Book Review: Windows on the World Complete Wine Course, by Kevin Zraly (2007 Edition)

My husband and I love great food and fine wine to accompany a well-made dish. In our quest to learn more about wine, we have toured Napa Valley and would like to visit more wineries, especially those in California. We subscribe to the "Wine Enthusiast" and eagerly await each issue to find out what's new or up and coming.

If you, too, love wine and would like to know more about wine, I would highly recommend this book, Windows on the World Complete Wine Course by Kevin Zraly. During a recent trip to Sam's Club, I managed to pick this book up for less than $15, and at that price, it's a great investment. This book is easy to read and is graced with beautiful photographs.

No stranger to wine, Kevin Zraly started his career at the Windows on the World restaurant atop the World Trade Center, working there from 1976 when the restaurant opened, until September 11, 2001. He started the Wine School in 1976 as a private club, and opened it to the public in 1980.

This book is packed on every page with more information about wine than a person can digest at one time. I've spent the last month going through the Wine Course chapter by chapter. The book is arranged in eight "classes," which include white wines of France; wines of Washington, Oregon, New York and the white wines of California; white wines of Germany; red wines of Burgundy and the Rhone; red wines of Bordeaux; red wines of California; wines of the world (Australia, Italy, Spain, Chile and Argentina); and champagne, sherry and port. Going through "class" by "class" has been great fun, and I've learned a lot by following this method.

In addition, the book offers suggestions for buying wines at all price points, creating a wine cellar in your own home, and award winning wine lists, in addition to frequently asked questions. You'll learn how to read labels, how to actually taste and smell the wine, the differences in terroir, and different levels in style. I've also learned that every state in the union has at least one winery! I was especially interested in the small section on choosing grapes to grow for wine, by region, as I am currently trying to grow some wine grapes. In addition, there's also biographical information on Kevin Zraly and the Windows of the World restaurant.

So whether you buy your wine, like I do, at Cost Plus, Sam's Club or BevMo, or at a local specialty wine shop, this book can be an invaluable reference.