Canadian Wine for Dummies [Paperback]

For wine novices who think “leaf canopy” means box seats at a Toronto hockey game, Tony Aspler and Barbara Leslie offer relief. The authors of Canadian Wine for Dummies--she publisher emerita of Winetidings magazine and he prolific Toronto Star wine columnist--have packed a lot into this 24-chapter entry in the popular series of beginners’ books. The Canadian wine market is unique, characterized by a general population skeptical of domestic production, microclimates necessitating the growing of cool-weather noble grapes or heartier but less marketable hybrids, and provincial liquor board inertia. Aspler and Leslie know these quirks and qualities and accurately cover all the basics of winemaking and -buying across the vast geographies of Canada. Along the way they trace the history and recent push for quality among the growing number of vintners, making the case that Canadian winemakers are on a barrel roll. Myriad personalities fill your glass, such as Summerhill’s Steve Cipes, who believes that wines age better in his pyramid-shaped facility, bringing a touch of Cheops to his Champagne-method sparklers. The usual “Dummies” layout is effective: sidebars and tables adorn chapters on tasting, buying, and pairing wine with food. A comprehensive discussion of Canadian wineries (32 pages for Ontario alone) sometimes reads more like press releases than critical appraisal, and while it’s thorough to include winery contact info (including Web addresses), it’s all grouped in Appendix B at the back of the book, rather than following each entry. But great advice is plentiful. The authors warn about “hucksterism,” for instance: next time you read a label or wine list touting the fact that Canada’s vineyards are on the same latitude as Italy and France, remember “You don’t hear of anyone shovelling the driveway in Tuscany.” Unfortunately, there’s an aggressive trend in wine primers lately, urging novices to accumulate knowledge to, as echoed here, “psyche out your waiter.” Surely Aspler and Leslie are teasing. Canadian Wine For Dummies is too good to treat the drinking of Marechal Foch as a martial art. --Tony Mason

How can the same grapes make two different wines? Can you tell what a wine tastes like by reading the label? By understanding wine, you can drink better wine. In grocery stores, liquor stores, and at the vineyard, the key to picking a tasty wine is knowing how the wine was made—not by looking at the price. Even the glass you drink wine out of can enhance the experience. With some basic guidance, being a wine connoisseur is as easy as knowing what you like.

Canadian Wine For Dummies is for everyone from beginning wine drinkers who need a friendly primer on wine to experienced wine tasters who want a thorough introduction to the diverse variety of wines produced in Canadian. This is the perfect guide if you’re interested in:

• Entertaining at home
• Collecting wine
• Cooking with wine
• Touring Canadian vineyards
• Impressing your friends

Explore all the factors that influence a wine 212;from the soil the grapes grow in to the winemaking process—and understand how to decipher this information from the label. Navigate any restaurant’s wine list and order the best tasting and priced bottle. Serve the perfect wine to complement the food your serving. This friendly guide helps you do these things and more:

• Introduce your friends to Icewine
• Happily marry food and wine at your wedding
• Purchase wine online from private shops
• Properly taste and describe any wine
• Organize wine tastings
• Know when to send back a bottle of wine

Tired of relying on other people’s wine choices? Want to discover a vast country of delicious wines? There are many, many reasons to explore the world of Canadian wines. No matter what the reason, the experience you take away from delving into the savory world of Canadian wines will make itself useful the rest of your life.

Includes directory of 120 wineries coast to coast!

The fun and easy way to enjoy Canadian wine.

Baffled by Bordeaux? Stumped on Sauvignon? Whether you're new to wine or a more seasoned oenophile (wine lover) this is the book for you. this friendly guide explains wine— and Canadian wine in particular— in easy-to-understand terms and sets you on course for a lifetime of wine enjoyment. Cheers!

Discover how to:

• Enjoy the best Canadian wines
• Order wine in a restaurant
• Pair wine with food
• Recognize when wine's gone bad
• Choose the best wine to collect
• Pick the right wine for any occasion

Tony Aspler is the recognized authority on Canadian wine and is the author of Travels with My Corkscrew and Vintage Canada.

Barbara Leslie has 15 years of writing and editing experience at Winetidings magazine.