PRAISE FOR WINE STYLE – Linda Murphy, San Francisco Chronicle Drink what you like. "That's the easy answer to the complex question of, 'What wine should I buy/serve for dinner/order in a restaurant?'     "But how does one determine what wine he or she really likes, without buying countless bottles from all over the world, tasting them and taking notes?    "Read 'Wine Style: Using Your Senses to Explore and Enjoy Wine' …. It's a book I wish I'd had when I first became interested in wine; I thought I had to know a lot about vino to appreciate it, so I studied more than I sipped. The authors say phooey. …    "'Wine Style' is [the authors’] best effort for helping readers figure out which types of wine they like. Ewing-Mulligan and McCarthy begin with the premise that style trumps quality…    "They use non-jargony language to describe 10 wine styles, by chapter, such as 'fresh, unoaked whites,' 'aromatic whites' and 'powerful reds.' Each style chapter describes the varietals that fall in the category, what they smell and taste like, their structure (tannin, acidity and alcohol levels) and which foods go best with them. …    "In the crowd of wine education books, 'Wine Style' stands out; it's packed with information that's easy to swallow and written in such a refreshing manner that you might just rush out and buy a bottle after reading a chapter. It's highly recommended for those new to wine or unsure of their choices." –Bill Van Ollefen, The Stamford (CT) Advocate "The only book I'm going to recommend this year is 'Wine Style' by Mary Ewing-Mulligan and Ed McCarthy (Wiley). I know them both, and they are not only very knowledgeable, but they communicate well. The book is well-written and excellent for anyone looking to expand his/her knowledge. What I like most is that it is not pretentious, catering to all tastes, budgets varietals and wine styles. I have a copy." –Howard G. Goldberg, The NY Times A Stylish Wine Guide "…Generally, primers emphasize information about grapes and regions as a route to wine knowledge, an approach that can discourage novices since the subject seems boundless.    "The thesis in 'Wine Style,' written in a straightforward, jargon-free manner, is that a simpler, rewarding way to learn about wine is to understand 12 broad styles. …    "The couple write: 'It's time for wine drinkers to be able to choose a wine according to what the wine tastes like - something that can be done even by wine drinkers who aren't armed with an arsenal of traditional wine information or the special vocabulary of wine tasting.'    "By delineating styles, 'we are not trying to be dogmatic,' the authors write. 'We want to encourage wine drinkers to think about what they're drinking.'… –Michael Franz, Wine Review Online www.winereviewonline.com " Wine is a an inherently complex and intimidating subject, and since each year sees millions of potential readers attaining an age at which they want (or need) to deal with it, the publishing world issues a constant stream of introductions to wine. Most of them are pretty much the same, with this or that cute little twist. This one is different.    "Ewing-Mulligan and McCarthy (authors of the hugely successful Wine for Dummies series of books) provide a point of departure that is at once simple but audacious: readers should approach wine based on what it tastes like. Not where it comes from. Or what grape it is made from. Or how many points some critic has awarded it.    "They express the somewhat audacious underpinning of this approach quite straightforwardly in the concluding section of their first chapter, which is entitled, "Style Trumps Quality." They contend that, "quality alone is a silly reason for buying a wine. A wine's style--what it tastes like--is more critical to your enjoyment of it than its quality is. A wine's style determines what foods it goes well with, whether it's appropriate to the occasion at hand, and whether the wine is to your taste."    "I've encountered scores of novices who nervously fixate on the inadequacy of their knowledge, and I often try to persuade them to settle down and proceed on a basis they know with certainty: what tastes good to them. Now, at long last, I can also direct them to a book that introduces wine from this sound premise. –By PETER HELLMAN, Urban Vintage, New York Sun "The authors devote a chapter to each style, examining its impact on the palate and food. They don’t shy away from offbeat pairings, like earthy whites with Portuguese kale and potato soup. There’s a handy pair of pullout “wine style wheels,” incorporating the basics of each style. Additional chapters pinpoint rosé and sparkling wine styles. The authors offer eclectic lists of recommended wines in all categories, including 328 examples of powerful reds from California, Washington, Australia, France, Italy, and Spain.    " Though the authors try to steer clear of winespeak, they accept their limitations. They admit, for example that the concept of depth “is one of the most difficult aspects of a wine to describe because we know we risk sounding ridiculously abstract or metaphysical. Each wine has a shape in your mouth, and depth is an impression of verticality. (Sorry, we tried to warn you!)” So much wine writing seeming to issue from a priestly cast; these authors are refreshing in acknowledging their limitations. " "	The choices in wine stores and on wine lists can seem limitless and intimidating. A tangle of varietals, vintages, and vineyards. Wine drinkers often stick to what they know – Chardonnay please! – or go along blindly with recommendations made by a wine critic or waiter. Now, there is a undeniably different and more personal way to select your wine: WINE STYLE: Using Your Senses to Explore and Enjoy Wine. It helps you discover your own taste. After all, who knows more about great wine – great wine for you–than you?