Beverage Basics – Understanding and Appreciating Wine, Beer, and Spirits Understanding and Appreciating Wine, Beer, and Spirits

An all-inclusive guide to wine, beer, and spirits

As people develop more sophisticated tastes, a basic understanding of wine, beer, and distilled spirits is more important than ever for chefs, servers, bartenders, and restaurant managers. And for anyone who simply wants to get more out of enjoying wine, beer, and spirits, developing an appreciation for the history, production methods, and techniques for evaluating alcoholic beverages is an essential first step. For professionals and amateurs alike, Beverage Basics provides a thorough and accessible education in the fundamentals.

Beverage Basics covers the art and science of winemaking from the vineyard to the table, takes a comprehensive look at the production methods, styles, and ideal food pairings for beer and spirits, and even covers the often-overlooked issues of health and the law. Written by wine and spirits expert and educator Robert W. Small, the book offers expansive coverage of everything you need to know about virtually all of the world's common alcoholic drinks.
* Offers a uniquely user-friendly approach to the subject of wine, organizing coverage by varietal rather than appellation
* Written by Robert W. Small, former dean and emeritus professor of The Collins College of Hospitality Management at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, and Chairman of the Los Angeles International Wine competition
* Heavily illustrated with gorgeous full-color photographs, maps, and sample beverage labels

Covering everything from ancient origins to modern drinking habits, Beverage Basics is the perfect all-in-one guide for food and beverage professionals, students, and wine and drink lovers.

Beverage Basics presents a new approach to understanding wine and other alcoholic beverages. The book includes an introduction to alcoholic beverages, information on important issues such as purchasing beverages, healthy drinking, and alcohol and the law, and an introduction to wine including viticulture, viniculture, and the sensory evaluation of wine. The authors teach readers about wines by varietal as opposed to appellation, which is a much simpler entry point for beginners to the world of wine. In addition to all the major wine varietals (Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, etc.), the book also covers hybrid and Native American varieties, sparkling wines, and dessert and fortified wines. Chapters on beer and distilled spirits include information on making, purchasing, and evaluating beer and spirits. The appendices include map-filled sections on The Old World and The New World of wine, as well as a thorough examination of the TTB requirements for alcoholic beverage labels, and a complete glossary of terms.  Author Robert Small is former Dean and Emeritus Professor of The Collins College of Hospitality Management at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, where he still teaches courses on wine, spirits, and beer and on beverage marketing and food and beverage management, and is the Chairman of the Los Angeles International Wine competition, one of the largest and most prestigious wine competitions in the United States.

An all-inclusive guide to wine, beer, and spirits As people develop more sophisticated tastes, a basic understanding of wine, beer, and distilled spirits is more important than ever for chefs, servers, bartenders, and restaurant managers. And for anyone who simply wants to get more out of enjoying wine, beer, and spirits, developing an appreciation for the history, production methods, and techniques for evaluating alcoholic beverages is an essential first step. For professionals and amateurs alike, Beverage Basics provides a thorough and accessible education in the fundamentals. Beverage Basics covers the art and science of winemaking from the vineyard to the table, takes a comprehensive look at the production methods, styles, and ideal food pairings for beer and spirits, and even covers the often-overlooked issues of health and the law. Written by wine and spirits expert and educator Robert W. Small, the book offers expansive coverage of everything you need to know about virtually all of the world's common alcoholic drinks. Offers a uniquely user-friendly approach to the subject of wine, organizing coverage by varietal rather than appellation Written by Robert W. Small, former dean and emeritus professor of The Collins College of Hospitality Management at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, and Chairman of the Los Angeles International Wine competition Heavily illustrated with gorgeous full-color photographs, maps, and sample beverage labels Covering everything from ancient origins to modern drinking habits, Beverage Basics is the perfect all-in-one guide for food and beverage professionals, students, and wine and drink lovers.