First I want to clarify that if you're actually a serious experienced wine maker and want to learn all the ins and outs of perfecting the wines you hand crushed from your private orchard then this is in fact a good book. My beef is that it claims to be for "focused beginners" and it is way too advanced for that.

I was already quite familiar with the similar process of beer brewing so I had a leg up on most people but I still had to read through advanced processes and a sea of chemical terminology hoping they'd be defined and make sense later.

What makes this book poor for newcomers is that it tends to dive straight into specifics without taking a step back and explaining basics like what is going on or why.

What you can expect from this book is more of a reference manual of tips and tricks for perfecting your processes - not book that broadens your general understanding or appreciation of wine.

I bought this book b/c I expect to start doing my own winemaking. This
book has a lot of good info and is very informative.

This book approaches the topic from two angles.

1. You'll be making wine from grapes
2. You'll be making wine from kits/concentrates

Now the problem isn't that it covers both topics, but that I was sometimes
unsure which angle the author was coming from.

For example, he talks about various procedures used in the wine making
process. But I was often unsure whether some procedure would only be done
if you were making wine from kits, or if you followed only when making wine from grapes.

So from a beginner's stand-point, reading this book didn't always make sense.
I suppose it will after I start making my own wine, but for a non-experienced beginner, I felt like some clarification needed to be
made as to which steps were followed in each method (grapes or kits).

I think another reviewer used the word "tangled". I kind of have to
agree b/c it wasn't always clear which method the author was referring
to.

This book is easy to read. It gets to the point immediately. Easy language.

Excellent condition and fast delivery! Good seller. Helpful book and very easy to read.

I added this book to my growing wine making reference collection. As an amateur, I am busy gathering additional knowledge as I hone my winemaking skills. I used the "Raspberry Liquor" recipe to spruce up a batch of very dry and unsweetened Raspberry wine for my annual holiday wine creation. Good dry semi-sweet result.

A good introduction. This in combination with Jeff Cox's book gave me a solid start

A good introduction. This in combination with Jeff Cox's book gave me a solid start

This is the first book you should buy if your making wine. One fault I find with the book is that it assumes your starting with fresh grapes, while most people probably start with fresh juice or must.

This is a great book though.

This book coached me through making my first wine last year and it was extremely helpful. Iverson walks through the winemaking process in a way that helps the reader determine the best approach to acheive a desired outcome.

Iverson discusses red and white wines, fermenting, aging, racking, and various testing procedures that educate the reader on the chemical properties of wine. He discusses oak and gives fine recommendations based on his valuable experience. For those interested in delving into a more complex process, malolactic fermentation is also discussed in detail. A troubleshooting section is added in case problems occur, and he even discusses the bottling process. This glosses over a sampling of sections.

It is a quick read, which is nice for those just getting started. It's not presented in an overwhelming manner. When you need it as a reference, each section is short enough the read in one sitting. Locating pertinent data is easy.

The book does not get too in-depth into any one concept. It's more of a tutorial to the winemaking process, well balanced in its coverage. For seasoned winemakers looking for more detail, this may not be the book for you.

I still use it as a reference, but now that I'm into my second batch of wine, I'm looking for more detail. As a result, I'm buying another winemaking book to supplement the information contained in this book. I'm seeking more detail to answer more complex questions.

If you're a beginning winemaker looking for a book to help guide you, Iverson's book won't lead you in a wrong direction.

As long as you're not interested in fruit wines, this book is the one to get for serious beginning winemakers (like me). It's technical in a practical way, with good charts and conversion tables, but very little of the heavy bio-chem stuff that lies beyond this level. Iverson also has the best ideas I've seen for implementing more advanced methods (like extended maceration) with home equipment. More photos would be nice, as would a more detailed description of troubleshooting via sensory analysis, but overall Iverson rates at least 4 stars.

Jon Iverson's book, Home Winemaking Step-by-Step is not only well written and thorough, it just as importantly is current - infused with information and understanding of contemporary winemaking technology.

Jon's writing style makes the subject of winemaking easy for the beginner to understand, and yet the book is comprehensive enough to serve as a reference guide for the more advanced winemaker.

I have been teaching winemaking for the past fifteen years. Home Winemaking Step-by-Step is the book I recommend to my students and to which I reference in class.

The book contains some interesting winemaking tips. Unfortunately, the quality of said information gets lost in the twisted tangle of grammatically challenged pages. Two stars for the information and zero stars for the presentation.

This is a great book to sit down and read through before you begin making wine from grapes. It goes through each step a winemaker follows, from the equipment to the yeast, from fining to fermenting.

It would have been helpful to have more photos and high quality illustrations in the book - you are restricted to simple line drawings when reading about the various things going on in the description. Usually they suffice, though, and you can figure out what to do.

This might not be the best 'only one' book for an all-around winemaker - it concentrates on making wine from grapes, while most home winemakers foray extensively into fruit winemaking. Also, it doesn't have recipes in it, so you'll need a companion book to figure out what you're making. Still, this is a very valuable book and should be on the shelf of any home winemaker.

The is a clear and concise book about making wine from grapes, the best overall book for beginners and serious home-winemakers. It covers the entire process step-by-step with practical and useful advices. It is simple and yet does not neglect the underlying scientific and technical aspects. Quanities of chemicals and additives are all clearly outlined and adjusted to the volumes typical for home winemaking. The chapter on the use of oak additives is the best in print. It also contains excellent coverage on sanitation, the use of sulphites, racking and fining.

If you've never before made wine from grapes but want to try it, or if you've been making it for years but simply want to improve your skills and your wine, "Home Winemaking Step by Step" is the single best resource for that task.

Jon Iverson has written a book anyone can use with confidence. His writing is straightforward, concise and lay-oriented, and both beginner and advanced winemaker will feel this book was writen for them. For the beginner, it is refreshingly complete. For the advanced winemaker, it contains nuggets of technique and insight that will prove valuable and useful.

Iverson's treatment of acidity, cold soaking and stabilization, extended and carbonic macerations, malolactic fermentation, sparkling wine methods, fining, and oaking are pregnant with value. While most would agree these are advanced topics, Jon works them into the overall process so effortlessly that the beginner might never know he is being ushered through a collegiate. Similarly, the appendices are loaded with procedures, tables, insights, and resources all will find useful.

If you make or want to make grape wines, you really ought to have this book.

Jon's style of writing takes you by the hand and leads you through the entire process of winemaking. From finding the basic tools to using the grapes that are available in your area or having them shipped to you. I'm looking forward to my second bottling soon.