Rating: 
Summary: Fun, educational, entertaining
Review: Sometimes food and wine guides tend to seem detached from the reach or reality of 95% of the population; however, not this one. Not only is it helpful to those without scads of disposable income, it is a great start for the neophyte, and fun reading. McInerney is a definite Francophile (at least in terms of wine) but comes by his opinion honestly, having completed considerable investigation of California wines, to which he gives high points, albeit with some reservations. He addresses his topic in an entertaining and distinctively American fashion, approaching it from the perspective of a yuppie consumer. Despite his admiration for French wine, he is also an admirer of the controversial wine critic (and French bete noire) Robert Parker, Jr. This book provides numerous insights regarding French, Californian, and some Italian wines. However, I was surprised by his scant attention to Alsace, and his overlooking of some currently "hot" wines such as Gigondas, and those of Languedoc. Additionally, though a new release, he almost entirely ignors Washington State, which is currently a major noise in quality American production. McInerney comes across as a hip, high living, but very likeable guy with a self deprecating sense of humor. His enjoyment of the topic, irreverent metaphors, and resistance to taking himself or the subject too seriously make this a distinctive, readable, and fun read. It is clearly a guide for the beginning or intermediate level wine connossieur. "Black belts" would probably find it middle brow, but might still enjoy debating McInerney's observations. However, to his credit, McInerney takes pains to deny any great expertise. All in all a great book for anyone who enjoys wine.
Rating:
Summary: Wine...by a wine lover
Review: This book is the most fun I've experienced, doing something that sounds instinctively wrong... reading about wine! McInerney is well-versed in the lore and diversity of the wine world and converts his knowledge and experience into an informative, entertaining and engrossing read. I should warn you the content is laden with McInerney's quirky sense of humor - it's not for everyone. For those who don't like smart, intelligent use of humor as metaphor, don't buy this book. For those who can handle wine with a twisted sense of humor, no matter how much you know or don't know about wine you will find value in this book. It is perfect for reading on a trans-atlantic flight (perhaps to France) or on a rainy afternoon at your place at the beach. In fact, you will read this book again and again, it's that magnetic.
Rating: 
Summary: Not enough Bacchus and too much "me."
Review: Typical pretentious fare from an over-rated has-been. House and Garden magazine? Egads!
Rating: 
Summary: A wine guide with humorous shade
Review: When I heard Jay McInerney composed a non-fiction book about wine, I figured he'd finally run out of ideas for his hipster novels. (And maybe he has.) But this book proved to be more entertaining than his last few novels. As far as a wine guide, you could certainly find others that are not only more comprehensive, but a bit more detailed (his dislike of certain wines not only seemed obvious, but labored.) The up side to this book is it's entertainment value. Most wine guides are (for lack of a better word) dry. They become tedious to read which is why most of us never finish them. You will likely finish this one, and learn a few thinsg on the way. Don't expect to become a master vintner, but do expect a few laughs.
Rating:
Summary: A wine guide with humorous shade
Review: When I heard Jay McInerney composed a non-fiction book about wine, I figured he'd finally run out of ideas for his hipster novels. (And maybe he has.) But this book proved to be more entertaining than his last few novels. As far as a wine guide, you could certainly find others that are not only more comprehensive, but a bit more detailed (his dislike of certain wines not only seemed obvious, but labored.) The up side to this book is it's entertainment value. Most wine guides are (for lack of a better word) dry. They become tedious to read which is why most of us never finish them. You will likely finish this one, and learn a few thinsg on the way. Don't expect to become a master vintner, but do expect a few laughs.
Rating:
Summary: Enjoyable and Unhelpful
Review: Would it have been so much trouble to subject McInerney's collection of wine columns to some minor editorial work before publishing them as a book? There's much to like about the individual pieces here, but reading them sequentially becomes kind of annoying. First off, the repetition is ridiculous. Helen Turley, "the wine goddess," should pay or possibly sue McInerney for mentioning her every third paragraph, and even some jokes get recycled. More frustrating is the lack of context: as this book is squarely pitched to the uneducated wine enthusiast, a little contextualizing would go a long way to making the columns actually useful(as would the occasional sop to those of us not regularly spending over $100 a bottle). And eventually we tire of hearing about the fabulous literary/oenophile dinner parties to which Jay is constantly invited. All that said, the columns are funny and opinionated, and give a nice overview of a wide range of grapes and manufacturers. I'm sure reading one a month would be perfectly satisfying. It's just a shame the publisher was so lazy in assembling this package.
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