Smart Marketing: Wines For Dummies. Actual Wine, Not Books.

By now we all know there are several published Wines For Dummies books. From Italian Wines to Reading Wine Labels, the Wiley brand offers many ways to get to know your vino. But now, they sell actual wines. That's right, bottles of Wines For Dummies. Not fine wines, mind you, but basic 10$ bottles of Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, Cabernet Sauvignon and Chianti for the novice.



Graced with the familiar looking labels, the wines are a brilliant marketing idea as an offshoot of a well established brand. They may not be the sort of thing you'd bring to impress a date or a dinner party host, but are a fun way for the beginner to explore the basics of the fermented grape.






Drinkhacker reviews each of the wines as follows:

2012 Wines for Dummies Pinot Grigio IGT – A real Italian Pinot Grigio. Mildly tropical and atypical for Pinot Grigio, with a touch of funk beneath the fruit. Not much acidity to speak of, which is unfortunate but unsurprising at this price. Not sure if this is an apropos introduction to Pinot Grigio, but it’s at least a harmless wine on the whole. B-

2011 Wines for Dummies Chianti DOCG – Italian DOCG Chianti for just 10 bucks? Hard to believe, and proof that decent Chianti needn’t cost a fortune. Classic, intense red cherry character is the dominant flavor here, though the nose has some curious black tea character as well. The body is a little tart, a touch too balsamic on the back end, but overall a decent intro to the way Chianti — or at lease Sangiovese — is supposed to taste like. B

2011 Wines for Dummies Chardonnay California – A minimally oaked Chardonnay, this is actually an easy drinking wine with modest melon, lemon, and white peach character. Some vanilla on the back end. Simple, but reasonably appropriate as an intro to California Chardonnay, though a far cry from the more buttery, heavily oaked styles that drinkers are more likely to encounter. B

2011 Wines for Dummies Cabernet Sauvignon California – My least favorite of this bunch, a simple and not very lively Cab that offers a modest plum body, backed with somewhat harsh tobacco and leather notes. It finishes off with a rather unpleasant finish. C



So, if this is your first foray into the world of wine, it's an inexpensive and fun way to learn a little something - and catch a buzz.

$10 each at winesfordummies