[.ca] Pairing Wine and Food: A Handbook for All Cuisines (ISBN 1580800378)

good reference!:
must have near your wine cellar! each time i cook a dish or even having a take out, i can look up appropriate wine for it in just few seconds without needing to read several pages why and how to match them. The reference in the begging is there in case your wondering how these matches were made, but if u r in a hurry to match wine and food and start enjoying them, it is a good book.

Highly Recommend:
I was pleasanlty surprised by this book. I was just looking for guidelines in paring food and wine, but what I got was the most comprehensive, information on grape varieties, styles of wines, wine making, tasting guidelines, and more. The Taste of Wine section was so chock full of information, it covered more than I got from the 10 or more wine books I currently have in my library. I never knew there were so many varieties of wines! The Wine and Food section is exhaustive and a must for any foodie. I feel so much more informed on my favorite subject(s). I liked this book so much I just purchased a second copy for a friend. This book will benefit any budding oenophile or experienced wine lover, not to mention foodie. Hats of to Ms. Johnson-Bell

All Cuisines???:
If you are in to French food and French wine this book is for you. The section on Italian wine and food is OK. The section on North American and Australian wine and food is almost worthless. She seems to be constantly looking down her nose at anything from the "New World" (her choice of words). Her discussion of French food is very detailed. The rest of the world is lumped into categories such as Mexican, Greek, Asian, etc. with little discussion of individual dishes or even types of dishes. I would recommend Harmony on the Palate by Shari Darling instead with lots of good logic and no attitude.

Adequate:
The sections on pairing wines with food and pair foods with wine are good -- simple tables that make it easy to look things up. The categories are just the right size (some other books are either too broad or too detailed). However, the reasoning at how to pair without a table is only so-so. The author goes to great extent (too far?) pointing out her qualifications and experience with doing this, but is it necessary? A good one-third of the book could be dropped without noticing. I would only keep the one-third with the tables. Regardless, it is one that I will continue to refer to when I want new ideas or confirmation.

A little snobby:
I am a novice when it comes to wine and I ordered this book based on the recommendations above. Well, I must say I was very disappointed. I would not recommend this book for those just learning about wine. At times I thought the writer really came across as a little snobby especially against New World Wines. The charts in the book were disappointing as well. I am sure there are better books out there especially for those just learning about wines. This book might be great for those who already have good knowledge about wine but for the novice I would recommend you look for another.