∧ Schuster, $60, 1,648 pages, ISBN 0743229312; paperback, Fireside, $30, 1,696 pages, ISBN 0743229320) occasionally falls prey to this sanctimony, it is yet another example of his thoroughness, bulldog bluntness and unexpected humor. His tongue-in-cheek translations of winemaker jargon are priceless, as are his comments on the distinction between consumers and mere “collectors.” Nor is he a price snob: His lists of regional best bargains under $12 or $15 should be bookmarked for quick reference. Still, this may not be the best choice for someone just setting out to make respectable choices from restaurant wine lists. Parker’s knowledge of seasonal affect, so to speak, may be more than many beginners need to know, although serious collectors will find his summaries of older vintages helpful. The book’s subtitle describes it as “The Complete, Easy-to-Use Reference on Recent Prices and Ratings for More than 8,000 Wines from All the Major Wine Regions,” and one can well believe it.

Michael Broadbent has been a Master of Wine for more than 40 years and head of Christie’s wine department for 35 years. His Vintage Wine: Fifty Years of Tasting Three Centuries of Wines is an unobtrusively erudite mixture of history and anecdote with personal observation and characterization it has an unmistakably British sense of propriety and, well, good sportsmanship. Broadbent writes with a fine painterly palate, to force a pun, and a sometimes surprising sensual abandon that fully captures each wine. Again, however, this is a fairly compendious reference aimed at the serious drinker, or at least the platinum-card diner.

The small but wide-ranging Oz Clarke’s Pocket Wine Guide 2003 (Harcourt, $14, 320 pages, ISBN 0151008760) is disappointing only because the limited space allotted each entry Clarke covers regions, specific wineries and varietals alphabetically forces him to omit the pungent thumbnail witticisms that are his trademark. But it would be a fine volume to keep in the car’s glove compartment for unexpected buying sprees. The revised version of Clarke’s New Wine Atlas (Harcourt, $60, 336 pages, ISBN 0151009139), on the other hand, is very nearly what it sounds like a collection of maps but its glossy photos and labels and cut-to-the-chase intelligence are just the things to remove a budding connoisseur’s terror of terrior.

Dorothy J. Gaiter and John Brecher have made their career, and marriage, drinking as unabashed ordinary people, and their Friday “Tastings” column in the Wall Street Journal is democratically aimed at casual wine clubs and amateur collectors. The Wall Street Journal Guide to Wine (Broadway, $26, 304 pages, ISBN 0767908147) is ideal for novice wine drinkers, focusing on the basic flavors of various wines basic in description, too, which may reassure less experienced readers put off by “hints of tobacco” or “musty bookbindings.” It’s not a comprehensive guide, and is sometimes too conversational (“Whoa! the first blind flight of these [New Zealand sauvignon blancs] blew us away!”), but it would make a good gift for a neighbor you’d like to swap Friday dinners with. Eve Zibart is a writer for The Washington Post and author of The Ethnic Food Lover’s Companion.

Was there ever a time when Betty Crocker wasn’t an American cultural touchstone? In the same class of advertising icons as Aunt Jemima and the Pillsbury Doughboy, Betty Crocker epitomizes the desire of cooks to please their families with fresh-baked goodies. Susan Marks spent six years researching this cultural phenomenon, writing a master’s thesis, a documentary and Finding Betty Crocker: The Secret Life of America’s First Lady of Food.

Betty’s mission was to address the homemaking and baking concerns of legions of Gold Medal Flour customers who wrote in by the thousands. Marks includes some of these letters in the book, as well as recipes and a selection of advertisements featuring Betty Crocker. Over the decades, Betty’s status as the First Lady of American Food grew as she saw America through the Depression, World War II and the 1950s with her penny-pinching recipes and radio programs, adapting to the needs of the dedicated homemaker. By the time the 1960s and ’70s rolled around, Betty was synonymous with cooking.

Just as Betty’s audience changed through the years, so did her appearance, as illustrated by a gallery of her ever-changing visage. From her first portrait in the 1930s (said to have been a composite of the women on the Gold Medal kitchen staff), Betty Crocker’s image has kept up with what her audience deems both authoritative and comforting. That almost no one makes cakes and pancakes from scratch anymore is a testament to the simplicity she preached. But Betty Crocker’s legacy extends beyond “just add water” mixes. We needed Betty to pour into our minds the idea that cooking wasn’t onerous, even for busy parents and working stiffs. Betty and her big red spoon logo meant that the recipes perfected in her test kitchens were guaranteed successes, and by extension, so were the women who made them at home. Kelly Koepke is the restaurant critic for the Albuquerque Journal.

<B>California drinkin'</B> California wine tourism isn’t exactly the next hot thing; it’s been a mainstay of West Coast travel for many years now. But with the boom in first-rate restaurants (most notably Thomas Keller’s French Laundry in Yountville, La Toque in Rutherford and the Wine Spectator restaurant at the Culinary Institute of America-Greystone campus), trend-setting spas and luxurious B&andBs (Sonoma Mission Inn, Auberge du Soleil), the sun is definitely rising in the west. Among the newest guides to the region are <!–BPLINK=–>0679009183<B>Fodor’s Escape to the California Wine Country</B><!–ENDBPLINK–> and <!–BPLINK=–>0062772899<B>Access California Wine Country </B><!–ENDBPLINK–>.

Despite the rather general titles, these refer only to areas north of San Francisco: i.e. Napa, Sonoma, Mendocino and Lake counties. Given that limitation, however, these new books have many virtues, though they will better suit two different tourism desires. <B>Fodor’s Escape</B> is, as the name suggests, aimed at travelers as interested in the landscape and amenities as the wines themselves, and so is far slighter than the Access guide. Like the other books in this series, <B>Escape</B> is a sort of mini-coffee table book, filled with admittedly gorgeous color photographs and chapters that are more like lengthy captions. (The essential facts and phone numbers are concisely arranged, along with a bit of background, at the back of the book.) This would be a nice little bon voyage gift for two relatively affluent adults planning a full-body getaway, not just a self-directed wine seminar.

The Access guide is, as always, nearly comprehensive, with a mix of restaurant, museum, shopping and accommodation profiles along with the wineries. A lot of research is packed into these paragraph-long entries: names, dates, anecdotes, some entertaining trivia and asides, and enough menu detail from the major restaurants to suggest that the editorial staff did in-depth field studies.

<B>One for the road</B> Both vacationers and wine hounds should pick up one other book before they head to Wine World West: Andrea Immer’s <B>Wine Buying Guide for Everyone</B>, a slender paperback that succinctly but accessibly rates not 90-plus pointers but inexpensive and general-sales wines. Immer, a master sommelier who is dean of wine studies at the Culinary Institute and author of the indispensable <I>Great Wine Made Simple</I>, has also served as beverage director for the huge Starwood Hotels ∧ Resorts, as well as Restaurant Associates, and she never stoops to condescend to either inexperienced or budget-minded drinkers. In fact, one hilarious rating, the kitchen countertop/ refrigerator overnight survival test, is so clearly useful one wishes all wine critics would deign to adopt it. (I know not everyone finishes whole bottles at one sitting; I just don’t <I>know</I> anyone who doesn’t.) Her similarly helpful advice on savvy retail and online purchases and on navigating restaurant wine lists; her easy disregard of pretentiousness ( We in the trade find it funny . . . that guests shy away from the least expensive wines ); and her mini-tasting seminar are classics. And her equally democratic hit lists hip wines ( impress the date ), blue-chip wines ( impress the client ), wines to take to dinner, wines to buy for Thanksgiving, even labels that are safe to drink on airplanes, once again prove Immer a champion of the people. Buy a handful of these books and pass them around; you’ll never be afraid of the corner store again. <I>Eve Zibart is restaurant critic for the weekend section of </I>The Washington Post <I>and author of </I>The Ethnic Food Lover’s Companion.

Prince Alain de Polignac, a direct descendant of Madame Pommery and winemaker at his family’s Champagne estate, believes women are better tasters than men that they have more direct access to sensory impressions and the 2001 class of wine books indicates that women write with more intuition as well.

Karen MacNeil’s The Wine Bible is just my kind of book: a little history, a little science, a little practical advice and a fair amount of (quite comprehensible) tasting flourish. The heavy paperback begins with the basics of winemaking, varietals and tasting how-to’s, and then is divided by country into chapters that, while covering important wines, labels and styles, are more like conversations with a tolerant and funny professor who also happens to cook a great dinner for the grad students. MacNeil, director of the wine program at the Culinary Institute of America’s Napa Valley, is remarkably well-versed; she has an easy manner with information and flavor, mixing entries on whether to "age" wines and bits of food pairing advice. You could start at the beginning, but browsing will be just as much fun. A fine all-round reference.

Sunday (London) Times writer Joanna Simon definitely shoots from the lip, and her deceptively breezy and brightly illustrated book, Wine: An Introduction takes the same approach the smart new wine shops are promoting: defining grape varietals by flavor, suggesting similar styles for experimentation (if you like this, try that); and moving through hints on food and wine compatibility before touching on regions, buying and storage tips. A very nice choice for those who might like to start a small personal cellar or tasting circle.

Master of Wine Jancis Robinson, who edited the comprehensive and almost pedantic Oxford Companion to Wine (one of last year’s picks), has this year produced the much more informal How to Taste: A Guide to Enjoying Wine. As the name suggests, this is a handbook to getting the most out of wine, and meals, set up as a beginner’s course but extending through intermediate to confident amateur. Robinson spends little time on specific producers, concentrating on regions and styles, but she cleverly divides "theory" from "practice," which may make some techno-phobes relax, and similarly makes the concept of tasting, even hosting blind tastings, intriguing rather than intimidating.

Even some of the wine "guys" are getting a little more in touch with their feelings these days. The third edition of Tom Stevenson’s The New Sotheby’s Wine Encyclopedia, for instance, is more straightforward than MacNeil’s primer but may be more useful for those primarily concerned with specific producers and their styles. Stevenson also goes through a no-nonsense but useful explanation of tasting criteria and oenology basics before moving to the major winemaking regions, which he sums up crisply and, for all but the more pretentious jargonist, completely. He has additional thumbnail descriptions of his picks from each region, and is still the only critic (to my knowledge) to recognize the fine Bordeaux-style Chateau Lumiere reds from Japanese winemaker Toshihiko Tsukamoto.

Beyond all the fermentation diagrams, topographical comparisons, historical factoids and tasting charts, the second edition of Exploring Wine: The Culinary Institute of America’s Complete Guide to Wines of the World, written by three (male) wine educators at the CIA, has a list of food and wine pairings so specific that it covers rumaki, veggie burgers, eggs Benedict and huevos rancheros. This is an admirably complete volume but perhaps too much for the ordinary drinker who may be put off by its encyclopedia-like flatness.

Eve Zibart is the restaurant critic for the Weekend section of The Washington Post and author of The Ethnic Food Lover’s Companion (Menasha Ridge).

Prince Alain de Polignac, a direct descendant of Madame Pommery and winemaker at his family’s Champagne estate, believes women are better tasters than men that they have more direct access to sensory impressions and the 2001 class of wine books indicates that women write with more intuition as well.

Karen MacNeil’s The Wine Bible is just my kind of book: a little history, a little science, a little practical advice and a fair amount of (quite comprehensible) tasting flourish. The heavy paperback begins with the basics of winemaking, varietals and tasting how-to’s, and then is divided by country into chapters that, while covering important wines, labels and styles, are more like conversations with a tolerant and funny professor who also happens to cook a great dinner for the grad students. MacNeil, director of the wine program at the Culinary Institute of America’s Napa Valley, is remarkably well-versed; she has an easy manner with information and flavor, mixing entries on whether to "age" wines and bits of food pairing advice. You could start at the beginning, but browsing will be just as much fun. A fine all-round reference.

Sunday (London) Times writer Joanna Simon definitely shoots from the lip, and her deceptively breezy and brightly illustrated book, Wine: An Introduction takes the same approach the smart new wine shops are promoting: defining grape varietals by flavor, suggesting similar styles for experimentation (if you like this, try that); and moving through hints on food and wine compatibility before touching on regions, buying and storage tips. A very nice choice for those who might like to start a small personal cellar or tasting circle.

Master of Wine Jancis Robinson, who edited the comprehensive and almost pedantic Oxford Companion to Wine (one of last year’s picks), has this year produced the much more informal How to Taste: A Guide to Enjoying Wine. As the name suggests, this is a handbook to getting the most out of wine, and meals, set up as a beginner’s course but extending through intermediate to confident amateur. Robinson spends little time on specific producers, concentrating on regions and styles, but she cleverly divides "theory" from "practice," which may make some techno-phobes relax, and similarly makes the concept of tasting, even hosting blind tastings, intriguing rather than intimidating.

Even some of the wine "guys" are getting a little more in touch with their feelings these days. The third edition of Tom Stevenson’s The New Sotheby’s Wine Encyclopedia, for instance, is more straightforward than MacNeil’s primer but may be more useful for those primarily concerned with specific producers and their styles. Stevenson also goes through a no-nonsense but useful explanation of tasting criteria and oenology basics before moving to the major winemaking regions, which he sums up crisply and, for all but the more pretentious jargonist, completely. He has additional thumbnail descriptions of his picks from each region, and is still the only critic (to my knowledge) to recognize the fine Bordeaux-style Chateau Lumiere reds from Japanese winemaker Toshihiko Tsukamoto.

Beyond all the fermentation diagrams, topographical comparisons, historical factoids and tasting charts, the second edition of Exploring Wine: The Culinary Institute of America’s Complete Guide to Wines of the World, written by three (male) wine educators at the CIA, has a list of food and wine pairings so specific that it covers rumaki, veggie burgers, eggs Benedict and huevos rancheros. This is an admirably complete volume but perhaps too much for the ordinary drinker who may be put off by its encyclopedia-like flatness.

Eve Zibart is the restaurant critic for the Weekend section of The Washington Post and author of The Ethnic Food Lover’s Companion (Menasha Ridge).

Prince Alain de Polignac, a direct descendant of Madame Pommery and winemaker at his family’s Champagne estate, believes women are better tasters than men that they have more direct access to sensory impressions and the 2001 class of wine books indicates that women write with more intuition as well.

Karen MacNeil’s The Wine Bible is just my kind of book: a little history, a little science, a little practical advice and a fair amount of (quite comprehensible) tasting flourish. The heavy paperback begins with the basics of winemaking, varietals and tasting how-to’s, and then is divided by country into chapters that, while covering important wines, labels and styles, are more like conversations with a tolerant and funny professor who also happens to cook a great dinner for the grad students. MacNeil, director of the wine program at the Culinary Institute of America’s Napa Valley, is remarkably well-versed; she has an easy manner with information and flavor, mixing entries on whether to "age" wines and bits of food pairing advice. You could start at the beginning, but browsing will be just as much fun. A fine all-round reference.

Sunday (London) Times writer Joanna Simon definitely shoots from the lip, and her deceptively breezy and brightly illustrated book, Wine: An Introduction takes the same approach the smart new wine shops are promoting: defining grape varietals by flavor, suggesting similar styles for experimentation (if you like this, try that); and moving through hints on food and wine compatibility before touching on regions, buying and storage tips. A very nice choice for those who might like to start a small personal cellar or tasting circle.

Master of Wine Jancis Robinson, who edited the comprehensive and almost pedantic Oxford Companion to Wine (one of last year’s picks), has this year produced the much more informal How to Taste: A Guide to Enjoying Wine. As the name suggests, this is a handbook to getting the most out of wine, and meals, set up as a beginner’s course but extending through intermediate to confident amateur. Robinson spends little time on specific producers, concentrating on regions and styles, but she cleverly divides "theory" from "practice," which may make some techno-phobes relax, and similarly makes the concept of tasting, even hosting blind tastings, intriguing rather than intimidating.

Even some of the wine "guys" are getting a little more in touch with their feelings these days. The third edition of Tom Stevenson’s The New Sotheby’s Wine Encyclopedia, for instance, is more straightforward than MacNeil’s primer but may be more useful for those primarily concerned with specific producers and their styles. Stevenson also goes through a no-nonsense but useful explanation of tasting criteria and oenology basics before moving to the major winemaking regions, which he sums up crisply and, for all but the more pretentious jargonist, completely. He has additional thumbnail descriptions of his picks from each region, and is still the only critic (to my knowledge) to recognize the fine Bordeaux-style Chateau Lumiere reds from Japanese winemaker Toshihiko Tsukamoto.

Beyond all the fermentation diagrams, topographical comparisons, historical factoids and tasting charts, the second edition of Exploring Wine: The Culinary Institute of America’s Complete Guide to Wines of the World, written by three (male) wine educators at the CIA, has a list of food and wine pairings so specific that it covers rumaki, veggie burgers, eggs Benedict and huevos rancheros. This is an admirably complete volume but perhaps too much for the ordinary drinker who may be put off by its encyclopedia-like flatness.

Eve Zibart is the restaurant critic for the Weekend section of The Washington Post and author of The Ethnic Food Lover’s Companion (Menasha Ridge).

Prince Alain de Polignac, a direct descendant of Madame Pommery and winemaker at his family’s Champagne estate, believes women are better tasters than men that they have more direct access to sensory impressions and the 2001 class of wine books indicates that women write with more intuition as well.

Karen MacNeil’s The Wine Bible is just my kind of book: a little history, a little science, a little practical advice and a fair amount of (quite comprehensible) tasting flourish. The heavy paperback begins with the basics of winemaking, varietals and tasting how-to’s, and then is divided by country into chapters that, while covering important wines, labels and styles, are more like conversations with a tolerant and funny professor who also happens to cook a great dinner for the grad students. MacNeil, director of the wine program at the Culinary Institute of America’s Napa Valley, is remarkably well-versed; she has an easy manner with information and flavor, mixing entries on whether to "age" wines and bits of food pairing advice. You could start at the beginning, but browsing will be just as much fun. A fine all-round reference.

Sunday (London) Times writer Joanna Simon definitely shoots from the lip, and her deceptively breezy and brightly illustrated book, Wine: An Introduction takes the same approach the smart new wine shops are promoting: defining grape varietals by flavor, suggesting similar styles for experimentation (if you like this, try that); and moving through hints on food and wine compatibility before touching on regions, buying and storage tips. A very nice choice for those who might like to start a small personal cellar or tasting circle.

Master of Wine Jancis Robinson, who edited the comprehensive and almost pedantic Oxford Companion to Wine (one of last year’s picks), has this year produced the much more informal How to Taste: A Guide to Enjoying Wine. As the name suggests, this is a handbook to getting the most out of wine, and meals, set up as a beginner’s course but extending through intermediate to confident amateur. Robinson spends little time on specific producers, concentrating on regions and styles, but she cleverly divides "theory" from "practice," which may make some techno-phobes relax, and similarly makes the concept of tasting, even hosting blind tastings, intriguing rather than intimidating.

Even some of the wine "guys" are getting a little more in touch with their feelings these days. The third edition of Tom Stevenson’s The New Sotheby’s Wine Encyclopedia, for instance, is more straightforward than MacNeil’s primer but may be more useful for those primarily concerned with specific producers and their styles. Stevenson also goes through a no-nonsense but useful explanation of tasting criteria and oenology basics before moving to the major winemaking regions, which he sums up crisply and, for all but the more pretentious jargonist, completely. He has additional thumbnail descriptions of his picks from each region, and is still the only critic (to my knowledge) to recognize the fine Bordeaux-style Chateau Lumiere reds from Japanese winemaker Toshihiko Tsukamoto.

Beyond all the fermentation diagrams, topographical comparisons, historical factoids and tasting charts, the second edition of Exploring Wine: The Culinary Institute of America’s Complete Guide to Wines of the World, written by three (male) wine educators at the CIA, has a list of food and wine pairings so specific that it covers rumaki, veggie burgers, eggs Benedict and huevos rancheros. This is an admirably complete volume but perhaps too much for the ordinary drinker who may be put off by its encyclopedia-like flatness.

Eve Zibart is the restaurant critic for the Weekend section of The Washington Post and author of The Ethnic Food Lover’s Companion (Menasha Ridge).

Prince Alain de Polignac, a direct descendant of Madame Pommery and winemaker at his family’s Champagne estate, believes women are better tasters than men that they have more direct access to sensory impressions and the 2001 class of wine books indicates that women write with more intuition as well.

Karen MacNeil’s The Wine Bible is just my kind of book: a little history, a little science, a little practical advice and a fair amount of (quite comprehensible) tasting flourish. The heavy paperback begins with the basics of winemaking, varietals and tasting how-to’s, and then is divided by country into chapters that, while covering important wines, labels and styles, are more like conversations with a tolerant and funny professor who also happens to cook a great dinner for the grad students. MacNeil, director of the wine program at the Culinary Institute of America’s Napa Valley, is remarkably well-versed; she has an easy manner with information and flavor, mixing entries on whether to "age" wines and bits of food pairing advice. You could start at the beginning, but browsing will be just as much fun. A fine all-round reference.

Sunday (London) Times writer Joanna Simon definitely shoots from the lip, and her deceptively breezy and brightly illustrated book, Wine: An Introduction takes the same approach the smart new wine shops are promoting: defining grape varietals by flavor, suggesting similar styles for experimentation (if you like this, try that); and moving through hints on food and wine compatibility before touching on regions, buying and storage tips. A very nice choice for those who might like to start a small personal cellar or tasting circle.

Master of Wine Jancis Robinson, who edited the comprehensive and almost pedantic Oxford Companion to Wine (one of last year’s picks), has this year produced the much more informal How to Taste: A Guide to Enjoying Wine. As the name suggests, this is a handbook to getting the most out of wine, and meals, set up as a beginner’s course but extending through intermediate to confident amateur. Robinson spends little time on specific producers, concentrating on regions and styles, but she cleverly divides "theory" from "practice," which may make some techno-phobes relax, and similarly makes the concept of tasting, even hosting blind tastings, intriguing rather than intimidating.

Even some of the wine "guys" are getting a little more in touch with their feelings these days. The third edition of Tom Stevenson’s The New Sotheby’s Wine Encyclopedia, for instance, is more straightforward than MacNeil’s primer but may be more useful for those primarily concerned with specific producers and their styles. Stevenson also goes through a no-nonsense but useful explanation of tasting criteria and oenology basics before moving to the major winemaking regions, which he sums up crisply and, for all but the more pretentious jargonist, completely. He has additional thumbnail descriptions of his picks from each region, and is still the only critic (to my knowledge) to recognize the fine Bordeaux-style Chateau Lumiere reds from Japanese winemaker Toshihiko Tsukamoto.

Beyond all the fermentation diagrams, topographical comparisons, historical factoids and tasting charts, the second edition of Exploring Wine: The Culinary Institute of America’s Complete Guide to Wines of the World, written by three (male) wine educators at the CIA, has a list of food and wine pairings so specific that it covers rumaki, veggie burgers, eggs Benedict and huevos rancheros. This is an admirably complete volume but perhaps too much for the ordinary drinker who may be put off by its encyclopedia-like flatness.

Eve Zibart is the restaurant critic for the Weekend section of The Washington Post and author of The Ethnic Food Lover’s Companion (Menasha Ridge).