EmailSee Also
Best wine under $12 links
Kosher wine is produced under strict rabbinical supervision. Reviews say that the kosher wine industry, particularly in Israel, has come a long way in the last two decades. Barkan Classic Chardonnay 2006 (*est. $10), earned a "best value" from The New York Times for its floral aromas and grassy, herbal flavors. Howard Goldberg of Wine Review Online awarded Baron Herzog Central Coast (California) Cabernet Sauvignon "Jeunesse" 2005 (*est. $14) 84 points, calling it "bouncy and straightforward."
Nonalcoholic wines aren't completely alcohol-free -- experts say that they contain about .5 percent alcohol. In a recent Washington Post tasting, a tangy sparkling alcohol-free white from Carl Jung (*est. $8), which is said to have citrus notes and pleasant "mousse," or frothiness, earned top honors.
"The Wine Trials" is the result of a study by 500 testers of 540 unlabeled wines that ranged widely in price. Although the book makes it clear that wine experts evaluate wine differently from casual drinkers, New York Times' wine critic Eric Asimov says that the book's listing of 100 wines under $15 "represent[s] a cross-section of mass-market wines that many people who don't spend all that much time thinking about wine can drink happily." The book is available at Amazon.com. http://www.amazon.com/Wine-Trials-Everyday-Brown-Bag-Tastings/dp/0974014354
After writing a series of articles discussing some of the findings in the new book, "The Wine Trials," Eric Asimov revisits that book in the article "Wine's Pleasures: Are They All in Your Head?" and writes about several studies that look at the effect of price on a person's perception of how a wine tastes.
"The Oxford Companion to Wine", edited by Jancis Robinson, is in its third edition. This book is devoted in large part to specific wines and areas of production. You can find it in bookstores or at Amazon.com.
Wine Spectator offers a series of articles about the basics of wine tasting and buying under the heading The ABCs of Wine.
In the article "Screw caps versus corks?", Eric Asimov explains why screw caps, which prevent cork taint, have not become the industry standard.
A series of Internet videos about wine, Wine Library TV stars the energetic Gary Vaynerchuk.
Wine.com is a major online wine store, with brick and mortar stores in California and Connecticut. Their website has a number of helpful wine lists, including their list of "90+ point rated wines under $20."
Producers' websites
Importers
