Extreme Wine: Searching the World for the Best, the Worst, the Outrageously Cheap, the Insanely Overpriced, and the Undiscovered

Wine expert and editor of the popular Wine Economist blog Veseth (Wine Wars) returns with an entertaining and informative survey of the wine landscape, past and present. Here, "extreme" is used to define many aspects of wine culture, ranging from the extreme temperatures necessary for preparing a proper icewine, to the low pricing of Two Buck Chuck and Thunderbird, to the wildly expensive pastime known as "wine tourism." Veseth acts as an enthusiastic host who is more than willing to share his insights. For example, he explains how to quickly judge the quality of a wine by tilting the glass to a 45 degree angle (the more intense the color of the wine near the edge of the glass, the better it is) and why one should never order Santa Margarita Pinot Grigio at a restaurant (it is popular and routinely overpriced as a result). He even includes a chapter on celebrity wines%E2%80%94apparently former NBA player Yao Ming's wine is worth checking out%E2%80%94and a fun wine-related filmography, with countless sources for additional information in every section. This entertaining read will surely resonate among fellow oenophiles and novice wine-oes alike. (Oct.)