Media Quotes
“[Oldman’s Guide] will make you fluent in wine without sounding like a blowhard…Mark Oldman's playful but practical wine guide is sure to keep the conversation lively and the eye-rolling to a minimum.”
- Bon Appètit“Wine savvy in 108 Steps...shortcuts to a connoisseur’s confidence”
- BusinessWeek"We love [Oldman's Guide]; Mark demystifies the world of wine"
- Family Circle (Editors' Choice Selection)"Robust, hearty and full bodied...overflows with succinct, useful advice"
- Publishers Weekly"In a style as breezy and witty as it is informative, Oldman’s Guide is the essential guide for those who enjoy a tipple...I love it and will refer back to it endlessly..."
- Powell's, the world's largest independent bookstore"The perfect book to get you started with your first sip and bring you well beyond...Oldman has written just the right volume to help readers understand [wine]"
- Wine Enthusiast"A fresh, funny guide...glib and unpretentious, Oldman decodes wine-tasting lingo and shows how to spot a bargain bottle"
- People"Oldman’s Guide is phenomenal. Maybe the best new wine book I’ve seen since Wine For Dummies. Organized into 108 “shortcuts,” it’s easy to see that much of the book sprang from Mark Oldman’s bicoastal wine classes. He dispenses background, anecdotes, advice and commentary in equal measures, giving readers everything they need to feel not just comfortable but confident. Sidebars beckon with “cheat sheets,” food-pairing suggestions, label-reading tips and Mark’s own picks. Other sidebars detail favorite wines of 83 big-names ranging from Mario Batali to well-known vintners to rapper Ludacris. The book may sound basic, but really it’s not. Consider these shortcut titles: “Syrah: The Inky Abyss,” “Super Tuscans: Big, Rich Rule Breakers,” “Wine and Cheese: Bedfellows and Power Struggles.” Mark drills right to the essence of each topic, and encourages us to appreciate wine in a truly evolved sense, without a whiff of snobbery and nary a wine rating in sight. Accessible and in-depth at the same time, Outsmarting Wine works as a handy reference, a plain good read or a starter guide. Just named winner of the Georges Duboeuf Wine Book of the Year...I hope it gets heavy play from the mainstream press; and every tasting room and fine-wine store should stock it.
- Tish's Wine Flash (www.wineforall.com)"Libraries have many choices when it comes to buying wine guides. Some books (e.g., Leslie Sbrocco's Wine for Women: A Guide to Buying, Pairing and Sharing Wine ) target specific audiences, while others (e.g., John Winthrop Haeger's North American Pinot Noir ) explore the pleasures of a specific grape. Wine educator Oldman takes on the whole subject of wine—from what it is and where it comes from to how to taste, buy, and store it—without writing something unwieldy and pedantic. He has written a highly approachable, contemporary, and practical guide that gets right to the point. In brief, two- to three-page chapters ("Short Cuts"), he tells readers how to order at restaurants, how to (and how not to) taste, how to recognize the characteristics of different grapes, and much more. The end result is an inviting and informative book sure to please both novice and experienced wine connoisseurs. Its balanced and practical approach aims to put good information into the hands of busy people. A wise purchase for all public libraries where there is an interest in wine"
- Library Journal“…A strong new entry…neatly organized in the form of 108 short articles …but not at all "dumbed down”…I like Oldman's style...if "literate and intelligent yet conversational and breezy" appeals to you as much as it does to me, you'll want to put this book on your shopping list."
- Robin Garr's Wine Lovers Page, the Internet's #1 independent wine site (wineloverspage.com)"If only we'd had just one book: Oldman's Guide to Outsmarting Wine…[Mark] is under no one's spell. He writes like a person who has not been indoctrinated in the cult of wine. And, in addition to having great taste, he has figured out a way to teach you about wine that is simple, logical and painless. Finally, he has a nose for a bargain --- learn his simple lessons and you will never be fleeced by a waiter or wine merchant again…Oldman rockets you through a discussion of grapes (bless him for hammering away at winemakers who transformed creamy Chardonnay into wines that are like "big, blowsy butterballs" and for singing the praises of under-appreciated Riesling). White Zinfandel? "At best, easy drinking and refreshing, and, at worst, liquefied bubble gum." …But his real achievement is liberating Americans from a narrow, expensive chauvinism…I am no longer a pup; in my cellar are wines older than some of you. No matter. I learned a ton from Mark Oldman --- and one of the things I learned is that we agree on any number of wines. That is because, along the way, I paid attention to my likes and dislikes; I trusted my taste. You should trust your taste as well. But how nice for you --- you will have, as I did not, a smart, opinionated friend at your side, cheering you on and helping you educate yourself at the same time…I raise my glass to Mark Oldman"
- Jesse Kornbluth, celebrated writer and founder, HeadButler.com"A great purchase for wine lovers looking to expand their repertoire…Oldman's writing is lively and peppered with highlighted tips, trivia and producer recommendations from the author and dozens of other wine biz luminaries."
- Minneapolis Star Tribune, Dec 04, annual round-up of "year's finest wine books""This entertaining and amusing volume [will] satisfy your senses even if you are not a fan of wine...Oldman's witty-to-the-point prose gently amuses while giving practical information....reading it will awaken your taste buds"
- Woodbury magazine"Oldman's Guide promises, as so many wine books do, to simplify the complex world of vino. Oldman does it well, and with a sense of fun and celebrity…The beauty of "Outsmarting" is in its 108 short (two to three pages each) chapters…What I particularly like about the book is its pronunciation guides for tongue-twister varietals, producers and regions. Too, we learn that singer- songwriter Tori Amos prefers red Bordeaux, chef-restaurateur Mario Batali digs white and red Burgundy and golfer Norman favors Kistler Chardonnay."
- San Francisco Chronicle"Vaults to the head of the line for wine books for beginners. One of the finest introductory wine books now available. Highly Recommended...A wonderful surprise."
- California Grapevine, the oldest wine newsletter"For little more than the price of an average bottle of plonk, this fun, wonderfully concise guide will teach you the basics of buying, tasting, storing, and serving wine, such as the Three Steps of Wine Appreciation, the 100 Best Buys for under $15, and more"
- Quality Paperback Book club (QPB), after selecting the book for inclusion"Mark’s principles guide us towards clarity…[he] is determined to steer clear of pompous wine-speak…a bedrock utilitarianism grounds [his] quirky and informative guide"
- New York Sun"No more performance anxiety when ordering [wine] - now everyone can be in the know. This guide also gives the perfect tips on what to serve during holiday entertaining."
- Athens Banner-Herald"Oldman's Guide is already one of my favorite books...I like its style...and the sidebars are really helpful"
- Chef Jimmy Gheradi, host "Everybody's Cooking," WVXU Radio"Lessons to instill confidence in beginners, along with specific recommendations from food and wine pros"
- Winston-Salem Journal"An expert with the know-how to transform the wine experience into an accessible hobby, Mark Oldman offers a wholly unpretentious primer that explains just about every kind of wine available, with sections on the basics of reds, whites, and pink. In 'Outsmarting the Basics,' Oldman advises how to get the flavors desired fromlesser-known varieties. For example, 'Instead of Chianti, Try Sexy, Flavorful Primitivo.' Pairing food and wine gets summed up in 'Eleven Pleasure Principles'-for example, 'When in Doubt, Avoid Prime-Time Wines.' Special Occasions also get their due, as Oldman suggests wines for events ranging from Pizza Night to Passover. This all comes with value-added sidebars that offer tips on pronunciation, label-decoding, and food pairings, and appearing throughout are 'On My Table' boxes, in which the rich and/or famous discuss what they like to drink-these folks include various sommeliers and vineyard owners, even that conspicuous consumer Ludacris. Behind all this populist energy lies Oldman's deep and varied knowledge of the topic, making this equally appealing to those who are new to the world of wine, and those who just need a refresher. Paired with Andrea Immer's unimpeachable guide to the intricacies of entertaining with wine and food, they make an excellent recommendation for the foodie/oenophile's kitchen and bar."
- Kirkus Reviews"My new BIBLE, Oldman's Guide to Outsmarting Wine"
- Men’s Health (Cultural Concierge column)"One of the most incredible books on wine I've seen in a long time"
- Darrell Beason, host, Healthy Living for Life, KMSR-AM Talk Radio"A great book, fun to read - I highly recommend it"
- Gary O'Brien, host, WDWS Newstalk Radio“A fantastic book, one that I have already heavily dog-eared…Mark is going to tell you a lot of what you didn’t know about wine”
- Steve Morgan, host, "In Review" WAIF-FM"The perfect 'how-to' guide for the novice oenophile...Oldman makes it easy for anyone to appreciate, order and differentiate in the overwhelming wine world...Your significant other will enjoy the [book's] cheat sheets and the casual tone much like he enjoys the sports page on Sunday."
- Potion Magazine"Probably my favorite wine guide that I've come across...Well organized, very easy to find things, there are pronunciation guides -- god bless him..."
- Bookslut.com, one of the Internet's most influential literature sites"If you’re a budding wine enthusiast with a distaste for encyclopedic volumes, this is the book for you."
- La Cucina Italiana"An 'on-ramp' for aspiring wine connoisseurs...spend a few minutes in Mark Oldman's wine world and you'll realize that here is someone who is finally telling you what you need to know -- quickly."
- MetroA nice, chatty book, quoting the likes of singer Tori Amos and author Jay McInerney about their wine habits. Easy and informative.- Miami Herald, Fred Tasker's annual guide to the "best and brightest" books, nat'l syndicated
"Oldman's Guide is an edgy and informative book that is perfect Dr. Vino readers: punchy prose, great sidebars, and excellent titles of the 108 "shortcuts" ("You can serve some reds quite chilled: the cross dressers;" "Instead of Merlot, Try Argentine Malbec's Blackberry Hedonism;" "Six signals that a wine merchant has 'the love'"). The interspersed lists of wines that various winemakers and celebrities ranging from chef Mario Batali to hip-hop artist Ludacris actually drink make for interesting reading. Whether offering tips on how to appreciate wine, which wine works for various occasions, or how to order wine in restaurants, Oldman has done an excellent job writing a book that a novice or serious wine lover with a sense of humor and curiosity can enjoy."
- DrVino.com
