Matt Kramer on Wine

Veteran wine expert Kramer's (Making Sense of Burgundy) Wine Spectator column has given oenophiles plenty of drink for thought. Those new to the vine will appreciate this thoughtful collection of his articles and essays. Despite three decades of experience, his perspective and enthusiasm for wine and viniculture hasn't soured. Though his book is packed with winemaker profiles and expected insight on everything from the particulars of Bordeaux, the rise of California wines, and what it's like to taste wildly rare and expensive wines, it's Kramer's unabashed passion for the topic that matters. Whether gleefully excoriating the pomp and circumstance of the Institute of Masters of Wine, or debunking myths about the correlation between price and quality (none), Kramer proves himself a rare beast: the everyman expert. Tips such as the benefit of rinsing, or "seasoning," wine glasses with the wine about to be served, and essays on the true cost of producing a decent bottle of wine (about ten bucks) make this an informative overview of a much-loved subject, without the need for a dinner jacket and expensive glass. (Sept.)