This is a great book for anyone who wants to venture into the world of wine but doesn't know where to begin. There's lots of great information about wines, how drink them, how to choose them, understanding labels and appellations and how to get the most for your money.

While this is an excellent beginner's book, I would also recommend it as a handy reference for anyone interested in wine (unless of course, like author Mary Ewing-Mulligan, you're already a master of wine). All the basics are here, but there's plenty of information for those who want to go beyond as well. You'll learn about buying and collecting wines, cellaring wines, older wines and the "wine roads less traveled," like aperitifs, dessert and fortified wines.

One of the perks of this book is the accessible way it is laid out. There are handy little icons peppered throughout the text which makes it easy to find the information you need, or avoid reading information you don't. For instance, if you don't care about technical wine information, you can simply skip those sections because they are clearly marked. The authors also make numerous recommendations of wines (in all price ranges) that you will want to try. They even include a handy pull-out reference card that you can carry in your pocket.

The writing style is clear and concise, never stuffy or dry. The authors go into tremendous detail about wines and wine regions. I highly recommend this book. You'll find yourself referring to it over and over again, throughout the years to come.