The Sommelier Prep Course: An Introduction to the Wines, Beers, and Spirits [Lingua inglese]: An Introduction to the Wines, Beers, and Spirits of the World

481 Pages·2010·10.707 MB·English

by  M. Gibson

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A complete introduction to wine, beer, and spirits
An Introduction to the Wines, Beers, and Spirits of the World
for aspiring sommeliers, bartenders, and wine lovers
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Whether you’re studying for sommelier certifi cation or you’re a bartender who wants a I
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better understanding of the beverages you serve, The Sommelier Prep Course offers the best t
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up-to-date information on wine, beer, and all varieties of spirits. This heavily illustrated oo
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introductory guide covers New World and Old World wines, viniculture and viticulture, um
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and fermented beverages such as sake, mead, and cider as well as beer and spirits. t
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Students will fi nd powerful study resources, including review questions, key terms, maps, o
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sample wine labels, and a pronunciation guide with more than 1,200 terms.
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“At last, the wine enthusiast has access to a comprehensive work that approaches the wine and the
spirits culture in laymen’s terms and delivers a wealth of detailed information in a format that e
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is a joy to read. Michael Gibson’s The Sommelier Prep Course is a must-have reference work i
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for wine lovers and industry professionals alike. Historical and technical information, global n
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diversity, and the often-asked questions are brilliantly addressed in this outstanding work.” sr
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—BOB FOLEY, WINEMAKER AND OWNER, ROBERT FOLEY VINEYARDS, NAPA VALLEY, CA B
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“Any candidate who is in the process of studying for their introductory level certifi cate will
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fi nd Mike Gibson’s The Sommelier Prep Course very helpful. Mike has taught candidates ,

how to pass this introductory level course for years, and this experience has allowed him to anE
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distill everything someone needs to pass this exam.” P

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EDDIE OSTERLAND, AMERICA’S FIRST MASTER SOMMELIER p
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MICHAEL GIBSON is lead instructor for wine and spirits at the Le Cordon Bleu College of tsO

Culinary Arts in Scottsdale. He is a certifi ed specialist of wine with the Society of Wine Educators o
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and a certifi ed sommelier with the American Chapter of the Court of Master Sommeliers. He also t
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works in the beverage industry as the director of operations for a wine and spirits distributor. eR
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FRONT COVER PHOTO: JITALIA17/ISTOCKPHOTO.COM, r
BACK COVER PHOTOS LEFT TO RIGHT: ©DOMIN_DOMIN/ISTOCKPHOTO.COM, ©MENTALART/ISTOCKPHOTO.COM, lE
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©GREGCHRISTMAN/ISTOCKPHOTO.COM, ©CAMROCKER/ISTOCKPHOTO.COM

SPINE PHOTO: ©SALIHGULER/ISTOCKPHOTO.COM
MICHAEL GIBSON
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The Sommelier
Prep Course
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The Sommelier
Prep Course
AN INTRODUCTION TO THE WINES, BEERS,
AND SPIRITS OF THE WORLD
Michael Gibson
JOHN WILEY & SONS, INC.
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This book is printed on acid-free paper.
Copyright © 2010 by John Wiley & Sons. All rights reserved
Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey
Published simultaneously in Canada
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic,
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data:
Gibson, Michael.
The sommelier prep course : an introduction to the wines, beers, and spirits of the world/Michael Gibson.
p. cm.
Includes index.
ISBN 978-0-470-28318-9 (pbk.)
1. Sommeliers--Vocational guidance. I. Title.
TX925.G53 2010
641.2--dc22
2009018427
Printed in the United States of America
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
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Contents
Preface vii 17 The Wines of Australia 301
1 Wine Basics: Fermentation, 18 The Wines of New Zealand 315
Grapes, and the Flavor
19 The Wines of South Africa 323
of Wine 1
20 The Wines of Chile 331
2 A Short History of Wine 13
21 The Wines of Argentina 339
3 Viticulture: The Art and Science
of Growing Grapes 29 22 Emerging Wine Regions Around
the World 345
4 Viniculture: The Art and Science
of Making Wine 45 23 Beer and the Brewing
Process 353
5 Wine Grape Varieties 65
24 Ales, Lagers, and Beer Styles 361
6 Food and Wine Pairing 83
25 Saké, Mead, and Cider 371
7 Wine Tasting and Sensory Analysis 91
26 Spirits and Distillation 379
8 Applying Wine Analysis 111
27 Important Styles of Spirits 385
9 The Wines of France 119
28 Beverage Service and Storage 405
10 The Wines of Italy 169
29 Beverage Sales and Wine Lists 421
11 The Wines of Spain 199
12 The Wines of Germany 219
APPENDICES
13 The Wines of Portugal 235
A Answer Key 431
14 The Wines of Austria, Hungary, Greece,
B Pronunciation Guide 435
and Other European Regions 249
C Important Spirit Brands/Distillers 449
15 The Old World and
the New World of Wine 265 D Additional Resources 451
16 The Wines of the United States 271 Index 453
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Preface

While there are hundreds of wine books in publica- Institute). During my tenure, I had to quickly learn
tion, there are few true wine textbooks. The textbooks how to pack a lot of information into a short period
that do exist, while informative, are geared toward of time. I have tried to fine - tune my curriculum to
semester - length courses and go into great depth on introduce students to the topic, and the results of
the subject matter, making them cumbersome for those experiences are mirrored in this text.
introductory learners. Few, if any, of the texts also offer I would like to thank all of the people at
information about beer and spirits. John Wiley & Sons who embraced my ideas for a
The Sommelier Prep Course is a wine textbook new book about wine and helped me through the
that takes a topical approach to wine, beer, and spirits, process, especially Rachel Livsey, Christine McKnight,
focusing on the information that is most important Shannon Egan, Michael Olivo, Jeff Faust, and Laura
at the introductory level. It is intended for use either Ierardi, who all helped me turn it into a reality.
as a text for introductory- to intermediate - level wine Finally, I would like to thank my family for their
classes or as a self- guided introduction to wine for encouragement, patience, and understanding as I
industry professionals. The goal of T he Sommelier completed this project. Without them, it would have
Prep Course is to build a strong foundation of knowl- been impossible for me to have written a single chap-
edge about wine and other alcoholic beverages— not ter. They will never know how grateful I am for their
to be an exhaustive study on the subject. This book belief in me and their support. This book is dedicated
provides a base for educators to add to and customize to them.
depending upon their focus. I hope that you enjoy reading T he Sommelier
The idea for this book comes from more Prep Course as much as I have enjoyed the research
than six years of experience as the lead instructor and writing.
for wines and spirits at the Le Cordon Bleu College of Cheers!
Culinary Arts—Scottsdale (formerly Scottsdale Culinary Michael Gibson
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