Gerard Basset - 30-Second Wine: The 50 Essential Elements, Each Explained in Half a Minute

Surrounded by mystique, the world of wine can be intimidating for the novice. Whats the difference between bouquet and nose? Is Rioja a wine or a region? Whats an appellation? And are you prepared to ask any of those questions at a dinner party, and risk being thought ignorant by other wine-loving guests?

30-Second Wine demystifies the subject, decanting the knowledge you need in palatable sips. Compiled by wine experts, its organized in a sequence of well-thought-out chapters, taking you from terroir to the technicalities of winemaking, introducing you to the important grapes and iconic regions, offering an overview of the business of wine and how it works, and concluding with a section on the enjoyment of wine. And with every entry edited into a neat and effective 300 words, it will leave you plenty of time to put your new-found expertise into practice.

30-SECOND
WINE

The 50 essential topics, each explained in half a minute

Consultant Editor

Grard Basset OBE

Foreword

Annette Alvarez-Peters

Contributors

Grard Basset OBE

David Bird MW

Martin Campion

Jeremy Dixon

Paul Lukacs

Debra Meiburg MW

Jane Parkinson

Stephen Skelton MW

Illustrations

Ivan Hissey

My journey to the world of wine began twenty years ago when I was appointed to a beverage alcohol buyer position. Though I was an experienced merchant, I had limited wine knowledge and was facing an enormous learning curve. Determined to learn all that I could, I was astonished at the range, and depth, of the many variables of the wine industry. I not only needed to learn the business overall, but also the important details surrounding soils, viticulture, vinification, grape varieties and the regions they reside and a host of other fascinating disciplines.

In my early days as a buyer, I reached out to as many individuals as possible in an effort to learn the business. The volume of information was overwhelming and I needed to become a sponge to absorb the knowledge available to me. I read numerous wine books and all the relevant trade publications. I attended all sorts of trade tastings, harvest festivals and visited many wineries. More importantly, I asked a million questions from the most elementary to the most insightful.

Throughout my travels, Ive had the privilege of meeting producers both big and small. Clearly the common thread among them is to produce the highest quality wine possible given the incredible diversity of their vineyards. As impressive, and educational, that these diverse wine properties can be, its the families and individuals that care for the land that are most extraordinary. I am grateful to have toured vineyards and cellars and tasted wines with some of the most notable producers such as Robert Mondavi to Christian Moueix to Marchesi Piero Antinori. I have grown from their generosity in sharing their knowledge and passion for wine.

Some of the best resources in my learning curve have been some of the most accomplished and knowledgeable Masters; Masters of Wine and Master Sommeliers. These Masters have spent years studying every facet of the wine business from regions, soils, farming practices, grape varieties to the foundations of retail and restaurant success. The Masters abilities to taste and evaluate wines are nearly supernatural. Grard Basset is only one of four individuals, worldwide, to be a Double Master having earned both Master of Wine and Master Sommelier. Simply put, I was thrilled the day I met Gerard. He is both brilliant and entertaining and exceedingly generous in sharing the wealth of his knowledge of wine.

As a purchaser for a large retailer, I have the utmost appreciation for consumers. A very important part of my wine journey has been observing and learning about consumer behaviour what influences their wine buying decisions; What do they like to drink? How much are they willing to explore? Today, consumers are rewarded with quality wines in every price range. Furthermore, technology has provided unprecedented access to information about wines from the world over, and wine lovers have never had better tools to enhance their knowledge.

30-Second Wine is a perfect tool to help build knowledge and to discover your passion for wine. Cheers!

Wine has a long, rich and truly fascinating history. This remarkable beverage has quenched our thirst, heightened our passions and loosened our tongues ever since people in ancient Mesopotamia or perhaps even before first trod grapes and drank this elixir. Wine is the drink of conviviality, of celebrations, of success, of gatherings great and small; wine is sensual and sensorial. But why should the soil in a vineyard plot mean so much to the contents of our glass? What alchemy turns this juice from the humble fruit of the vine into a drink capable of being cellared for decades? While wine generates much interest the myriad grape varieties and wine styles can be bewildering and the language of wine can seem mysterious too.

30-Second Wine decants the subject, revealing the art and the science behind crus and clos, racking and riddling, and providing important insights into Burgundy, Bordeaux, Barossa, Tuscany, Napa and other leading wine regions, since fine wine is now produced in many parts of the world, from Brazil to China. This accessible book also gives a flavour of other intriguing aspects, including the various key factors that contrive to make possible the vastly different styles of wines dark and tannic, fresh and light, bonedry, nectar-sweet, sparkling or sticky how the industry recovered from some seriously crippling events during its long history, as well as some unfamiliar details of the business of wine.

Compiled by wine experts steeped in knowledge of their particular field of expertise, this book allows you to master the art and craft of wine in 50 small sips or rather, a mere 300 words and one picture. Divided into seven sections, the topics cover the essential elements of wine beginning, naturally, with The Vineyard. Section two, The Winery, goes behind the label and explains how wine is made, from the pressing of grapes to the method for sealing the bottle. The most important grapes the so-called international varieties along with the finest expressions those grapes are capable of producing form the subject of section three. Then follow the highs and lows of wines chequered history. Section five gives a birds-eye view of the top regions, from the centuries-old vineyards in Europe to those of the New World that now hold their own on the world stage, and the potential of emerging economies whose wines are attracting increasing attention. The final two sections, the Business of Wine and Enjoying Wine , offer a taste of the ways in which wine is sold and consumed. The beauty of this book is that you can choose to read it from beginning to end or simply select the topics that provide the most interest to you, in the knowledge that any technical or unfamiliar terms are clearly defined in the glossaries. Finally, the people. The wine industry has produced a plethora of highly talented professionals, often entertaining characters. We have selected seven such personalities, all of whom have greatly influenced the course the wine industry has taken and had a major impact on making wine the magnificent beverage we can enjoy today.