Swallow This: The Progressive Approach to Wine

by Mark Phillips

The iconoclastic host of the PBS show Enjoying Wine with Mark Phillips, has been turning the wine world on its ear since it first aired. In his 2009 wave maker, Swallow This, Mark stirred things up even more to the delight of consumers. Now comes the second edition, and it’s a doozy. Among its new material are topics such as how to “fix” wine if you don't like it; wine selection and pricing ratings for major retail chains’ additional food and wine pairing guidelines; how global warming is significantly changing wine growing regions; and a list of restaurants with the best deals on wine in the major metros of every state. Mark offers a whole new approach to wine, which flies in the face of what has been traditionally taught and serves as a practical and empowering alternative. Witty, unique and never boring, Swallow This will change the way you think about wine.

Genres: Wine, Nonfiction

325 pages, Paperback

First published November 23, 2009

About the author

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Reviews

[Benj FitzPatrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

There's a section about hobo wines, what more could I want...

[Liz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sparkling White toast to Mark Phillips! This book broke my wine inferiority complex in the face of critics like Robert Parker whose picks I just don't always agree with. A great read if you're into wine but don't want to deal with all the B.S. that comes with it! Phillips' "Progressive" approach both makes sense and is novel; his tips for remembering the region, grape, and year that you love to help you find and love similar wines comes in handy for me all the time! Phillips also made me feel way better about my "always the right time!" wine-enjoying attitude when he listed such wine pairings as "what to drink when you're mowing the lawn," "the best 'Bum Wines' to drink on a budget," and "the best thing to pair sparkling wine with" - which turns out to be absolutely everything at any time of day. I got some great recommendations for good-value sparkling to try, and more importantly, gained a lot of confidence in being able to identify, profile, replicate, and communicate the types of wines that suit me best. Thumbs up!

[Ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very fun read. I think Mark Phillips must throw a great party, and be fascinating to talk to. (Though by the time he got to recommending wines to go with grocery shopping I'm afraid for his liver) He obviously obsessively loves wine, and it comes through on every page. I also like his emphasis to drink whatever you like, no matter what someone else thinks. But sometimes the anti-snobbery reached the point to becoming it's own kind of snobbery. And I think there is some beginner information skipped because he has such an extensive knowledge of the subject that it didn't even occur to him that some people might not know what he's talking about. I'd still recommend it if you were interested in learning about wine.

[Lindon Gareis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Met the author at a Scottsdale Arizona function, I am not sure he is a very likable guy??? Had some fun ideas about wine: consumption, storage and purchasing. If you consider yourself a wine snob, or your friends think you are one, don't waste your time here. This book is for the real wine drinkers, "everyday Joe American".

[R · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun read that gives an irreverant view of wine.