Irreverent, informative, and controversial, The Wine Avenger is indispensable guide to wine for beginners and enthusiasts alike.

A longtime champion of the victimized wine consumer, Willie Gluckstern debunks the myths and misinformation surrounding the (allegedly) complex subject of wine. His straightforward advice includes:

*The wines that go BEST with food—and why.
*A cure for label worship: "There are just as many lousy $60 bottles as $3.99 bottles."
*How to avoid getting ripped off in stores and restaurants.
*How to choose a great wine shop: "Do they know where Italy is?"
*Dreary housekeeping tips, such as storage, decanting, saving opened wine, and "that sulfite thing."

Plus, the straight poop on oak, "the MSG of wine," a few well-chosen words for greedy restaurants and retailers ("Those bastards!"), and an unprecedented expose of mass-market Champagne, including how to find the good stuff by cracking the secret label code.