Wine for Every Day and Every Occasion
Red, White, and Bubbly to Celebrate the Joy of Living

By Dorothy J. Gaiter and John Brecher

      New York Times columnists Dorothy J. Gaiter and John Brecher have demystified wine culture in their new book Wine for Every Day and Every Occasion. They realize that tastes in wine are very personalized. They also emphasize that it isn't the wine from a special occasion that will be memorable, it will be the wine drinking experience itself, including the setting and, most importantly, in what company the wine was shared.

     Though Gaiter and Brecher's main premise is to encourage readers to try everything in order to find what is pleasurable, they do offer suggestions of varieties to try. The book is laid out with chapters detailing important events where people gather and enjoy wine. As expected, there are the major holidays and life events, like weddings, anniversaries, and welcoming newborns. There are also chapters on restaurants, vacations, Oscar nights, and football parties (yes, wine and football do mix!). Gaiter and Brecher tuck in wine culture information as helpful additions to very readable, anecdote-laden chapters. They tell you how to open a bottle, what glasses to use, how much to tip a wine steward, and even how to plan an anniversary party.

     The suggestions for varieties of wine to try are not hard and fast rules. They are only suggestions of types to try and encompass a wide price range. Though vintages are listed, again that is only a suggestion. If you enjoy the wine from a winery from one particular year, they say, most likely you will enjoy another year from that winery. There are exceptions, of course, and the dilettante wine connoisseur would probably challenge that.

     Readers can dig into the chapters to mine the information there, or they can read the book cover to cover. If you do the latter, you will close the book not only with a better understanding of how to choose wines, but you will also come to know two charming people who have some very interesting friends. All that would be needed is a glass of wine to make the experience complete.