Oldman's Guide to Outsmarting Wine: 108 Ingenious Shortcuts to Navigate the World of Wine with Confidence and Style

by Mark Oldman

For the thousands of people who know nothing about wine and want to rectify that swiftly and painlessly, Mark Oldman-the "Naked Chef" of wine-is here to help with the kind of information readers can use right now:
• Australian Shiraz is the most instantly likable red under $15
• Drink slightly sweet wine with spicy food
• Judge a wine shop by whether it has homemade shelf signs
• Don't store unopened wine in the refrigerator for more than a week

Loaded with his personal recommendations-including the top 100 wines less than $15-Oldman's Guide also includes the wine picks of an eclectic mix of collectors, from Le Cirque owner Sirio Maccioni to Morley Safer of 60 Minutes. This is a wine guide like no other and is sure to be savored by anyone who wants their wine without the attitude.

Genres: Wine, Food, Nonfiction, Reference, Food and Wine

384 pages, Paperback

First published December 7, 2004

About the author

Mark Oldman is one the country’s leading wine experts—and, that rarity, a wine expert who is on the side of anyone who wants to enjoy wine more.  Author of the new HOW TO DRINK LIKE A BILLIONAIRE: MASTERING WINE WITH JOIE DE VIVRE (Regan Arts/Phaidon), Mark is described by Bon Appètit as specializing in the delivery of “winespeak without the geek.” Twice the winner of the Georges Duboeuf Best Wine Book of the Year Award, his previous books—Oldman’s Guide to Outsmarting Wine (Penguin) and Oldman’s Brave New World of Wine (Norton)—have been called the “perfect book” by the Wall Street Journal and the “perfect primer” by The New Yorker. Oldman’s sold-out appearances at the country's top gastronomic festivals are considered must-see events in the world of food and wine. Aspen magazine, in fact, recently named him the third best speaker on food and wine in a ranking that included Jacques Pépin, Andrew Zimmern, and Marcus Samuelsson. He is a three-time graduate of Stanford, a licensed attorney, and a passionate proponent of “drinking richly” without spending extravagantly.

Reviews

[Mark Oldman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks to all for the reviews. I'm the author and here's my new book, Oldman's Brave New World of Wine, is freshly squeezed and ready to drink!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OkFsqr...

[Monica Bittencourt · Rating 3 out of 5]

Embora já seja muito antigo, o livro ainda é uma boa leitura para quem está começando no mundo do vinho. Leitura fácil, boas explicações, resumos e curiosidades. Mais focado para o público dos Estados Unidos mas mesmo assim, serve para todos os iniciantes.

Achei interessante, por exemplo, ele dizer que o sulfito não é o culpado! Isso há uns 20 anos atrás. Para quem já tem conhecimento de vinhos, é legal ver a evolução de alguns pontos.

[Tom · Rating 5 out of 5]

For someone who knew nothing, this was great. The book is written in a manner that allowed me to move through it quickly and I think it will be great to go back to for reminders.

[Aiyana PZ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Laugh out loud funny. This was a great refresher before my exams but fun for the non- wine enthusiasts in my circle too

[Mike · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is doing for me what Sideways did for most other people: it's getting me interested in wine.

Oldman has a great sense for teaching wine to beginners. He's been teaching wine classes to novices since before he graduated college. His simple and non-stuffy approach shines in his writing. I just love this analogy:

For me, tasting a ripe California Chardonnay is like hearing the first few bars of the Beach Boys' "California Girls": a dreamily sweet ride down the palm-lined boulevard of my past.


Of course, a music reference would make sense to me. Now I'm thinking of drinking a good bottle of California Chardonnay and listening to Pet Sounds.

Several chapters later, as he gets into more complex wines, he extends his analogy:

If Chardonnay evokes the first few dreamy notes of the Beach Boys' "California Girls", Sancerre channels the menacing synthesized drone prefacing Gary Numan's "Cars".

I've never taken much of an interest in white wines until reading this book. But thanks to his interesting descriptions, I can't wait to try some Sauvignon Blanc (freshly mown grass) or even a German Riesling (visualize lemonade). That would give me a good baseline on the whites.

There are 108 short chapters, about a page or two each. In each, he recommends particular wines as well as covering the generalities such as food pairings. The first chapter sold me on checking out the book. It has 15 recommendations for the best wine values. Without having to wade through pages and pages of incomprehensible snob speak, there it was as plain as day: good wine for cheap.

[Billy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wine and dogs are similar - a seemingly infinite variety springs forth from one species. This book helps make sense of the world-wide confusion that is wine. Grape variety and region are clarified early on to provide a basic understanding and numerous tips follow to help the novice expand in new directions. I, for example, have purchased two samples of primitivo from southern Italy - something I never would have tried without Oldman's help. The book is cleverly designed. The only illustrations are the keys that repeat to mark each section. A few maps of the wine regions would have helped. Editing could have been better as there are a few typos and errors, including Banfi Chianti Classico Riserva being shown as coming from France (p. 252).

[Aaron Donovan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very simple and straightforward wine guide. Perfect for someone who is interested in learning more about the drink of the vine. Oldman's style is fun and easy to read and very beginner friendly. He gives solid recommendations and pronunciation tips that make you feel like you know what you're talking about. This book gave me the base of knowledge that's brought me to more thorough (and much thicker/denser) wine guides.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

The author hosted a wine tasting seminar - 2 hours long - at my 30th Stanford reunion in 2006. This was the best tasting I have ever attended. It sparked my serious interst in wine. This guy is funny, irreverant and entertaining ... ironic, iconoclastic ... best to see him in person .. he samples the grape liberally and gets funnier ... if he weren't a successful High Tech entrepeneur and wine connoisseur he would have a bright future in standup comedy

[Jackie C · Rating 5 out of 5]

I took a seminar from Mark Oldman at the Food and Wine Classic and he's a wonderfully witty, funny, and very accessible teacher who knows a whole lot about wine.

Don't know how to order wine? Wonder what makes your tongue feel pasty after drinking Merlot? Need a recommendation for a wine that goes well with popcorn? (hint: Prosecco)

This is a fun guidebook to add to your repository of cookbooks--take it out often and remember that wine is supposed to bring you joy, not angst.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great guide for any onephile who is interested to learn more (but not to the level of a sommlier), and wants to expand his/her horizons. It's conversational and informativeout without the usual pretense that accompanies wine tasting. Great tips on food pairings and lesser-known alternatives to popular varietals. If you enjoy wine and want to become a more knowledgeable conniosseur, this is a great resource.

[Briana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this book! If you've ever wanted to know more about wine but felt intimidated by all the snobbery associated with the "wine enthusiast" culture, this is your book.

It's a field guide to wines, with a simple description of each type of wine, where it comes from, and what it should ideally taste like. It's got a lot of information presented in a very easy to read fashion.

[Brad · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty good intro to wine tasting, pairing, the most famous types of grapes, producers and regions. Also includes best buys under $15. A good resource for anyone interested in increasing their knowledge of wine.

[Missy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Helpful, especially to get to the point where you can have a conversation with a reputable wine dealer or to at least have some idea of where to start when faced with a wall of wine bottles and need something that will pair well with dinner.

[Haydar Kiran · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great beginners guide to wine. After reading this, I wanted to learn more about wine. I started trying different wines, started watching documentaries, and now I’m on my second book on wine (Wine Simple).

[J · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you'd like to learn about wine, but think it would be soooooooo boring, grab this book. It answers gobs and gobs of questions you might have about the wine you are drinking.

[Godot0424 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very easy to read and is user friendly.

[Autumn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not expecting much from this book, I was pleasantly surprised. Interesting, informative and easy to breeze through.

[Yuki · Rating 4 out of 5]

User-friendly. Book was worth it for Faithful Fifteen (Top Producers for Value), most under $15 - Ch. 1. 100 Best Buys under $15 (50 whites, 50 red) end of book. Excellent start for novices.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great, easy to read and often humorous look at wine. Some great recommendations at various price points.

[K.C. · Rating 5 out of 5]

chatty, informal, and helpful at demystifying wine.

[Cynthia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quriky and informative. Love it.

[frumpburger · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overdosing on wine books...do I really need to read another chapter about Sauvignon Blanc? Sigh. Still, definitely the best one from I've gotten from the library thus far.

[Missy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great intro to wine book. I pretty much read it in one sitting. Not at all stuffy or snobby. Ready to go tasting anyone want to join me???

[Phil · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great reference guide for everyman on the various types of wine. Plan language, easy to refer back to something you wanted to clarify.

[Kristi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful, accessible resource for any wine enthusiast, of any level of interest. Undoubtedly, I will be revisiting this volume, not to mention try some of his bargain wine recommendations!

[Carlos Anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

great introduction to varietals and basic lingo. Definitely for beginners though as it lacks a bunch on regions and producers, as well as some of the more obscure/non-mainstream varietals.

[Lindsay Powers · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun and easy to read. Great introduction for new adventurers in the world of wine.

[Jamie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a spectacular introduction to wine. Concise, with just the right amount to push your interest and knowledge forward. Anyone thinking about upping their vino game should read this book.

[Amy Gray · Rating 4 out of 5]

So helpful!