I originally purchased this book in Kindle format, which was not a good format for this type of book. The book is very easy to use and informational for creating wonderful wine and food pairings. You can find the best wine pairings for a particular food OR, if you have a favorite wine and want to prepare the food to support the wine, it gives you great food suggestions. UNFORTUNATELY, less than a month after I purchased this book, the binding broke and separated from the pages of the book. Amazon replaced, but the second one is the same. I don't bend my covers back so I'm not sure why the binding failed. Publisher needs to bind the book correctly. Would be better as spiral bound.

I've been a fan of Dornenburg and Page's work since I acquired "Culinary Artistry," and I applaud this volume for its approach and content. Being a food and drink fan and an enemy of wine snobbery, I am glad to see works such as this one that show people that no serious wine education is needed to begin appreciating the sensual pleasures of the table. At the same time, the case is clearly made that educating yourself through tasting is not only enjoyable in itself, but also imparts knowledge and experience that will better guide future choices.

I think the book is accessibly written for a general audience, and although I only have had it since Christmas Day, 2009, I've pored through it extensively and consulted it for suggestions, including for the French sparkler and Chinese dumplings with soy sauce I enjoyed for my just-concluded evening meal.

All this being said, the work is quite badly edited. It is replete with typographical errors, including spelling (the most common) and missing accents. As well, the wrong terms are used for some wines. For example, a Spanish wine that has the legal term "Reserva" in its name is, in the book, termed a "Riserva." That's the Italian spelling and legal term, not the Spanish. There are sometimes multiple typos on a single page, some for more obscure terms, but others a bit more obvious ("Burdundy" for "Burgundy"). In an award-winning food/drink industry book that has been published by a larger house there is simply no excuse for this level of editorial malpractice. After all, can readers trust content that has so many basic mistakes? Dornenburg and Page have provided us with an enjoyable and useful book, and their work doesn't deserve to have a loss of confidence because of these errors.

An older review on Amazon has pointed out other sorts of mistakes, such as a reference to Cab Sauvignon shining in Pomerol, in Bordeaux. Not really, since that region is the home of Merlot in excelsis. I don't think content errors such as these are nearly as common, but they are also present. The work has gone through multiple printings--why have these errors not been corrected in a new edition?

All in all, I look forward to Dornenburg and Page's works, and I do recommend this one. However, I can't help but add, caveat emptor.

"What to eat with what you drink" is definitely a must for those who wish to take a step further in enjoying food and hospitality by enhancing and re-creating the perfect food and wine pairing. I love this book a lot!!!

Note that "What to Drink with what you drink" has an encyclopedic approach, encompassing beverages beyond wine.
It could be a bit overwhelming at first sight as it contains a massive amount of info. The dark side of this is that - believe it or not - there is no index, and the topics arrangement is rather messy. In any case, the content of What to Drink with What You Eat is a reliable, substantial wine/food pairing encyclopedia, of great help before heading off to a restaurant or getting wine for a party.

The presentation of the book is outstanding: high quality paper, attractive photographs, beautifully written. A great gift for Christmas! I do recommend it!

Gift for a professional chef, used it to match their restaurants menu with the perfect pairing. Great reference and fun conversation starter.

This book is both a great learning tool for the novice as well as a great reference for the more experienced wine enthusiast. The authors don't provide a list of specific vintages of wine, but rather a guideline for selecting particular types of wines from various locations to pair with general food categories or specific dishes. With this kind of guidance, you have the knowledge to select a wine from any price range to go with a special meal and have reasonably good results.

This is a really hefty book, with a massive amount of info. When I saw it in a bookstore, I knew I had to have. When I was able to sit down and actually read this book, I felt overwhelmed. I still have yet to finish it. There is so much info. here and it seems as if this book was a swift job, leaving it messily compiled. As another reviewer stated, there is no index, very frustrating. And there are huge sections on other 'sommeliers' ideas on what food should go with what drink, and experiences they have had, a few recipes throughout from across the country and just relative talk. At some point, I felt as if the authors used this book as a stage for ranting and raving (there is also some foul language scattered).

Being new to wine I would have liked a basic book, that described the basics of wine. History, origin, grape, climate, best, not so good, etc. But I felt overwhelmed with the chattering that goes on. If I could do it over again I would have taken my time in the book store to look it over, (that is why one should go ALONE -- no one to rush them) and I would have made the desicion NOT to have purchased this book. I feel it is way overpriced for the information given. There are only THREE chapters worth owning here.

A better book to purchase, that gets to the point, is This Food, That wine by Chris Knight. It's quick, to the point with great recipes for almost all types of meats, vegetables, appetizers and treats, without being overwhelming. They make wine not scary. I absolutely love it.

This Food, That Wine

I can go as far as to say that this book can be used as a companion book to
This Food, That Wine, when you, as a begginer grow in knowledge.

I would recommend that any begginer or intermediatary, skip this book. I only wish I did. A bit dissapointed.

I used this and a book from the public library for a paper pairing foods and beverages. I found this to be very interesting and something I wanted for my personal library... I wasn't really sure it would be something I wanted to keep when I bought it.

While there are no definitive answers on anything, I liked the way pairings were ranked...
* Bold ALL CAPS* - a "Holy Grail" pairing
* Bold ALL CAPS - pairing many/most sommeliers would recommend
* Bold - pairing many sommeliers would recommend
* Regular type - pairing one or more sommeliers recommended

Just like The Flavor Bible, this, too would be an excellent iPhone Ap. So much fun to take to the grocery store or peruse while making that shopping list on the Metroride home!

I really like how the book is organized. In the beginning, the authors provide some nice rules on how to pair drinks with food. Following this, the book matches beverages to foods, then a section on matching foods to beverages. I really like the final section where famous sommeliers and restaurant owners suggest their own favorite pairings. This book is such a joy to read!

This is a great book. Everyone who loves food and wine should have this book in their library.

It was an extremely ambitious project, and in my opinion, succeeds remarkably in what it sets out to do. It is a really helpful index.

Why only four stars? Because it's not perfect, even though I love it and will buy it as a gift for others.

I think it needs an index. Yes, it would be a difficult index to create, as so many terms will show up on so many pages. But I want them to try.

Some of the celebrity chef material seems a little bit of a waste of space. It does nothing for me, and is something of a distraction.

There is a fair amount of contradictory advice. Perhaps this is because tastes vary, but I found it a little confusing to navigate.

I'd like clearer directions on how to make such pairing decisions myself. Yes, the ones in there are pretty good. But I would still like more.

Finally, though I've tried many suggestions and found them all to be reasonably appropriate, I have not experienced any that were really magical, in the way that some pairings I've had at some restaurants were magical. This leads me to believe that there remain secrets not being revealed to me here. There's something missing.

Really, though, these are minor concerns, and I might be asking for the impossible. What the authors have given us is pretty close to impossible as it stands, and it really is a remarkable achievement.

So, buy this book. You won't regret it. Good job to everyone involved. I look forward to the revised and perfected next edition. :)

Extremely specific guide to pairing food with drink. As per the other Dornenberg books, there are lots of sidebars with additional pieces of information. I find the layout of the book a little difficult but the information is great.

I'm a culinary student & find this book to be wonderful when it comes to me having dinner parties & creating menus for any class projects. This was such a great deal!!!!

This book consists of an A-Z of ingredients. The entries under each ingredient are suggested wines (and other drinks). Maybe a little bit on the high-brow side, but not very. For instance, Burgundy and Bourdeaux remains undivided regions. So one can critique the book for not being detailed enough. The book also contains some useful "theory" behind the suggested matches. This is an interesting reading and it is not snobbish at all. Maybe not the definitive book on the subject, but you can't go wrong buying this book as an advanced starter

Being a wine enthusiast, I anxiously waited over three weeks for this book. I finally contacted Amazon and my note was forwarded to the seller, Deep Discount books. I did receive a reply from them stating that they no longer did business with Amazon, and would refund my money. In the future, I will read the customer reviews, (MANY negative comments about deep discount) and choose more wisely.

Randy

Great authors, I have another book by them. This book is easy to read, expert advice, and a good reference in general.

I have over twenty wine books, and this has quickly become one of my favorites. It is hands-down the most comprehensive resource on food-wine pairing I've seen yet, and it's also well-organized and fun to read. Initially I was skeptical: Do I really need a book to tell me to drink Chardonnay with Salmon? But the level detail far exceeded my expectation. For instance, there are extensive discussions on how the temperature of your steak dictates different wine pairings. In addition to the encyclopedic lists of pairings, there are four chapters expounding on principals of pairing, proper service and storage of beverages, how to taste wine, and "an exploration of sensory and emotional enjoyment." Perhaps my favorite piece are the lengthy testimonials from chefs and sommeliers about their favorite pairings, biggest disasters, personal philosophies, and career experiences. Want to know how Master Sommelier Rajat Parr got so good at wine tasting? It's on page 18! This book is an invaluable resource. You should consult it every time you eat or drink something.

The site nataliemaclean.com/matcher has a Drinks Matcher pairing tool online that I found really helpful after reading this book (it's on Natalie MacLean's web site, which is just her name and the .com). If you're into food and wine matching (or pairing food with beer, spirits, cocktails, coffee and tea), then you'll amazed at the depth of this little interactive tool: there must be thousands of pairings. You can either start with a wine and find food matches, or start with a dish and find drink matches. Check it out.

This book is very comprehensive and helpful. It's a good one to have in your library.

This is an outstanding resource for the home cook that is interested in the restaurant knowledge on food and drink combinations. It is well written and sophisticatedly packaged. The presentation of the package and the content within it is excellent as a result of a very thoughtful research and love of the subject matter by the authors.

When I was in cooking school, Culinary Artistry, also by Dornenburg and Page, was a must-have for the students, particularly on Market Basket days when we had to whip up a three course meal without benefit of recipes. It is such a great resource, so thoroughly researched and comprehensive, that I became a huge fan of the authors and have since eagerly awaited any offering from them.

What to Drink With What You Eat is just as comprehensive a book, and set up in much the same way. It can help the wine-clueless entertain with confidence, and it can help the not-so-clueless dig up some exciting wine pairings they wouldn't have considered. Whether you want the perfect wine to go with this Saturday's dinner, or you just want to avoid disaster, you can find it here.

I found the various sommeliers' opinions on particular wines and pairings to be interesting- how they approach the enjoyment of wine from different angles. Those differing approaches can help the wine timid realize that even the experts draw from personal reactions to wines and pairings rather than a blueprint. It's one of the things that makes this book great for both novices and experienced wine drinkers.

Fascinating, thorough, very enjoyable book. Highly recommend.

Really cool and helpful pairings. They talk about food that ranges from what to pair with certain chips to grilled salmon. Great dinner party present.

After reading the 3star review, I decided to do the same - drive to my local bookstore and peruse the book in person. I agree that the main reason to buy is the chapter on pairings, but considering this is the bulk of the book, it is worth every penny, whether you are a wine, beer or tea lover. I am personally on a quest to try every bolded, capitalized pairing (those quintessential flavor experiences) in the book!

Everyone knows how to spot a wine snob, high class, arrogant, sips a little wine, smells it. Well now you can be that person w/o having to be arrogant. This book will explain what wines go with what foods, why you sniff a wine, how to taste it, what to look for in a wine and many other fun facts.

Everyone knows that red meat and red wine go well together but what goes well with a roast,or short ribs, heck even meatloaf? This book will help you.It goes beyond just main ingredients, it teaches you to also look at the other aspects of it as well such as different herbs, spices, the marinade you use, and how your going to cook it. Even mashed potatoes have more than just potatoes.

I have worked in restaurants and even have a degree in culinary and I must say, this is a good point to start with and even to look back as a reference point. I own all three reference books Culinary Artistry, The Flavor Bible and this one and I read them almost every day. Great series of books by the authors, I trust these books like I trust my chefs at school.

I may run out of superlatives in the course of this review, so I'm just warning you now. What to Drink with What You Eat is absolutely the most spectacular book ever written about pairing food with wine. It will turn you instantly into a world-class sommelier, confidently able to pair virtually any cuisine with a compatible choice. What's more, the recommendations extend far beyond wine to include beer, sake, spirits coffee, tea and different types of water, so even a teetotaler can derive some value. There isn't a food- or wine-lover on the planet who wouldn't benefit from having the book always on hand as a resource.

The secret sauce here is that the authors, who have great credentials themselves, have also enlisted the input of dozens of top sommeliers and other authorities to create an uber-reference, one that gains considerably from its generous tendency to be more rather than less inclusive in offering up suggestions. Think of the principle of "the wisdom of crowds," but here the crowd are all experts and have the chops to back up their opinions. The list of foods, cuisines and beverages that are explored is truly encyclopedic, so odds are pretty good whatever you want advice on will be covered. For example, speaking of secret sauce, you'll even get suggested pairings with a Big Mac.

The crowning glories of the book are chapters 5 and 6, which really should be turned into a searchable database online and made available via PDA. These chapters are mirror images, one that starts with the beverage and suggests foods, and the other that starts with the food and matches the drinks. I'm telling it to you straight: if you've ever had a moment's hesitation about what to bring to a dinner party or just flat out what might go best with your frozen pizza, the answer is at hand. Wanna build the meal around a special bottle of wine? No problem. In fact, I'm not sure this book isn't subversive in the sense that it does such a great job of simplifying a complicated subject and making it accessible that it renders real-life sommeliers unnecessary.

Of course, that's a ridiculous notion; I'm just stating it for effect. You still need a sommelier to put together a wine list, add a personal perspective, precisely match the cuisine of a restaurant to its wines and gauge the "readiness" of any particular client to explore new territory. But if you live in New Jersey, where the only advantage of archaic, Prohibition-based liquor laws is the plethora of BYO restaurants and thus there are very few sommeliers period, this book is like manna from heaven.

I don't mean to imply that What to Eat is prescriptive to the point where you aren't allowed to express yourself and exercise free will. Quite the contrary. The book does a splendid job in the first few chapters of breaking down various pairing conventions developed over the past 20 years (plus of course the most classic matches) and providing guidelines that anyone can build on, and the authors encourage imagination and experimentation.

Let's go with a real life example, my first since I bought the book, and quite an "acid" test at that. I was asked by a hostess to suggest something that might go with roasted sea bass served with a Mediterranean ragout of red peppers, tomatoes, olives, and capers. My first instinct when approaching anything Mediterranean is to go with the "territory," which means for me clinging to the coastline from Provence to Sicily. Here I would have gravitated toward a white because a tannic red wouldn't go anyway and it's summer now and a chill is definitely welcome. Besides, I'm not sophisticated enough to figure out what to do with capers to begin with, so why not let a thousand years of local experience do the hard work for me? Then, I turned to chapter 5 and looked up sea bass. There were 16 suggestions, but nothing related to a Mediterranean ragout, which would clearly provide the dominant flavors to the dish. So with a little trepidation (are they going to whiff on my first challenge?), I looked for "Mediterranean" and sure enough found the following entry: "Mediterranean Cuisine (eg anchovies, olives, peppers, etc) Champagne, rose; Chateauneuf-du-pape, white; Pinot blanc; red wine, esp. tart Old World; rose; verdicchio, esp with onion-based dishes." Not feeling wholly comfortable yet, I cross-referenced the pesky caper and found: "Beaujolais, high acid; beer; Muscadet; Pinot Grigio/ Pinot gris, esp. dry; Pinot Noir, esp from Russian River Valley." That's enough breadth for anyone to find an appealing option.

The genius of the book is the exhaustive number of dishes and international cuisines covered. I'm sure there are some things you can eat that aren't paired here, but I'm not sure why you would want to! Also, while it wasn't true for my sea bass, many if not most of the listings actually go a step further and provide recommendations specific to the actual method of preparation. It's not just one size fits all. Pasta with artichokes? Check. Pasta with sardines? Check. You get the idea.


I haven't been this excited about a wine book in a couple of years, maybe since reading Andrew Jefford's The New France The New France: A Complete Guide to Contemporary French Wine (Mitchell Beazley Wine Guides). If you have even a passing interest in drinking wine with your meals you'd be crazy not to buy this book. It has the potential to enrich every dinner (and the occasional lunch/brunch/breakfast?/snack) you eat for the rest of your life, and if that isn't enough hyperbole, I don't know what is.

I have been "into" wine for a long time (before it became mainstream to
be "into" wine). I have tasted many different varieties of wines from all over the world, have many books on wine and love finding that perfect match between food and wine. I love having wine with my meals and when you can get that perfect match -- it can be heaven.

This wine book is amazing!!! In one section they go through every wine imaginable and tell you what foods will go with it -- HIGHLIGHTING those foods which will go VERY good with it. Then they have another section in which they do the complete opposite (I.E. given a food, what wine will go with it).

There are lots of comments by great chefs, recipes and a section where
each chef lists his favorite wines and what he likes to pair with it.

I love this book and highly recommend it.

(3 1/2 stars)

After reading the slew of five-star reviews for this volume, today I drove to Barnes & Noble fully ready to purchase it. After spending a fair amount of time in the aisle surveying its contents, I ended up not getting it, and thought I would explain why not for the sake of those Amazon readers whose considerations might be similar to my own.

I think the issues of relevance are 'who you are' and what you're looking for in a book like this. I certainly understand why great wine aficionados (presumably with plenty of money and time), critics, restaurateurs, sommeliers and the like would desire and benefit from a work of such sophistication and scope. But for the hobbyist (like myself), it was just too much. A little 'highbrow' for me -- and I suspect I'm not alone. I didn't find it nearly as accessible as, for example, Karen MacNeil's Wine, Food, and Friends (which I bought). MacNeil's book has a seasonal presentation, and, while evidencing an expert's range of knowledge, seeks not to lose sight of practical concerns (such as $$). In a nutshell, What To Drink . . . has a more encyclopedic approach (and does include beverages beyond wine), while MacNeil's is user-friendly and more what I was looking for. I wish it were possible to buy chapters 5 & 6 of Dornenburg & Page's book separately, because they comprise a tremendous resource for ongoing reference. The one surprise regarding Dornenburg & Page was that in a product of such erudition, it lacked an index.

So, bearing in mind the two questions I started with, I hope some of these thoughts will be helpful in informing your purchasing decision.

"What to Drink with What You Eat" is a comprehensive resource to guide anyone interested in pairing the right beverage with whatever you may be serving. It is a must have reference for the serious host or hostess.[...]

This book is organized so that one can look up by beverage (wine varietal, beer, etc.) to find suggestions for a food that goes well with it or, conversely, look up the food one intends to serve and find the drinks that will enhance it. Simple, well organized, very nicely done.

I like to give this as a gift to all the people getting married or buying homes. I personalize it by then finding a wine or drink to go with their favorite food. Its nice that it is organized both by if you had a bottle of wine and trying to find what to eat with it, or you have a meal and want to find a special drink. And its not just wine!

I use this book in my wine shop to help customers decide on which wines to pair with their menus. I have started selling it now, since they are thrilled with the details and actually 'read' the book rather than use only as a reference.
Maureen

This book is a great resource. It is the only one I found that covers cocktails and other drinks...not just wine.

I wish, however, that it focused more on cocktails and other drinks and left out wines. There are so many other resources out there already covering wine.

I was sad to find that some of the food items I looked up only had wine pairing suggestions.

But, like I said above, it is a great resource and worth the purchase.

I've really enjoyed referencing this book. I am a catering sales manager and it's so nice when the sommelier isn't in to be able to make some great recommendations for my clients. I would highly recommend this book to anyone - not just someone in catering! It makes it so nice to have dinner and know that you made a good selection with the wine pairing.

Very well layed-out book with excellent content. They do have almost everything; even corned beef and also cabbage, but not corned beef and cabbage. How cool it is to match food and wine together. I found a site that gives additional help; check out www.matchmywine.com

This book is excellent for all of your food pairing needs. Additionally, it includes pairing for more eccentric wines and is the perfect way to decide what to cook based on what you want to drink or vice versa. It is the perfect gift for anyone who loves to cook, loves to eat, and/or loves to drink.

It is a must for those who wish to take their enjoyment of wine and food to the next level, by creating the perfect food and wine pairing.

Additionally, it is a great joy to try various combinations as suggested and find your own personal favorite as well as see how the food can highlight the wine or the wine enhance the flavors of the food.

This book can help match even the most difficult of food and goes beyond the basics. This book goes way beyond reds with red meat and white with fish, and will in fact suggest pairings that are a surprise and a delight.

This book is a HIGH recommendation.

I bought this for my husband who is the cook in our family. In the past few years he has been expanding his knowledge of wines and especially loves pairing good wine with good food. He (who reads 2 books a year, maybe) read this from cover to cover in a few days. He loved every bit of it - the commentary, the reviews of restaurants, the wine and food education and everything in between. It was one of the best gifts I ever gave him. He even consulted it to make our dinner reservations on a trip to NYC. We were not disappointed (Veritas and Hearth in case you are wondering). This book is spectacular!

I am in the wine industry as well as a Wine lover (a bit of an understatement) I love this book so much! I constantly reference this book at work, at parties, and at my kitchen counter. I have bought it for friends, and am even considering having more than one copy for myself. I cannot say enough about my love for this book!
CHEERS and happy pairing.

This is the best book of it's type that I have ever seen. It covers just about every food and type of food you can think of and isn't just a wine pairing book - it covers beer and other beverages as well. A must have!

I recently had to do a food and wine pairing for class. Considering i'm still in school, I had no idea what to do.After talking to a chef instructor, I decided that this book would benefit me in both school and out in the industry. I mean, it even pairs water. Yeah, this book is definately worth every cent.

The dust on my furniture is thickening, the phone is ringing, my dog wants a walk...Sorry, I am selecting which beverage to serve tomorrow nite with peel-and-eat shrimp...oh, what fun!! Watch out because once you open this book, it will be awhile before you rejoin the world: It's pure facination and empowerment (!) for an avid foodie who has never been quite certain of what wine to serve without groveling at the local wine shop! And it's not just about wine; there are fabulous suggestions for beer, citrus drinks, tea....

There are already excellent reviews (in my opinion) so I don't want to reinvent the wheel by raving on the photos, the organization, the pure depth of information, the perfection of this book. But if you have stopped on this page, you probably also own a dog-eared, raggedy, finger-smudged copy of "Culinary Artistry" (somewhat like mine is?) and suffice to say that while this is a much more beautiful book and may not necessarily be sitting next to your stove (although there are wonderful recipes...)you will probably refer to it as often.

Suggestion: Read the more in-depth reviews, click to order....and purchase those little anti-static dust cloths. I haven't figured out what to do about the dog yet...

Are you curious about what wine to order with your cheesecake? Intimidated by five-hundred page wine list at a top restaurant? Downright scared when the sommelier comes charging toward your table?

Relax. Authors Andrew Dornenburg and Karen Page have created a resource that helps even the `average Joe or Jane' understand the principles of wine and food pairing. They take the conventional, canned, old-school advice of "red wine with meat, white wine with fish" to an entirely new level, based on insights learned from their previous books on cuisine, as well as interviews with America's top, cutting-edge sommeliers.

In many ways, the format of What to Drink with What You Eat resembles a substantial wine/food pairing encyclopedia specifically designed to be quickly skimmed before heading off to a restaurant or purchasing wine for a dinner party. For example, let's say you are entertaining clients at a steakhouse, and want to sound intelligent about wine. You know red wine typically goes with red meat, but which red? Old world or new? And what are the virtues of each? By spending just five minutes with this book (and perhaps jotting down some notes) you will be able to help your guests order a Shiraz, Barbaresco, Barolo, or good old Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon based on the elements of the sauce and cut of meat they choose.

In a similar fashion, let's say you want to dazzle your friends and show off your new kitchen with a fabulous dinner party. Spend a few moments with this book and you will be able to pair every element of your menu with an exciting, unusual wine. No need to consult a professional wine expert, as you have this knowledge at your fingertips.

Sommeliers interviewed for this book are mostly young and more free-thinking than sommeliers of years past. They are enthusiastic about wine, regardless of it's an exciting, new world find of exceptional value, or a fine-aged Bordeaux worth hundreds of dollars. As a group, they see their mission as helping you find a good wine to accessorize your meal within your price range. And the individual quotes from sommeliers are what makes this book so fresh and appealing.

For example, Steve Beckta of Beckta Dining & Wine in Ottawa believes that as a sommelier, it is almost more important to match a wine to a person than to match the wine to the food. Curious thought! "The most important part of being a sommelier is not your ability to taste, but your ability to empathize with the person who is in front of you," he explains in the book.

How very true. In one instance, Beckta recalls three `big businessmen' sitting at a table. One wants lamb, one wants halibut, and the other guy wants scallops. They tell him they want the "perfect" wine that matches all three, dissimilar dishes. By carefully listening to the subtext of what they are telling him, Beckta realizes they are after a wine that fits into their comfort zone, not necessarily the best match. To him, that means a "big red" from Australia and as it turns out, the businessmen love it.

Sommelier Alpana Singh, formerly of Everest in Chicago (now with the Lettuce Entertainment Group) agrees that comfort is important. She likes to serve California wines on big holidays like New Year's Eve and Valentine's Day, because people who dine out only a few `special nights' a year want something they can recognize and appreciate.

If you entertain or dine out frequently, What To Drink with What You Eat is a dynamic desktop resource and wine and food pairing primer that will stimulate you to learn more about wine by further reading or classes. If you like oaky Chardonnay, for example, this book will also motivate you to try unoaked Chardonnay wines and realize the difference, especially when paired with food. Yet what works best about this book is the way you can take advantage of the authors' extensive research and with just a few minutes of skimming, come across as a credible wine expert in front of clients, colleagues, family and friends.

First off, it's very wide ranging and is incredibly easy to use. All of the recommendations in this book have come from top notch chefs and sommeliers, so you know they can be trusted. You'll often find a wealth of options to choose from for different foods due to the democratic group effort behind this. You'll also get more than just wine, which is incredibly refreshing. Some snobs refuse to admit it, but there are some dishes that simply work better with other drinks. They go above simply listing "beer" and will put "lager", "wheat beer", etc., which is nice.

The book uses a system of bold print, capital letters, and asterisks to point out which drinks work particularly well, as well as other options for people who are looking to try something different. It's also nice to see a section afterwards that does the reverse and is listed by drink and then has food suggestions. Sometimes you want to build the meal around a special bottle of wine instead of vice versa. After that comes specific recommendations from some of the well known contributors to the book. It's an almost flawless book. Except....

....the book is very poorly edited and, in at least two cases, factually inaccurate. Jean-Luc Le Du is either misquoted, misinformed, or simply misspoke. The quote: "Where to find great Cabernet Sauvignon: This would be a toss-up between hillside vineyards in California and Pomerol in France." I had to do a double take...Pomerol? For Cab Sauv? Huh?

Not only that, I noticed this statement in two different parts of the book. I'm assuming M. Le Du meant to say Pauillac, as Pomerol is, of course, known for Merlot, which makes up most or all (80-100%) of the wine blend there. Even if there is Cab Sauv in the blend, it's a minimal amount of the wine. I can understand misspeaking and saying Pomerol when you mean Pauillac; it happens. But how this obvious factual error ended up in the final print of the book is beyond me. Anyone that buys a Pomerol expecting a shining example of Cab Sauv will be disappointed (although they may end up with some of the world's best Merlot.)

I've also noticed another factual error concerning the retail price of a certain wine; they mention Sequoia Grove Cabernet Sauvignon as a great value wine at $10 a bottle. It actually retails for around $30-$35 a bottle, not $10.

While I have yet to find any other major errors in the text (not that I'm actively searching for them, but maybe I should), I have noticed a couple grammatical blunders; missing punctuation, spelling errors and such. It's disappointing to see easily correctable errors like this mar an otherwise fantastic book. That being said, don't let these gripes deter you from buying this excellent reference source for food and drink pairings. Clean up the grammar and factual errors and this becomes a 5 star book.

First off, it's very wide ranging and is incredibly easy to use. All of the recommendations in this book have come from top notch chefs and sommeliers, so you know they can be trusted. You'll often find a wealth of options to choose from for different foods due to the democratic group effort behind this. You'll also get more than just wine, which is incredibly refreshing. Some snobs refuse to admit it, but there are some dishes that simply work better with other drinks. They go above simply listing "beer" and will put "lager", "wheat beer", etc., which is nice.

The book uses a system of bold print, capital letters, and asterisks to point out which drinks work particularly well, as well as other options for people who are looking to try something different. It's also nice to see a section afterwards that does the reverse and is listed by drink and then has food suggestions. Sometimes you want to build the meal around a special bottle of wine instead of vice versa. After that comes specific recommendations from some of the well known contributors to the book. It's an almost flawless book. Except....

....the book is very poorly edited and, in at least two cases, factually inaccurate. One particular person is either misquoted, misinformed, or they simply misspoke. They're quoted as saying that Pomerol and select hillside California vineyards are sources for the world's best Cabernet Sauvignon. Not only that, I noticed this statement in two different parts of the book. I'm assuming the person being quoted meant to say Pauillac, as Pomerol is, of course, known for Merlot, which makes up most or all (80-100%) of the wine blend there. Even if there is Cab Sauv in the blend, it's a minimal amount of the wine. I can understand misspeaking and saying Pomerol when you mean Pauillac; it happens. But how this obvious factual error ended up in the final print of the book is beyond me.

I've also noticed another factual error concerning the retail price of a certain wine; they mention Sequoia Grove Cabernet Sauvignon as a great value wine at $10 a bottle. It actually retails for around $30-$35 a bottle, not $10.

While I have yet to find any other major errors in the text (not that I'm actively searching for them, but maybe I should), I have noticed a couple grammatical blunders; missing punctuation and such. It's disappointing to see easily correctable errors like this mar an otherwise fantastic book. That being said, don't let these gripes deter you from buying this excellent reference source for food and drink pairings. Clean up the grammar and factual errors and this becomes a 5 star book.

First off, it's very wide ranging and is incredibly easy to use. All of the recommendations in this book have come from top notch chefs and sommeliers, so you know they can be trusted. You'll often find a wealth of options to choose from for different foods due to the democratic group effort behind this. You'll also get more than just wine, which is incredibly refreshing. Some snobs refuse to admit it, but there are some dishes that simply work better with other drinks. They go above simply listing "beer" and will put "lager", "wheat beer", etc., which is nice.

The book uses a system of bold print, capital letters, and asterisks to point out which drinks work particularly well, as well as other options for people who are looking to try something different. It's also nice to see a section afterwards that does the reverse and is listed by drink and then has food suggestions. Sometimes you want to build the meal around a special bottle of wine instead of vice versa. After that comes specific recommendations from some of the well known contributors to the book. It's an almost flawless book. Except....

....the book is very poorly edited and, in at least one case, factually inaccurate. One particular person is either misquoted, misinformed, or they simply misspoke. They're quoted as saying that Pomerol and select hillside California vineyards are sources for the world's best Cabernet Sauvignon. Not only that, I noticed this statement in two different parts of the book. I'm assuming the person being quoted meant to say Pauillac, as Pomerol is, of course, known for Merlot, which makes up most or all (80-100%) of the wine blend there. Even if there is Cab Sauv in the blend, it's a minimal amount of the wine. I can understand misspeaking and saying Pomerol when you mean Pauillac; it happens. But how this obvious factual error ended up in the final print of the book is beyond me.

While I have yet to find any other major errors in the text (not that I'm actively searching for them, but maybe I should), I have noticed a couple grammatical blunders; missing punctuation and such. I've also noticed another factual error concerning the retail price of a certain wine; they mention Sequoia Grove Cabernet Sauvignon as a great value wine at $10 a bottle. It actually retails for around $30-$35 a bottle, not $10. It's disappointing to see easily correctable errors like this mar an otherwise fantastic book. That being said, don't let these gripes deter you from buying this excellent reference source for food and drink pairings. Clean up the grammar and factual errors and this becomes a 5 star book.

First off, it's very wide ranging and is incredibly easy to use. All of the recommendations in this book have come from top notch chefs and sommeliers, so you know they can be trusted. You'll often find a wealth of options to choose from for different foods due to the democratic group effort behind this. You'll also get more than just wine, which is incredibly refreshing. Some snobs refuse to admit it, but there are some dishes that simply work better with other drinks. They go above simply listing "beer" and will put "lager", "wheat beer", etc., which is nice.

The book uses a system of bold print, capital letters, and asterisks to point out which drinks work particularly well, as well as other options for people who are looking to try something different. It's also nice to see a section afterwards that does the reverse and is listed by drink and then has food suggestions. Sometimes you want to build the meal around a special bottle of wine instead of vice versa. After that comes specific recommendations from some of the well known contributors to the book. It's an almost flawless book. Except....

....the book is very poorly edited and, in at least one case, factually inaccurate. One particular person is either misquoted, misinformed, or they simply misspoke. They're quoted as saying that Pomerol and select hillside California vineyards are sources for the world's best Cabernet Sauvignon. Not only that, I noticed this statement in two different parts of the book. I'm assuming the person being quoted meant to say Pauillac, as Pomerol is, of course, known for Merlot, which makes up most or all (80-100%) of the wine blend there. Even if there is Cab Sauv in the blend, it's a minimal amount of the wine. I can understand misspeaking and saying Pomerol when you mean Pauillac; it happens. But how this obvious factual error ended up in the final print of the book is beyond me.

While I have yet to find any other major errors in the text (not that I'm actively searching for them, but maybe I should), I have noticed a couple grammatical blunders; missing punctuation and such. It's disappointing to see easily correctable errors like this mar an otherwise fantastic book. That being said, don't let these gripes deter you from buying this excellent reference source for food and drink pairings. Clean up the grammar and factual errors and this becomes a 5 star book.

I am soon to open my First restaurant. Being a chef not only did this book help me brush up it even expanded my paring knowledge. I have also used it as a training tool with my employees and recommended it to them. I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys food.

Fine background and justification for why certain liquids do - or do not -pair well with certain foods. Good reading. Best part - the easy-to-use guides. What foods (from A to Z) go with what wines. Then, a listing of wines to food. So, you can find the pairing for the grilled salmon (ex. buttery California Chardonnay) or designate a mate for that great bottle of Rioja (ex. grilled lamb). Several recipes/comments from famous chefs, etc. - but the pairing guides are the best part. I bought this book for a birthday gift, but read it on a car trip. Kept it. Bought two more for birthday gifts!

If I had to pare down all my wine books to the top two or three, this book would be one of them. It is just simply That Good and That Useful. Being a newbie to exploring the world of wine, I'm discovering my likes and dislikes, forming my palate, and constantly asking questions and researching. What to Drink with What You Eat has helped me to think outside the box, to understand why pairings work or don't work, and to make dining out a real pleasure.

For example, I researched the pairings for a 1996 Chateau Lanessan Bordeaux, which I had never tasted before, as well as pairings for a Yalumba Antique Tawny Port for dessert. A friend and I discussed the menu and the pairings, and made our selections accordingly. This resulted in a dinner that will not be forgotten by either of us for a long time to come, and much credit goes to this marvelous book.

Better yet, this is not a book to be read once or twice and then shelved. Oh no. I keep returning to it, to look up a food or a wine, or to answer some questions. It's also a pleasure to leaf through, and the comments from the sommeliers and others lend a very personal tone to the book, because they're speaking from sheer experience, whether they screwed up on a pairing or had to deal with narrow-minded diners or discovered their own favorite pairings.

My delighted thanks to Andrew Dornenburg and Karen Page! I may get another copy in case this should ever go out of print (horrors! may that never happen!).

If I had to pare down all my wine books to the top two or three, this book would be one of them. It is just simply That Good and That Useful. Being a newbie to exploring the world of wine, I'm discovering my likes and dislikes, forming my palate, and constantly asking questions and researching. What to Drink with What You Eat has helped me to think outside the box, to understand why pairings work or don't work, and to make dining out a real pleasure.

For example, I researched the pairings for a 1996 Chateau Lanessan Bordeaux, which I had never tasted before, as well as pairings for a Yalumba Antique Tawny Port for dessert. A friend and I discussed the menu and the pairings, and made our selections accordingly. This resulted in a dinner that will not be forgotten by either of us for a long time to come, and much credit goes to this marvelous book.

Better yet, this is not a book to be read once or twice and then shelved. Oh no. I keep returning to it, to look up a food or a wine, or to answer some questions. It's also a pleasure to leaf through, and the comments from the sommeliers and others lend a very personal tone to the book, because they're speaking from sheer experience, whether they screwed up on a pairing or had to deal with narrow-minded diners or discovered their own favorite pairings.

My delighted thanks to Andrew Dornenburg and Karen Page! I may get another copy in case this should ever go out of print (horrors! may that never happen!).

I have used culinary artistry for quite a few years and it is still an outstanding book. This new book is great as well, but they should have stuck with the original layout of culinary artistry which is less confusing to read. Overall another great addition by Dornenberg and Page! It is a very interesting read and will be a great references for menu writing.

Finally a definitively delicious, all in one place, concentration of pairings! After hours of searching the internet for "wine pairings with __________", I stumble on this book. Here it is, all in one place!

Finally a definitively delicious, all in one place, concentration of pairings! After hours of searching the internet for "wine pairings with __________", I stumble on this book. Here it is, all in one place!

This book is AMAZING! It even tells you what to drink with a Kit Kat bar...Great Format...easy to use...one of the best all around books whether you are a big entertainer or whether you just want the right pairings for a romantic dinner for two.