Uncle Billy's Wine Guide for Novices

By:
William Allan Kritsonis
Ann Marie Smith

Published 2020

Uncle Billy’s Wine Guide for Novices is not intended for wine experts and others that consider themselves extremely knowledgeable about wine. This book is for the rest of us who want to learn more about the pleasures of enjoying wine and talking intelligent about it.

About 8% of wine consumers consider themselves extremely knowledge about wine. Of these, about 3% consider themselves wine experts. This leaves the rest of us, about 92% who want to learn more about wine but don’t want to become experts.

Humor is scattered throughout the book to make your reading more enjoyable. The goal is to help you become more knowledgeable about wine and have fun doing so. And remember: “Always drink the wine you enjoy, and enjoy the wine you drink.” William Allan Kritsonis, PhD, Author

CONTENTS
Preface. A Preceding Thought. LESSON ONE: Uncle Billy’s Wine Body Styles, Six Grapes, and Flavor Words. LESSON TWO: The Five Steps for Wine Tasting: See—Swirl—Smell—Sip—Savor. LESSON THREE: Things to Remember in Tasting Wine. LESSON FOUR: The Simple Wine Model. LESSON FIVE: Understanding the Flavor Map. LESSON SIX: Climate Zones. LESSON SEVEN: Discovering Flavors of the World: Cool—Moderate—Warm. LESSON EIGHT: Aromas and Flavors of Wines. LESSON NINE: How Does Your Wine Taste? LESSON TEN: Terroir and Earthy. LESSON ELEVEN: Read the Label: “Old World” Versus “New World? LESSON TWELVE: Appellation Laws. LESSON THIRTEEN: Pouring Wine. LESSON FOURTEEN: Wine Temperatures. LESSON FIFTEEN: France. LESSON SIXTEEN: Italy. LESSON SEVENTEEN: A Glimpse of Wine in Other Countries. LESSON EIGHTEEN: Wine in the United States. LESSON NINETEEN: Wine Buying Strategies. LESSON TWENTY: Finding Excellent Wine Values. LESSON TWENTY-ONE: Buying Wine for Personal Use. LESSON TWENTY-TWO: Buying White Wines. LESSON TWENTY-THREE: Buying Red Wines. LESSON TWENTY-FOUR: Buying Burgundy. LESSON TWENTY-FIVE: Buying Wine Retail. LESSON TWENTY-SIX: Volume-Based Liquor Shops and Supermarkets Versus Fine Wine Shops. LESSON TWENTY-SEVEN: Wine Buying at Restaurants. LESSON TWENTY-EIGHT: Expecting Excellent Wine Service. LESSON TWENTY-NINE: Buying Wine by the Glass. LESSON THIRTY: Openers, Decanters, Wine and Champagne Glasses. LESSON THIRTY-ONE: Storing Wine. LESSON THIRTY-TWO: Wine Cellars. LESSON THIRTY-THREE: Wine Storage Units. LESSON THIRTY-FOUR: Dessert Wines. LESSON THIRTY-FIVE: Pairing Wine With Food, Cheese, and Chocolate. LESSON THIRTY-SIX: Special Occasions. LESSON THIRTY-SEVEN: Wine and Reading. LESSON THIRTY-EIGHT: Health Benefits of Wine. LESSON THIRTY-NINE: Talking Points: 100 Million Drink Wine in the United States. LESSON FORTY: Talking Points: Wine Consumption Habits of Women and Men. LESSON FORTY-ONE: Talking Points: Wine Buying in the United States. LESSON FORTY-TWO: Uncle Billy’s Favorite Wine Quotes. Concluding Remarks. Uncle Billy’s Selected Wine Terms. About the Authors. Examples of Wine Labels. A Final Thought From Uncle Billy.