Get expert ratings for the world's distilled beverages, and select the brands that taste best and give the most bang for the buck. Every category gets its own special evaluation process, from Whiskey (American, Canadian, Irish, Scotch), to Brandy (cognac, grappa, Spanish), and from rum, gin, vodka, and tequila/mezcal, to liqueurs such as port, sherry, and vermouth. Includes practical definitions of common terms, along with the 10 most important things to know when buying spirits.

If you read wine reviews, you're already either amused or confused by the soaring language wine writers often use to describe what they're smelling and tasting. But do you always know what they mean? Have you ever sipped a complex white and sensed what's so colorfully described as a peacock's tail? Have you ever savored a full-bodied red only to detect the ripe acrid smell of a horse stall? If not, you're in for a treat, because these terms and thousands more are all here to amuse, dismay, enlighten, inspire, puzzle, and utterly shock you . Welcome to the rich linguistic universe of wine speak: a world where words and wine intersect in an uncontrolled riot of language guaranteed to keep you entertained for hours. The author, a lifelong lover of both wine and words, has compiled and organized this unique thesaurus of 36,975 wine tasting descriptors into 20 special collections extracted from 27 categories so you can locate exactly the right term or phrase to express yourself clearly or to understand others. May your path across the galaxy of wine be paved only with labels from the very best bottles on earth. Or, much more cautiously, with wines that could introduce you to angel pee, citronella, eastern European fruit soup, Godzilla, iodine, ladies' underwear, mustard gas, old running shoes, rawhide, hot tar roads, bubblegum, sweaty saddles, crushed ants, kitchen drains, or even turpentine.

The largest group of wine tasters in the world report on 3,000 wines from over 1,500 wineries in 43 states, rating them for taste, quality, and price. See which to buy, which to avoid, and which styles, regions, and producers are right for you. All Canadian and U.S. wines are listed by grape variety, and reviews appear alphabetically by producer for easy reference. Also featured: tips on the year's best buys, progress reports on each category, and advice for beginners. "An impressive new work...Beverage Testing Institute has earned a solid reputation for the independence and clarity of its evaluations..."--Chicago Tribune.

The only comprehensive, up-to-date guide to wineries of the eastern United States! Look out Napa Valley. From Maine to Virginia, a surprising number of vintners are producing impressive wines worthy of a celebratory toast. Or two. Once thought to be a region dominated by quaint farm wines, the eastern U.S. now boasts a number of highly coveted wines. Pinot Noirs and Merlots, Rieslings and Gewürztraminers are being bottled all along the Atlantic, so even the most discriminating wine drinker can find something to please the palate. Here is the only comprehensive, up-to-date directory to nearly 300 wineries across New England and the mid-Atlantic. Wineries in thirteen states are covered: Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, and West Virginia. Invaluable as both a buying and touring guide, East Coast Wineries offers insights into the winemaking world and puts the reviews of the experts at your fingertips. Features include: A short history of the winery A listing of wines offered by that winery, plus recommended buys Reviews by wine experts from major newspapers, magazines, and journals Directions and hours of operation A listing of annual wine festivals and other special events Whether you're a wine connoisseur or a beginner, East Coast Wineries is the book to read. Cheers!

If you've ever spent as much money on the wine as on the meal, it's time to find the world's best bargains and enjoy them at home and in a restaurant. Over 1,500 wines are included. You'll save the price of the book the first time you use it when you shop!

Issue no. 12-A, 1983-1990 is a Buyer's guide