In this friendly introductory guide, food and wine writer Leslie Brenner tells how to:

Pour and taste wine

Develop a taste memory

Order from a wine list

Select a wine at the store

Match food with wine

In addition, helpful sidebars illuminate such subjects as:

How--and why--to swirl without sloshing

Disarming a snotty waiter

Ten great wines to bring to a dinner party

Going beyond California Chardonnay

Starting your own cellar for under $100

Along the way, Lettie Teague's funny and informative cartoons enhance the text and make great devices for remembering the most important facts. Before long,

your old standby, Chateau Screwtop, will be a distant memory. Accessible and concise, Fear of Wine will appeal to anyone who wants to know a little bit about a subject that can bring great pleasure.

At last, a guide that is as fun to read as wine is to drink!