Let’s face it, sometimes the subject of wine is a snooze fest. To avoid nodding off while reading about wine, I suggest books and web sites that combine visual appeal with a solid base of information on the topic. For this reason I have been following the Wine Folly web site from the start. I am grateful to Avery Books for providing VinoSocial an advance copy of Wine Folly: Magnum Edition for review. Read on for a little Wine Folly history and my take on the latest edition of this master guide to wine.
The story of Wine Folly is an enviable one on how to create a successful career in the wine industry. It all began while Madeline Puckette was working with James Beard Award winning chef Jerry Traunfeld as a sommelier at his Seattle based restaurant, Poppy. Joining forces with two friends, Madeline began the blog Wine Folly with the goal to become the number one wine education site. What I absolutely admire about Madeline is that she figured out a way to combine her background in graphic design with her skills as a somm. Plus, she and her partner, Justin Hammack, were savvy enough to run the blog like a business. They created posters from her dazzling and easy to interpret wine infographics, then offered them for purchase on the web site. Eventually a book deal came along and the rest, as they say, is history.
What’s New
If you have that first book, Wine Folly: the Essential Guide to Wine you may be wondering whether you really need the new Wine Folly: Magnum Edition. I say, yes, you do. There are some key updates that definitely make this new edition worthwhile.
First of all, the Magnum Edition is hard cover. Then there are updated colorful graphics. Also, there is a lot more content and additions to the chapters on “Grapes and Wines” and “Wine Regions.” Overall, this Wine Folly book is somehow more sophisticated while still being approachable.
Thankfully, all the wine varieties in the Magnum Edition are organized alphabetically without being primarily organized by style and body. This makes looking up wine varieties ever so much easier! No more referring to the index to find a wine. Information still appears for recommended glass type, serving temperature, average cost for quality, and cellaring ability. Now readers also receive information on common styles and suggested wines with a similar flavor profile.
Wine Folly: Magnum Edition Food and Wine Pairing
Be still my heart, this book includes a fantastic section devoted to food and wine pairing, my favorite subject! Wine Folly: Magnum Edition has twelve colorfully illustrated pages with practical pairing infographics.When it comes to making better wine choices for dinner, this is the easiest to interpret guide I’ve seen. Whether you’re interested in pairing with cheese, pairing with protein, or pairing with vegetables it’s covered in this book and presented in an updated easy to read table format.
If you are looking for a great resource to learn more about wine, I highly recommend the book, Wine Folly: Magnum Edition. Get your copy now!