My Savvy Review of The Wine Lover’s Apprentice by author Kathleen Bershad @SMGurusNetwork @WineConcierge

My Savvy Review of The Wine Lover’s Apprentice by author Kathleen Bershad @SMGurusNetwork @WineConcierge

Deliciously Savvy received product and/or compensation in exchange for an honest and unbiased review and all opinions are 100% my own. Regardless, I only review products that I am truly interested in for myself and my family and of course for sharing those reviews with my savvy readers. This post contains affiliate links and I may make a small commission used to support this blog if the product is ordered via the links in this post. Thanks for stopping by and enjoy!

It is no secret to anyone that knows me that I am a huge fan of reading and that I love to get lost and wrapped up in a good book as it is one of my favorite pastimes. It is also no secret that I enjoy a delicious glass of wine, or two, when the mood strikes as it is the perfect way to have a bit of fun all while unwinding and relaxing. For this reason I was thrilled to receive a copy of The Wine Lover’s Apprentice by author Kathleen Bershad as it is the perfect book for me this holiday season. I am looking to impress my Dad, as well as others, with my new found knowledge of “all things” wine and Kathleen made it fun and easy to do with this fabulously written book.

This book is the perfect read for wine lover’s as it provides so many of the answers to the many questions you may have when it comes to “all things” wine such as…. What’s the best corkscrew to use? Should I decant my wine? Should I aerate my wine? What types of glassware should I have on hand for the different varieties of wine available? What’s so special about muscadine wine? All of these answers and more can be found in The Wine Lover’s Apprentice as Kathleen Bershad breaks it down and simplifies it all for you. She acknowledges the importance of tossing out the rules when it comes to “all things” wine and takes a relaxed approach to storing and serving everyday bottles.

The Wine Lover’s Apprentice teaches you the tricks of the trade as well as strategies for navigating the shelves of a retail store when shopping for wine plus it provides advice on ordering wine at your favorite restaurant. This book digs deep and gets down to the simplest of details involved in winemaking as well as taking a look at the world’s major wine regions. This book is written in short bites so that it is a fun and refreshing read that will allow you to easily gain a quick understanding of an area’s major grapes, the style or styles of wine, and the appellations that offer the best value wines as well as the best quality wines.

The important topics that this book delves into are:

*Getting to Know Your Grapes

*What You’re Tasting When You Taste Wine

*Conquering the Restaurant Wine List

*Navigating the Wine Shop

*Serving, Sipping, and Storing

*And More!

The Wine Lover’s Apprentice is the perfect tool for breaking down the complicated terms you see when reading a wine review, looking at a bottle of wine, or even when listening to a wine geek talk about vino. The wine geek in my life is my Dad as he is a huge wine connoisseur and actually has an impressive wine collection at his home. He has it all…from your low priced wines up to the high end bottles that you whip out for special occasions. I am working to impress him this year with my newfound knowledge of “all things” wine thanks to Kathleen’s book and cannot wait to gift him this Holiday season with some impressive wine selections. I am even going to add this book into the mix and create a nice gift basket that will contain my wine selections for him plus additional items like crackers, cheese, chocolates, wine gadgets and of course a copy of The Wine Lover’s Apprentice.

Check out an excerpt from Chapter 2 of The Wine Maker’s Apprentice:

New or Old? (And I Don’t Mean Vintage!)

Old World and new World are two of the most common descriptors for wines. But a lot of folks don’t know what those terms really mean. At its most basic, this distinction refers to the origin of the wine. As you might expect, Old World wines come from traditional winegrowing areas, such as France, Germany, Italy, and Spain. (In other words, Europe!) New World wines are from newer regions, where winemaking goes back a few hundred years or less. The best know of these are California and Australia, though the category also includes Chile, Argentina, Washington, Oregon, and New Zealand. (Basically, everywhere else!)

Each region produces wines with different characteristics. Overall New World wines are higher in alcohol and have fruitier flavors than their Old World counterparts, which are typically more austere and reserved. But beware: thanks to winemaker manipulation (or factors like a warm vintage in a cool climate), an Old World wine can be crafted in a New World style, and vice versa.

Praise for The Wine Lover’s Apprentice

I started reading this book and can’t put it down. Aside from being very knowledgeable, articulate, and au currant, Kathleen is witty, entertaining, and fascinating. Betcha you won’t be able to put it down either.
Brice Cutrer Jones, President, Emeritus Vineyards

A fun and insightful read for wine lover novices to elevate their knowledge of how climate and wine making techniques impact what is in the glass. Straightforward and no-nonsense approach lighting the way to your personal, passionate vino journey.
Andrew Bell, President & CEO, Wine Symphony and Co-Founder
& President, American Sommelier Association

About The Author

With over fifteen years of experience in the food and wine industry, Kathleen Bershad has honed the art of matching people with wine. The enthusiasm she has for helping clients discover and learn about wine led her to establish her consulting practice, Fine Wine Concierge. Kathleen helps clients with all their wine needs, including buying wine to enjoy or collect, selling part or all of cellars, organizing wine cellars and creating inventories thereof, and hosting fun and educational tasting classes.

She developed her expertise by working as a food writer and restaurant reviewer, a retail store manager, a sales associate for a boutique wine importer/distributor, and a buyer and writer for a top retail store and wine club in New York City. Kathleen earned her Sommelier Certification from the American Sommelier Association. She also has an undergraduate degree in communications from Trinity University.

WEBSITE ~ FACEBOOK ~ TWITTER ~ INSTAGRAM

So what do you think of my review of The Wine Lover’s Apprentice? This is the perfect gift for the Holiday Season and it makes a fabulous hostess gift when attending festive get togethers and parties. It is also the perfect gift on its own as well as with a delicious bottle of wine. You can kick it up a notch and even gift someone a wine basket like I am for my Dad this Holiday Season including a copy of The Wine Lover’s Apprentice as it makes the perfect accompaniment. Rest assured that after reading this handy book you and/or your recipient will feel empowered and knowledgeable in decision making and actually know what’s in a bottle, be able to make an educated guess about its flavors, and help change the culture to make drinking wine what it should be which is a fun and relaxing time.

Make sure to be on the lookout for this fun read when you are out and about or when you are shopping online!

AMAZON ~ BARNES & NOBLE

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