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Book Review: Good, Better, Best Wines, A No-Nonsense Guide to Popular Wine by Carolyn Evans Hammond (May 5, 2010)

By Lorrie LeBeaux

I was happy to stumble over a wine blog by Jo Diaz, entitled Juicy Tales. She had written about the book Good, Better, Best Wines by Carolyn Evans Hammond. So, I was curious and asked the marketing contact for a complementary copy to review. The book arrived and I loved the way the author divided the book into wine varietals, and classified them as white, red, rose`, sparkling, dessert, and other wine sub-types. In addition, there was information about food pairings, wine glasses, temperature, storing and all other important information to educate the wine lover.

The wines are wines that can be found in any local grocery store , which has a wine department or local wine shops, with a price range of under $4.99 on up to $15.00. These are suggested retail prices. I have noticed that in Little Rock, AR wines tend to be sometimes over $5.00 more that the online suggested retail price.

The author gives out trade secrets, bits of wine information that helps the consumer understand the reading of wine labels and basic wine terminology. The idea of good, better and best allows the consumer choices that fit their budget, and still allowing them to drink a nice bottle of wine. The writing is candid, down to earth and useful to a new wine drinker, or a wine drinker who chooses to stay on budget when it comes to purchasing wine. The brands she recommends are consistant from year to year, so vintage does not matter, so you never go wrong with the wine recommendations she provides in the book.

The book is also small enough to fit in your purse or if you are a guy it can fit in your glove box of your car to get out when you need to pick up a reasonably priced bottle of wine. The book ranks the best-selling wines in the United states based on information from the Beverage Information Group which publishes the Wine Handbook, which publishes the top 120 best selling wine brands in the United States; so the information is not biased by brand selection. I like honesty in the wine business, especially when it comes to wine reviews. I've found that most wine labels, especially the ones listed in this book and some others, describe the wines exactly the way they taste. I love that fact because it is a good business practice.

Most of the wines in this book can be found in all the wine shops in Little Rock, AR, so this book is useful to our local wine drinkers.

About the author: Carolyn Evans Hammond is a accomplished wine writer whose articles have appeared in such magazines as Decanter and Wine and Spirit International in the United Kingdom, as well as Maclean's, Taste, and Tiding's in Canada. Her first book, 1,000 Best Wine Secrets, earned critical acclaim and international distribution. She also has a newsletter, runs a wine club, conducts seminars, and publishes a blog on her website-www.wine-tribune.com. She holds the Diploma from the Wine&Spirit Education Trust and a BA from New York University. To learn more about her new book Good, Better, Best Wines, view her book trailer at www.youtube.com/user/carolynevanshammond1

Her book can be purchased at your local bookstore, and at www.amazon.com.

In closing, I would love to meet Carolyn Evans Hammond, because I feel we are wine related spirits! She has reviewed wines from some of my favorite wineries, like Rodney Strong, Bogle, Kendall-Jackson, Pepperwood Grove and Blackstone.

One wine that I have fallen in love with is the new release from Rodney Strong, the 2009 Charlotte's Home Sauvignon Blanc. The wine would be considered a splurge,because online at the wineries website it retails for $13.50, but in Little Rock the price ranges from $18.49 to $18.99; so check out the wine days to get a discount on this wonderful wine.

This wine is light-bodied, crisp, clean and refreshing. It is like "summer in a glass", with flavors of citrus, melon, a hint of pear with a clean finish. I could sip this wine all day long. It would pair well with grilled chicken on skewers, grilled shrimp, fish and my favorite pairing for this wine is a salad with grilled chicken, romaine lettuce, Roma tomatoes, grated Manchego cheese, croutons and Ken's Buttermilk Ranch salad dressing. It is to die for!

To see the review on the source website please click here.