Power Entertaining: Secrets to Building Lasting Relationships, Hosting Unforgettable Events, and Closing Big Deals from America's 1st Master Sommelier -- Copyright -- Contents -- Foreword -- Preface -- Why I Wrote This Book -- Become the Ultimate Business Host! -- Impress Clients When You Take Them to Dinner! -- Take Your Home Entertaining to a Whole New Level -- Acknowledgments -- Introduction -- 1: My Definition of Power Entertaining -- Now Business Entertaining Is Part of Your Job Description! -- Building Business Relationships Is More Important Than Ever! -- An Entertainment Coach to CEOs -- How Power Entertaining Is Different from Traditional Business Entertaining -- Give People an Unforgettable Experience! -- Chapter Overviews -- 2: Toss (and I Do Mean TOSS) That Caesar Salad! -- The Reception -- The Hors d'Oeuvres -- The Entrée -- Eddie's Checklist for Planning, Managing, and Hosting Flawless Banquet Events -- Chapter Wrap-Up -- 3: 20 Secrets of Successful Power Entertaining -- My 20 Secrets of Successful Power Entertaining -- Tip #1: Think of Power Entertaining as a Business Development Strategy -- Tip #2: Be an Enthusiastic Master of Ceremonies at Your Events! -- Tip #3: Engage a Sommelier or Wine Merchant to Help You Plan and Host Events -- Tip #4: Design Your Menu with the Goal of Introducing Guests to Wines and Foods They're Not Familiar With -- Tip #5: Kick the Evening off with Champagne! -- Tip #6: Serve People Your Best Stuff First -- Tip #7: Serve Wines in Pairs -- Tip #8: Do Side-By-Side Comparisons of Food, Too -- Tip #9: Learn about Food Wines -- Tip #10: Teach Guests the Concept of Wine and Food Synergy -- Tip #11: Always Warm Your Whites and Chill Your Reds before Serving Them -- Tip #12: Be Classy and Decant Your Reds -- Tip #13: As a Power Entertainer, Invest In the Right "Power Tools" to Add Drama to Your Events.

Tip #14: Become Knowledgeable about Wine and Food Etiquette -- Tip #15: As the Host, Stay Attentive to the Needs of Your Guests throughout the Evening -- Tip #16: Give People Souvenirs to Take Home -- Tip #17: Learn the Finer Points of Wine Service -- Tip #18: Don't Forget the Sound, Light, and Magic -- Tip #19: Learn How to Work with Restaurants to Plan Events -- Tip #20: Use the Element of Surprise to Delight and Dazzle People -- Chapter Wrap-Up -- 4: Power Pairing Great Foods with Great Wines -- Create Wine and Food Synergy -- Beaujolais -- Bordeaux -- Burgundy-Red (Pinot Noir) -- Burgundy-White -- Cabernet Sauvignon -- Pinot Noir -- Merlot -- Champagne and Sparkling Wines -- Chardonnay -- Chablis -- Other Factors in Designing Wine and Food Pairings -- Resources for Power Pairing Wines and Foods -- Chapter Wrap-Up -- 5: Your New Best Friends: The Sommelier and the Wine Merchant -- How a Sommelier Can Assist with Your Power Entertaining Events -- Where to Find a Sommelier -- Preparing to Meet with a Sommelier -- Introducing the Wine Merchant -- Where to Find a Wine Merchant -- Coming Up with Potential Themes for Your Event -- Questions the Wine Merchant Will Ask You -- Sampling Wines on Your Own -- Finding Wines Online -- Wine Websites to Know and Trust -- Chapter Wrap-Up -- 6: So Many Wines, So Little Time! -- Beaujolais -- Cru Beaujolais -- Beaujolais-Villages -- Beaujolais -- Beaujolais Nouveau -- Bordeaux (Left Bank and Right Bank) -- AOP Bordeaux Supérieur -- Subregional and Village Bordeaux -- Classified Châteaux -- Burgundy (Red and White) -- Types of Burgundy -- Generic (AOP Bourgogne) -- AOP Village -- Premier Cru -- Grand Cru -- Pinot Noir -- Sparkling Wines -- Wines of the Pacific Northwest -- Cabernet Sauvignon -- Merlot -- California Wines -- German Wines -- Chablis -- Chablis/Petite Chablis -- Premier Cru Chablis -- Grand Cru Chablis.

Italian Wines -- The Wines of Piedmont -- Italian White Wines of the North -- Wines of Tuscany -- Super Tuscans -- Spanish Wines -- Rioja -- Ribera del Duero -- Rias Baixas -- Valdeorras -- Rueda -- Toro -- Priorato -- Rhône Wines -- Chilean, Argentinean, and South African Wines -- Portugal -- South Africa -- Other Wines -- Fortified Wines -- Sherry (Spain) -- Fino-Style Sherries -- Oloroso-Style Sherries -- Port (Portugal) -- Madeira (Portugal) -- Multivintage Blends -- Vintage Madeira -- Premium Sake -- Beer -- Ales and Lagers -- Chapter Wrap-Up -- 7: Taste Wine like the Masters Do -- Demystifying Wine -- A Systematic Approach to Wine Tasting -- Visual Sensations: First, Drink In What You See! -- Judging Whites by Their Appearance -- Judging Reds by Their Appearance -- Rose Wines -- Olfactory Sensations: What the Nose Beholds -- Aroma and Bouquet -- Detecting Off Odors -- Taste Sensations: Now for the Really Fun Part -- Differentiating Tastes -- Other Factors That Affect the Taste of Wine -- Three Waves of Flavor -- Finding Harmony and Balance in the Tasting of Wine -- Your Palate Is as Unique to You as Your Fingerprints -- How to Manage Paired Wine Samplings at Power Entertaining Events -- Aging Potential versus Drinkability -- Chapter Wrap-Up -- 8: Out of the Kitchen Closet: Coming Out as a Foodie -- Eddie's Favorite Online Food Emporiums -- Farm-2-Market (Seafood) -- La Tienda: The Best of Spain -- D'Artagnan Natural and Organic Meats (French Cuisine) -- Russ & Daughters (New York Deli Food) -- Gilttaste -- Where to Go for Information and Advice about Wine and Food -- Jancis Robinson www.jancisrobinson.com -- Epicurious.com -- WineSpectator.com -- 9: Power Entertaining at Home -- Themes for Power Entertaining at Home -- Theme #1: New World versus Old World -- Theme #2: Introducing Different Wines of the World -- Theme #3: Battle of the Bubblies.

Storing Wines for Home Use -- Choosing the Right Wine Cooler or Cabinet -- Makers of High-Quality Wine Refrigerators -- Other Storage Options: Wine Lockers -- So You Want to Build a Wine Cellar? -- Considerations When Building a Cellar -- Stocking Your Wine Cooler or Wine Cellar -- Chapter Wrap-Up -- 10: Masterminds: From Wine Geek to Wine Expert -- What Is It with All Those Initials? -- Master Sommelier -- Master of Wine -- Society of Wine Educators -- French Wine Scholar -- The Wine & Spirits Education Trust -- The International Sommelier Guild -- The Guild of Sommeliers -- Other Organizations of Interest -- Chapter Wrap-Up -- Epilogue: Taste Life Now! -- Appendix A: Major Grape Varieties on Restaurant Wine Lists -- Appendix B: Categorizing Wines by Quality and Taste -- Appendix C: Don 't Let the Restaurant Happen to You -- Appendix D: Sample Wine Tasting Sheet -- Appendix E: Eddie's Wine Tasting Sheet -- Appendix F: How to Judge a Wine -- About the Author -- About the Collaborator -- Resources -- Index -- Supplemental Image.