Ed McCarthy - French Wine For Dummies

French Wine For Dummies, Mini Edition

by Ed McCarthy and Mary Ewing-Mulligan

French Wine For Dummies, Mini Edition

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Wiley Publishing, Inc.
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Copyright 2009 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana

Published simultaneously in Canada

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ISBN: 978-0-470-41429-3

Manufactured in the United States of America

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Introduction

W e love French wines, and we want you to love them, too. We hope that by clearing away the confusion, we can incline you to experiment with French wines, so that you can discover a few types that you really enjoy.

We believe that wine drinkers like you can use French Wine For Dummies, Pocket Edition, for two reasons:

French wines are a vast and confusing field especially for people who dont speak French, who are accustomed to seeing wines named after grape varieties (which most French wines arent). This book breaks down these barriers for you.

The image of French wine is so prestigious that many people believe they need to know about Frances wines, despite the difficulty inherent in mastering them. Having this book as your ally will give you confidence around French wines and eliminate whatever intimidation the wines prestigious image might evoke.

Icons Used in This Book

Were not trying to turn you into a winemaker or a French legislator, but some technical issues are important for understanding French wines depending on how deeply you want to understand them, of course.

Advice and information that will make you a wiser French wine drinker and buyer is marked by this bulls-eye so that you wont miss it.

When you see this sign, youll know that youre in the territory of a common misunderstanding about French wine. We alert you to help prevent confusion, or help you avoid a common mistake.

Some issues in wine are so fundamental that they bear repeating. Just so you dont think we repeated ourselves without realizing it, well mark the repetitions with this symbol.

Wine snobs practice all sorts of affectations designed to make other wine drinkers feel inferior. A comment such as We are drinking classified growth Bordeaux tonight, arent we? can throw you for a loop. But you wont be intimidated by snobbery once you recognize it.

Where to Go from Here

Youve got your minibook copy of French Wine For Dummies, Pocket Edition now what? This minibook is a reference, so if you want to know more about Beaujolais Nouveau, head to Chapter 3. Or if youre interested in finding out more about elite Bordeaux, flip to Chapter 2. Or heck, start with Chapter 1 and read the chapters in order... you rebel. If you want even more advice about French wines, from the intricacies of wine laws and labels to the hidden gems of the Loire Valley, check out the full-size version of French Wine For Dummies simply head to your local book seller or go to www.dummies.com .

Chapter 1

France, Superstar

In This Chapter

Experience counts when making wine

Frances winemaking legacy