IT STANDS TO REASON THAT IF OUR FOODS ARE NOW LIGHTER AND MORE DYNAMIC, OUR WINES SHOULD BE ALSO.

A longtime champion of the victimized wine consumer, Willie Gluckstern debunks the myths and misinformation surrounding the (allegedly) complex subject of wine. His straightforward advice includes:

• The wines that go BEST with food -- and why.
• A cure for label worship: "There are just as many lousy $60 bottles as $3.99 bottles."
• How to avoid getting ripped off in stores and restaurants.
• How to choose a great wineshop: "Do they know where Italy is?"
• Dreary housekeeping tips, such as storage, decanting, saving opened wine, and "that sulfite thing."

Plus, the straight poop on oak, "the MSG of wine," a few well-chosen words for greedy restaurants and retailers ("Those bastards!"), and an unprecedented exposé of mass-market Champagne, including how to find the good stuff by cracking the secret label code.

Irreverent, informative, and controversial, The Wine Avenger is indispensable for beginners as well as enthusiasts.