Great Tastes Made Simple: Extraordinary Food and Wine Pairing for Every Palate

Demystifying wine for the American audience is a worthy goal, and here Master Sommelier Immer (she's one of just 10 women to hold the title) makes an accomplished stab at a difficult task. In chapters such as ""Smoke, Sizzle, Savor,"" and ""Can She Make a Cherry Pie,"" Immer (Great Wine Made Simple) details the right wines to choose for tomatoes, barbecue, herbal dishes and even Thai takeout. In language that is appealing and approachable, Immer emphasizes how a good understanding of wine does not require a trip to Europe and buckets of cash, but rather a simple willingness to try new things. She also offers easy recipes and the wines to match them, suggesting, for example, a Dry Creek Vineyard Reserve Zinfandel from California with a ""Red and Blue"" Short Rib Ragu. Finally, Immer provides handy charts (e.g., ""Matching Mushrooms, Truffles, and Wine"" and ""Matching Peak-Sweet Seafood and Wine"") and tasting ideas, such as a comparison of Pinot Blanc and Chianti, so that the novice oenophile can teach herself to love wine more-or at least fear it less.