Wineworks: Your Complete Video Guide to Wine

Presenting a fairly comprehensive overview of the history of wine, varietal grapes, and the production of vino, while interviewing a variety of wine experts--including the former editor of Wine Spectator magazine, owners and representatives of various wineries, professional tasters, and product supply people (such as a store employee and a cork maker)--Wineworks touches on fermentation, tannins, the color and variety of grapes and finished wines, oak barrels vs. metal vats, bottling, storage, why wine glasses come in many shapes and sizes, and what to look for while tasting the fruit of the vine. While the production qualities are very nice, the delivery is sometimes disappointingly dry or fumbling, with many of the experts here inserting countless ‘urrrrs' and ‘ummms' into their uninspired talking-off-the-tops-of-their-heads monologues. Also, regarding the “quality of wine vs. price” dilemma--a subject that can be both confusing and frustrating to the novice, as great taste and higher price are not necessarily commensurate--I found the advice of one expert to be total hogwash, namely “if you can afford an $85 bottle of wine, buy it." Excuse me, if you can afford an $85 bottle of wine, but enjoy the flavor of a local $12 bottle, then listen to your taste buds, buy the bargain, and give the extra $73 to the United Way. Bonus features on DVD include interesting segments on cork production and oak barrel making. Recommended for general collections, though a better choice here would be Wine 101 (VL-3/99). Aud: P. (N. Plympton)