The incomparable Anthony Dias Blue—the world's leading expert on American wine—has revised and updated his definitive reference on America's wine-producing regions and wines. Both entertaining and informative American Wine takes the risk out of choosing the best wines and the best values—with maps, winery profiles, comprehensive tasting notes, ratings, and recommendations on more than 5,000 wines.

Anthony Dias Blue is universally praised for his unpretentious wine prose—often witty and always thoroughly original—and for the authoritativeness and strength of his opinions. American Wine sparkles with the same spirit and sharp critical perspective that make his newspaper and magazine columns and radio segments so popular. Blue introduces the reader to the wealth of American wines and wineries from their beginnings to the present and gives background on American grapes, wine production techniques, and his amusing hypotheses on primitive man's discovery of wine.

The heart of the book is the comprehensive listing, arranged by region, of more than 900 wineries, each including a description of the owners/founders, and a list of important characteristics, including vintage, type, and price, of all the wines produced by the winery. Thorough descriptions of each wine are provided as well as guidelines as to when the wines are ready. Individual wines are given quality ratings; Blue's rating system is easy to use and clearly highlights special bargains.

With the seasoned eye and palate that years of experience have given him, Blue has researched and written this compendium with gusto, and the first edition of American Wine has been a resounding success. Updated and revised, this volume is indispensable to anyone how buys wine.

An indispensable follow-up to his classic Complete Book of Mixed Drinks, Anthony Dias Blue presents The Complete Book of Spirits, a comprehensive collection of history, lore, and tasting tips, along with recipes for select cocktails. Here, in one concise and easy-to-use volume, is all the information a consumer needs to shop, mix, and sip like a spirits expert.

From bathtub gin to mojito madness, Blue brings the dynamic history of the spirits industry alive, demonstrating that spirit making is not only one of mankind''s oldest pursuits but also perhaps its most colorful. In ten captivating chapters, readers are treated to everything they ever wanted to know about their favorite liquors, including vodka, aquavit, tequila, and whiskey. Blue also provides step-by-step instructions on how to host spirit tastings to educate your palate and to help you and your friends discover your favorite brands and blends. For every chapter and every spirit, there is also a handy tasting-notes section, with Blue''s expert comments and his favorites, along with price points.

If you''ve ever wondered about the difference between potato and wheat vodkas, or between mescal and tequila or American and Irish whiskeys, or what makes single malt Scotch so desirable, look no further. With Anthony Dias Blue, America''s leading wine and spirits expert, and The Complete Book of Spirits as your guides, you will take your enjoyment to a new level.

In this completely updated and revised edition, Anthony Dias Blue, the renowned wine expert and author of the definitive wine reference American Wine: A Comprehensive Guide, offers consumers his authoritative ratings of more than 5,000 domestic vintages, listed in an accessible, alphabetical format by wineries and their products.

The incomparable Anthony Dias Blue—the world's leading expert on American wine—has revised and updated his definitive reference on America's wine-producing regions and wines. Both entertaining and informative American Wine takes the risk out of choosing the best wines and the best values—with maps, winery profiles, comprehensive tasting notes, ratings, and recommendations on more than 5,000 wines.

Anthony Dias Blue is universally praised for his unpretentious wine prose—often witty and always thoroughly original—and for the authoritativeness and strength of his opinions. American Wine sparkles with the same spirit and sharp critical perspective that make his newspaper and magazine columns and radio segments so popular. Blue introduces the reader to the wealth of American wines and wineries from their beginnings to the present and gives background on American grapes, wine production techniques, and his amusing hypotheses on primitive man's discovery of wine.

The heart of the book is the comprehensive listing, arranged by region, of more than 900 wineries, each including a description of the owners/founders, and a list of important characteristics, including vintage, type, and price, of all the wines produced by the winery. Thorough descriptions of each wine are provided as well as guidelines as to when the wines are ready. Individual wines are given quality ratings; Blue's rating system is easy to use and clearly highlights special bargains.

With the seasoned eye and palate that years of experience have given him, Blue has researched and written this compendium with gusto, and the first edition of American Wine has been a resounding success. Updated and revised, this volume is indispensable to anyone how buys wine.

An indispensable follow-up to his classic Complete Book of Mixed Drinks, Anthony Dias Blue presents The Complete Book of Spirits, a comprehensive collection of history, lore, and tasting tips, along with recipes for select cocktails. Here, in one concise and easy-to-use volume, is all the information a consumer needs to shop, mix, and sip like a spirits expert.

From bathtub gin to mojito madness, Blue brings the dynamic history of the spirits industry alive, demonstrating that spirit making is not only one of mankind''s oldest pursuits but also perhaps its most colorful. In ten captivating chapters, readers are treated to everything they ever wanted to know about their favorite liquors, including vodka, aquavit, tequila, and whiskey. Blue also provides step-by-step instructions on how to host spirit tastings to educate your palate and to help you and your friends discover your favorite brands and blends. For every chapter and every spirit, there is also a handy tasting-notes section, with Blue''s expert comments and his favorites, along with price points.

If you''ve ever wondered about the difference between potato and wheat vodkas, or between mescal and tequila or American and Irish whiskeys, or what makes single malt Scotch so desirable, look no further. With Anthony Dias Blue, America''s leading wine and spirits expert, and The Complete Book of Spirits as your guides, you will take your enjoyment to a new level.

In this completely updated and revised edition, Anthony Dias Blue, the renowned wine expert and author of the definitive wine reference American Wine: A Comprehensive Guide, offers consumers his authoritative ratings of more than 5,000 domestic vintages, listed in an accessible, alphabetical format by wineries and their products.