352 pages | HardcoverA field guide to the new world of wine, featuring an overview of todays most exciting regions and easy-to-use advice on properly tasting wine, discovering under-the-radar gems, and bringing the perfect bottle to your next party.

Highlighting wines from old world regions such as France, Italy, Spain, and Germany to new world wines from the United States, Australia, New Zealand, Chile, and more,The Essential Wine Booktells you what to drink and why. Beginning with foundational information about making wine, tasting it, and understanding terroir, wine expert and journalist Zachary Sussman then gives an overview of the most important and interesting wine regions todayboth established and still emerging.

For instance, the great French wines of Burgundy and Champagne are already well known, but for affordable bottles you can easily find at your local wine shop, Sussman profiles up-and-coming producers in other regions, including the Jura, Languedoc-Roussillon, and more. In a similar vein, Californias Napa Valley has for decades been the source of Americas most prestigious wines, but here youll learn about other areas of the state that are gaining recognition, from Lodi to the Santa Rita Hills.

Youll find user-friendly just the highlights notes for each region, as well as recommendations for producers and particular bottles to seek out. Diving deep into what makes each region essential and unique, this comprehensive guides gives new wine drinkers and enthusiasts alike an inside track on modern wine culture.