Reviewer Christine Zibas has spent all of her life in love with books, and most of her life working with words. She has a B.A. in Political Science from Western Illinois University and did advanced studies in politics and publishing at WIU, Oxford University, George Washington University, and Stanford.
For many years Christine was an editor in the
think tank world, editing books and reports on international
relations and military studies. She worked at the Center for
Strategic and International Studies in Washington, D.C. and the Johns
Hopkins Foreign Policy Institute, where she served as director of
publications. In London she was the editor at the International
Institute for Strategic Studies. To read more of Christine's Reviews CLICK HERE
Authors: Alpana Singh with
Robert Scarola
Publishers: Academy Chicago Publishers
ISBN:
978-0-89733-546-1
Alpana Pours is not like any wine book
you’re likely to see on the shelves of your local bookstore.
Instead of overwhelming you with arcane facts and vintages, Alpana
Singh (TV hostess of Chicago’s “Check Please” restaurant review
show on PBS) has written a lifestyle book centered on the subject of
feeling comfortable around wine. It seems that for most people, wine
can be a little intimidating. Most of us go to a nice restaurant, get
handed a wine list, and then proceed to squirm in our seats, unsure
what to order yet wishing to appear confident that the wine we select
will be worth the big bucks we will pay out to enjoy this
pleasure.
Alpana has taken all of the mystery, but none of the
fun, out of enjoying wine. Noting that 77 percent of American women
buy and consume wine, she has chosen this group to focus on in her
book, although her lessons (and wine tricks) will be just as usable
by the male species.
Singh worked for years at one of
Chicago’s most glamorous (and expensive) restaurants, Everest, as a
Master Sommelier before taking on the role of TV show hostess.
Engaged in the business of wine from an early age, she relates to
young women and their tastes and anxieties. She breaks down wine into
easy-to-use categories, while never diminishing the complexity of her
subject. Instead, she presents tools to show her readers how to
select a wine depending on their own tastes, for food pairing, for
party purchases, and for the sheer enjoyment of a great glass at
home.
This is a wonderful book for anyone (and that probably
includes most of us) who wants to know more about wine, how to choose
it and enjoy it to the fullest capacity. This makes a fun gift for
the holidays or would make a great housewarming present. While
everyone may not care about the dating and relationship information
that makes up a share of the book, there is so much practical
knowledge about enjoying wine that it would be easy to skip over and
get to the heart of the subject.
Singh addresses wines at all
price levels. She talks about how to get the best out of a cheap
bottle, which glasses and gadgets you really need, how to determine
which wine would work best at various meals (including something as
perplexing as a potluck!), and a host of other topics that you will
put to good use on a regular basis. “Alpana Pours” is a tiny gem
in a sea of wine tomes, and there isn’t a higher recommendation
than that!