I've read lots of wine books over the years and considerable myself pretty knowledgeable. And yet Zraly's book made it brand new for me. The side bars brought together interesting facts and the text was chunked into easily digestable and sippable bits. My new favorite wine book, after my own - Wine's Hidden Beauty.

I have thumbed through and read several wine books, and Mr. Zraly's Complete Wine Course is at the top of my list.
The book is a great educational experience and I recommend it to anyone who would like to learn more about wine and the wine regions throughout the world.

Not quite an anthology, but enough information to keep you well versed on the grape growing process & how it becomes a delectable drink. Mr. Zraly covers the globe with recommendations for both the famous French regions, to the up & coming new players, what vintages are considered better to his palate, & vintners he considers to be a bit better than the others.

Wine is a highly subjective matter, as some will immediately identify with a particular type or taste they like. Such as sweet or dry, red, white, or blush, French, Italian, or American, etc. So this is an excellent guide book to expand your tastes & try something new & different.

I had a previous edition of Kevin Zraly's book that was recommended to me by a gentleman who was the regional buyer of wine for a large, national chain of high end steak-house restaurants. This is a wonderful book for people just getting into wine, as well as your "above average" fans of wine. Just this weekend, I purchased 2 copies as gifts for friends. The book is sophisticated yet personal and approachable. The only better gift would have been to actually buy bottles of wine!! Enjoy!

Windows on the World Complete Wine Course: 25th Anniversary Edition is the number one book to learn about wine. It's a complete, readable guide to wine regions, grape varietals, wine pairing, and much much more. You'll learn about all the major wine regions, their typical grape varietals, and distinguishing characteristics.

Throughout the book specific, easily available, and affordable wines are profiled by winery. Special sections take this further: wine tasting "courses" of flights of different wines to compare; 101 favorite wines; and wines to begin a wine cellar.

Now, in it's 25 Anniversary edition it's been enlarged further with new sections on Austria, Hungary, and Greece. The wine lists have been updated and enlarged, and sections Chile, Argentina, and New Zealand have been expanded given their influence in the world of wine today.

I've completed two levels of the excellent Wine and Spirit Education Trust's wine programs. I'm amazed that Kevin Zraly's Windows on the World is just as thorough and is basically the intermediate level - in a book. I refer back to it often, and give it as gifts to friends who want to increase their appreciation of wine.