For the wine lover By Laurie Daniel; Special to the Mercury News December 9, 2003 A new crop of wine books arrives on my doorstep every fall, just in time for holiday giving. Vintage 2003 saw a large number of such books, many of them updated versions of previous references. But there were some new offerings for enophiles, too, notably ''Wine for Women'' by Leslie Sbrocco (William Morrow, $24.95). I'll admit that the title put me off initially. Why is wine for women any different than wine for men? But Sbrocco points out that, according to industry research, women account for almost 64 percent of wine consumers. And she concluded that women approach wine differently: They're less concerned with scores, vintages and collecting and more interested in finding wines that simply taste good and pair well with food. Fair enough. With all the wine books out there, everyone needs a niche. The book goes on to approach wine from a style or fashion perspective -- Sbrocco calls chardonnay the ''basic black'' of white wine, for example, and pinot noir the ''seductive satin'' red. She explains how to read a wine label, particularly how ''label links'' -- where the wine is from -- offer clues to how the wine will taste. An oversimplification, to be sure, but a good starting point. Sbrocco offers lists of recommended producers in all price ranges -- wineries that are consistent, year in and year out, so you don't have to worry so much about vintages. Finally, she has suggested menus, and even some recipes, to serve with various types of wines. The book is packed with information that is useful for women or men, but its chatty, just-between-us-girls tone probably will appeal more to women. Still, anything that demystifies wine for either gender, as ''Wine for Women'' does, is a welcome addition to the wine-book scene. To read all of Laurie Daniel's column, see tomorrow's Food & Wine section.