For the thousands of people who know nothing about wine and want to rectify that swiftly and painlessly, Mark Oldman the "Naked Chef" of wine is here to help with the kind of information readers can use right now: Australian Shiraz is the most instantly likable red under $15 Drink slightly sweet wine with spicy food Judge a wine shop by whether it has homemade shelf signs Don’t store unopened wine in the refrigerator for more than a week Loaded with his personal recommendations including the top 100 wines less than $15 Oldman’s Guide also includes the wine picks of an eclectic mix of collectors, from Le Cirque owner Sirio Maccioni to Morley Safer of 60 Minutes. This is a wine guide like no other and is sure to be savored by anyone who wants their wine without the attitude.
-from Amazon

No more excuses for buying wine based on label design! The popular Wine Spectator magazine's massive guide covers common recent vintages as well as rare collectibles. More than 40,000 individual wine ratings--organized first by country, then by producer--are based on blind tastings by the magazine's editors. Each entry includes a rating on a 100-point scale, price information, and often a description of the wine--for example, "Wild and exotic, bursting at the seams with tons of round fruit flavors, loads of wild berry characteristics, hints of violets, earth and blueberries and well-integrated tannins to boot." The editors smartly contextualize this mass of data with an introduction to each country's wine industry, emphasizing the country's major growing regions, common grape varietals, significant geographic and climatic influences, labeling conventions, and stylistic traditions and trends. This guide's most useful features are tables organizing the wines by overall quality or value. For example, the connoisseur will enjoy the table listing only the finest wines from the greatest vintages of the past 10 years. Any wine enthusiast will do well with the table featuring "value wines" rated 85 points or higher but costing less than $12. Another table of top-rated current releases is a veritable shopping list. With that list, no one needs to rely on pretty labels anymore.
-from Amazon

Andrea Immer has one of the world's best, and least pretentious, wine palates. In her debut cookbook she proves that her taste in food is just as finely honed and down-to-earth. Presenting 125 recipes that pair magnificently with wine, she shows how to bring these great flavor combinations to the dinner table—with minimum fuss and at minimal cost. Her food and wine matches are guaranteed to make even weeknight meals special occasions.
Wine enthusiasts and epicures alike could not be in better hands: World-renowned Master Sommelier Andrea Immer is also a graduate of the French Culinary Insitute, where she refined her already formidable cooking skills and understanding of food flavors, and where today she is dean of wine studies. In her new book, she solves that most vexing dinner dilemma which wines to serve with what foods.
-from Amazon

What are you having? A crisp Martini at the Rainbow Room? A Manhattan at the Oyster Bar in Grand Central? Cocktail culture was invented in New York City, and nothing says elegance and excitement like a special drink in New York. Cocktails in New York brings you all the classics as well as the hippest new drinks, with signature recipes from the city's 100 finest eating and drinking establishments. You'll learn the celebrity-studded history of the city's watering holes, from the furtive glamour of F. Scott Fitzgerald-era speakeasies to the frenetic glitz of Jay McInerney's hangouts. You'll discover where tomorrow's trendy concoctions are being served today. Also included are tips from top bartenders-or "bar chefs" as they are now often called. Cocktails in New York supplies you with all you need to imbibe in truly cosmopolitan style-during a visit to New York and at home.
-from Amazon

The tiki volcano is erupting all over again, and now Trader Vic’s, the legendary purveyor of Polynesian food, drinks, and fantasy, wants to help us bring it all home. Step behind the bar and into the kitchen at Trader Vic’s and learn how to create the kind of tiki magic that made the Trader famous. It’s all here: recipes for 95 of the restaurant’s best-loved tropical cocktails and after-dinner drinks along with more than 35 party-friendly recipes for pupus, tidbits, finger food, entrees, and desserts all adapted from the past and present menus of Trader Vic’s. Dozens of tips and ideas for inexpensive, easy tiki decorating and entertaining at home are included, as is a guide to the basics of bartending equipment and techniques. Whether it’s a blowout tiki party for friends or a spontaneous occasion to dust off the shaker, this book brings favorite concoctions from Trader Vic’s into your home.
-from Amazon

With Mambo Mixers, Arlen Gargagliano takes readers on a sumptuous sojourn into the bars, homes, and parties of our Latin American neighbors, from Mexico to Argentina. She serves up recipes for 50 enticing cocktails and 20 piquant tapas-all made with easy-to-find ingredients-along with lots of serving suggestions and make-ahead tips. The Kiwi Caipirinha, Classic Cuban Daiquiri, and Peruvian Winter Wine are among the featured drinks, accompanied by such tapas as Crisp Toasts with Chimichurri, Tortilla Española, and Dominican Shrimp Croquettes. With virtually limitless cocktail hour combinations, Mambo Mixers offers a sampling of the tropical and savory pleasures found just south of the border. AUTHOR BIO: Arlen Gargagliano is the coauthor, with chef and restaurateur Rafael Palomino, of several books that feature recipes for entertaining Latin style, including Viva la Vida and Nueva Salsa. She lives in New Rochelle, New York. Dasha Wright is a food and travel photographer based in New York City. Her photographs have appeared in such magazines as Bon Appétit, Real Simple, Country Living, and Modern Bride.
-from Amazon