Product Description

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #66125 in Books
• Published on: 1989-08-15
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Plastic Comb
• 304 pages

From Library Journal
This is an update of The Art of Making Wine by Anderson with Raymond Hull ( LJ 12/15/71). The book includes an introduction to the basic principles; recipes; a reference section with a table of problems and their solutions; a glossary; and a buyer's guide. The recipes are clearly written, with symbols used to designate the different steps. There is a complete variety of wine recipes, using berries, soft fruits, hard fruits, tropical fruits, dried fruits and, of course, fresh grapes. Some recipes are ambitious--one requires 90 pounds of Thompson Seedless table grapes, and the authors warn that a champagne recipe requires a great deal of dedication, practice, and technique. Nevertheless, this is an excellent source for the serious home winemaker.
- Christine Bulson, SUNY at Oneonta Lib.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Customer Reviews

Not for Brand-New Beginners
For beginners, I would rate the book 2 stars. For more experienced winemakers, this would be a fantastic reference book.

After reading the reviews here, I purchased this book, to be our very first book to tell us how to make wine. At the same time, I was trying to purchase winemaking equipment as a Christmas gift for my husband and was hoping this book would help me know what to buy. The book has a lot of recipes and great details, but not a really simple step-by-step "how-to" for the person who knows nothing at all about winemaking. The 10 minute free video that came with the equipment I bought showed more step-by-step than this book.

There is no index.

I think my husband would take one look at this book and say "Wow, I don't have the time to read this and figure it all out!" It leaves me with the impression that winemaking is difficult, tricky, and time-consuming.

Example: When I was trying to figure out what corks to buy, it does tell to use 1 1/3 inch corks for wines you intend to drink within 12-18 months and 1 3/4 inch ones for those to be aged longer. But that's all it tells. It doesn't tell me whether to buy straight ones or tapered ones, #7, #8, #9, etc.

I am now going to buy First Steps in Winemaking, hoping that will have some simpler answers.

New to Winemaking? So am I.
A friend over seas, living in a country where one must make their own, recommended this gem to me last year. Since then, although possessed of no previous knowledge or experience, I succeeded rather easily in making good wines. I also compared the wine from the recipes in Anderson book with highly recommended kits from Vino Del Vida. Although much easier and quicker, the kit product, while very satisfactory according to those who have tasted it, did not measure up to the superior wine made from Anderson's recipes.

Practical suggestions for equipment, where to purchase it and techniques are explained in a straightforward fashion. With a relative small cash outlay and this book, you can be well on your way to an interesting hobby.

Great 'recipe book' for beginning winemakers
Some books are meant to be read, and others are meant to be used. This one definitely falls into the second category. Spiral bound, this falls neatly open to whichever wine recipe you are currently working on. There are recipes for apricot wine, kiwi fruit wine, ruby port, sparkling wine, and everything in between.

There are also photos and descriptions of winemaking equipment, explanations of how to fortify wine, troubleshooting techniques, and much more.

True, not all ingredients are readily available everywhere. Many recipes require trial and error before they become perfect for your palate. That's the same for any recipe, though. Find out what raw materials you have available, open the book to the recipes which match your fruits, and have at it. You'll find that using this book as a springboard, you'll soon be amazing your friends and pleasing your palate with a product made right in your own basement.