34 Things to Know About Wine by Paul Kreider

34 Things to Know About Wine by Paul Kreider is a part of Turner Publishing’s Good Things to Know series. Kreider is an expert at wine. He has been making it since 1974 and opened his own winery in 1987 in Marin County, California. Reading through this book is like taking a tour through his winery while being fully educated about the joy of wine.

Book Description
“Cabernet, pinot noir, tannins, residual sugar. The language of wine is foreign to many of us, and wine itself is a topic that can also seem foreign—and snobbish. An unpretentious presentation of the essentials of wine, 34 Things To Know About Wine is an easy way to gain straightforward information about a simple yet complex subject. This book, presented in an easy-to-understand, entertaining format, will allow you to better:

Enjoy wine in all its complexity
Be at ease in the wine environment
Save money by making choices that suit your palate
Understand the language of wine
Choose wines to complement meals” - 34 Things to Know About Wine


My Thoughts
I have to admit that I just recently (past couple years) even started drinking wine. It is not something most college parties offer, which isn’t really so shocking is it? So my taste in liquor until I gave wine a try was really limited to just shots of rum or beer.

This book gave me a huge understanding about wine. Learning about red wine versus white wine and the sweetness factor really shocked me. I thought that was just how they are, but apparently “red is red and white isn’t.” I also learned about “dry” wine. I was curious about this detail before too, how can something wet be considered dry? As Kreider explans, “dry” is the opposite of “sweet” in the wine world. Which, if you think about it, it makes sense.

One of the tips Kreider gives is how wine can be murdered – by heat. I never really considered this before, but it is quite true. If wine is left for too long in a hot environment (car, by a radiator, stove, etc.) it will ruin and not be nearly as good as it once was. Out of everything I discovered in this book, I think I’ll remember this the best – and utilize this knowledge each time I buy wine.

Overall, I enjoyed reading this book and learned more about wine than I ever thought I’d know. If you enjoy wine or are perhaps looking to know more about the subject, I highly suggest picking this book up and discovering the joys of wine for yourself.


* Thank you to the publisher of 34 Things to Know About Wine, Turner Publishing for providing me with a review copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.