Some helpful tips here, but ultimately the author is up against a paradox: the world of wine is just too complex to boil down to a few helpful rules. He does his best, and any would-be wine aficionado could use this slight volume as a good starting point, but it's not going to change anyone's live. (My biggest takeaway: the author's promotion of champagne as a drink for all occasions, not merely for celebrations.) ( )

Useful and easily digestible, this book is strong on mythbusting (you only need one type of wine glass) but assumes a certain level of knowledge beyond that of the absolute beginner. ( )