Packed with arcane information about everything from types of cork and other closures to the rarest and the most expensive wines (which are not necessarily the same thing), here is a book that a wine connoisseur may give to a novice, and that someone ignorant of wine may give to an expert.

Documents the career of one of the world's most influential wine critics, describing his everyday American childhood, the hard work and determination that shaped the course of his successes, and his contributions to the world of wine buying and consumption. Reprint.

What do you get when you cross a journalist and a banker? A brewery, of course. "A great city should have great beer. New York finally has, thanks to Brooklyn. Steve Hindy and Tom Potter provided it. Beer School explains how they did it: their mistakes as well as their triumphs. Steve writes with a journalist's skepticism-as though he has forgotten that he is reporting on himself. Tom is even less forgiving-he's a banker, after all. The inside story reads at times like a cautionary tale, but it is an account of a great and welcome achievement." —Michael Jackson, The Beer Hunter(r) "An accessible and insightful case study with terrific insight for aspiring entrepreneurs. And if that's not enough, it is all about beer!" —Professor Murray Low, Executive Director, Lang Center for Entrepreneurship, Columbia Business School "Great lessons on what every first-time entrepreneur will experience. Being down the block from the Brooklyn Brewery, I had firsthand witness to their positive impact on our community. I give Steve and Tom's book an A++!" —Norm Brodsky, Senior Contributing Editor, Inc. magazine "Beer School is a useful and entertaining book. In essence, this is the story of starting a beer business from scratch in New York City. The product is one readers can relate to, and the market is as tough as they get. What a fun challenge! The book can help not only those entrepreneurs who are starting a business but also those trying to grow one once it is established. Steve and Tom write with enthusiasm and insight about building their business. It is clear that they learned a lot along the way. Readers can learn from these lessons too." —Michael Preston, Adjunct Professor, Lang Center for Entrepreneurship, Columbia Business School, and coauthor, The Road to Success: How to Manage Growth "Although we (thankfully!) never had to deal with the Mob, being held up at gunpoint, or having our beer and equipment ripped off, we definitely identified with the challenges faced in those early days of cobbling a brewery together. The revealing story Steve and Tom tell about two partners entering a business out of passion, in an industry they knew little about, being seriously undercapitalized, with an overly naive business plan, and their ultimate success, is an inspiring tale." —Ken Grossman, founder, Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.

An international wine expert offers a common-sense approach to wine appreciation that describes different wines from around the world and presents a series of simple tasting lessons to help readers identify the wines that they like and find it on a menu or shelf.

Tells how to select, plant, cultivate, train, prune, protect and harvest grapes, and explains each step in making wine

The author explores the obscure history of zinfandel wines, describing the ascension of California's "mystery grape" to a product worthy of worldwide attention, and relates many of his own wine-making experiences

Including whiskies from more than 20 different countries, a witty, focused, practical guide to some of the world's finest whiskies Avoiding the deliberately obscure, the ridiculously limited, and the absurdly expensive, whiskey expert Ian Buxton has scoured the shelves of the world's whiskey warehouses to recommend an eclectic selection of old favorites, stellar newcomers, and mystifyingly unknown drams that simply have to be drunk. This witty, focused, and practical guide is not an awards list or a list of the 101 "best" whiskies in the world in the opinion of some self-appointed whiskey guru. It's simply a guide to 101 whiskies from around the world that enthusiasts really must seek out and try—love them or hate them—to complete their whiskey education. What's more, it's both practical and realistic as it cuts through the clutter, decodes the marketing hype, and gets straight to the point; whether from India or America, Sweden or Ireland, Japan or the hills, glens, and islands of Scotland—here are the 101 whiskies that every whiskey enthusiast needs to try.