Anthony Dias Blue's Pocket Guide to Wine 2006
Introduction
Wine, that most traditional and historic of beverages, has changed. A new breeze is stirring in the vineyards, new tastes are developing among consumers, and new ideas are emerging about the place and purpose of wine. As has happened in so many other decisive areas in our contemporary lives--what and how we eat, what we drive, where we choose to live--we are reevaluating what wines we drink, and when, and why.
Increasing medical evidence of the health benefits of moderate wine consumption has brought a refreshing change in the wine-drinking habits of ordinary Americans. Wine is no longer a special-occasion beverage but a daily staple. Thanks to dramatic recent technological advances, wine doesn't have to be expensive. And it needn't be French to merit our attention.
These ideas were already gathering strength more than a decade ago, but there's still a lot of accumulated dust to be blown off our notions about wine, a lot of cobwebs to be brushed aside. Like an unfortunate number of wines I've sampled, some of our ideas have been sitting around in the cellar a little too long. Yes, some wine ... read full excerpt from Anthony Dias Blue's Pocket Guide to Wine 2006 ebook
