There are so many great books about wine, so here are some of the very best. A few are comprehensive and will act as your complete bible to wine, while others are full of interesting information on anything to do with wine.
The top wine writers in the world are unquestionably in a league of their own, and share their vast knowledge in an easy to understand way in their many books - some as collaborations; they are Hugh Johnson MW and Jancis Robinson MW.
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Some of the best Wine Books
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The Oxford Companion To Wine - 3rd Edition is a complete encyclopedia of wine. All you need to know about wine is here in alphabetical order for quick and easy reference. A masterpiece for wine professionals and students alike.
Highly recommended.
“The one essential book for any wine lover.” - Eric Asimov, New York Times
“No wine-lover's bookshelves should be without.” - Jonathan Ray, Daily Telegraph
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"This is the best collaboration of two Brits since Lennon and McCartney" - Washington Post
This new 7th edition is fully revised and updated and confirms the status of The World Atlas of Wine as the most essential and authoritative wine reference work. Since its first edition in 1971, the Atlas has sold well over 4 million copies in 14 languages.
With new illustrations and photographs throughout, this is the must-have book and reference work for all wine enthusiasts.
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This book is aimed at students and travellers, or simply those on a budget. With its slightly smaller format, lightweight jacket, a minimum of photographs and much briefer introduction, it gives you all the texts and all the maps without frills. Being half the weight of the World Atlas of Wine above, this concise version is worth thinking about.
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A great book for the wine novice.
"THE MOST COMPLETE WINE BOOK EVER. A real must for those who love wine, whether they're a professional or an amateur. It is thorough, authoritative, and entertaining." (Robert Mondavi, founder and chairman emeritus of the Robert Mondavi Family of Wines)
"The most informative and entertaining book I've ever seen on the subject." (Danny Meyer, co-author of The Union Square Cafe Cookbook)
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As elegant and meticulously laid out as a posh wine shop, this book is bursting with short glossaries and sidebars, addressing the esoteric (wine-scoring systems) and the pragmatic (pronunciation; varieties of corkscrews). A short vintage guide and an index are included.
“Witty, brilliant, authoritative.” - Robert M. Parker, Jr., The Wine Advocate
“She has an encyclopedic grasp of her subject and doesn’t put a foot wrong...a splendid introduction to wine.” - Decanter Magazine
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How to Taste is a primer by a certified Master of Wine and star of the PBS series Jancis Robinson's Wine Course. From acidity to Australian Shiraz, oak to Oregon Pinot, Robinson delivers chapters of information and theory, intermingled with shaded "Practice" exercises, presented in a style as off-dry as one of the author's beloved Rieslings.
By the time you get to the glossary at book's end, you'll be identifying wines at blind tastings with professional accuracy.
“The woman who makes the wine world gulp when she speaks,” - Jerry Shriver, USA Today
“Perhaps the most talented of the world's wine writers...[with a] seemingly infinite ability to fashion informative, accurate books that are essential reading.” - Robert M. Parker, Jr.
“I have watched her slowly tighten her grip on the wine world with awe” - Hugh Johnson
“By a long measure the best wine writer in the world.” - Paul Levy, The Wall Street Journal
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Jancis Robinson approaches wine in this book by examining the nearly 1000 varieties of grapes used by winemakers around the world. Maps of major wine producing regions show the international distribution of grapevine varieties. More detailed maps and descriptions of great vineyards illustrate the effects of climate and geography on the selection of grapevines.
This is an important and accessible book for wine connoisseurs. Recommended for larger collections.
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Imagine if you had a friend who not only spoke eloquently but who could talk at great lengths about a subject he held dear to his heart. Imagine this friend to be well-traveled, with many connections and stories to tell. Hugh Johnson recounts in this impressive 40-year journey. World travel, gardening, glass making and grape growing (at his own vineyard in Bourbonnais, France). He doesn't talk down to the reader, he doesn't name drop the way some wine writers do, glorifying personalities in the wine trade. Johnson is certainly living a comfortable life but his presentation of facts, experiences and meetings with great wine and great winemakers is lively and surprisingly modest.
“Vintage Johnson--lively, graceful, and satisfying. An engaging read.” - Gerald Asher, The Pleasures of Wine and Vineyard Tales
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With more than 1400 wineries producing many of today's most celebrated labels, North America has become a respected world power in wine production. California Chardonnays now compete with French, and discriminating shoppers can now choose Mexican and Canadian reds in addition to their European counterparts. The Oxford Companion to the Wines of North America encompasses this fertile region's wine and winemaking with scope and authority, illuminating the major techniques, variations, and key players on the North American scene for the first time in one comprehensive volume.
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This luxury box-set includes two of the world’s most successful and bestselling wine books by the two foremost wine writers on the subject. It’s a truly incomparable set, and a unique and essential addition to every wine-lover’s, historian’s, or literary follower’s library.
Fifteen years ago, Hugh Johnson wrote The Story of Wine, which is critically considered to be his “masterpiece” and a classic of wine literature. It has been heralded as one of the most comprehensive and certainly one of the most enjoyable books on wine in any language. This second edition has been condensed, updated, and re-illustrated with a selection of new, evocative photographs that brings the book up to date.
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Written by the world’s bestselling wine author, this new illustrated edition is an enthralling read, tracing the story of wine from the dawn of civilization through the bacchanalian splendor of the ancient world to the present day. Updated to include the latest developments in wine, this edition features never before seen archival photographs.
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Reflecting recent changes in the dynamic world of wine, with special sections devoted to the countries of Southeast Europe and the Eastern Mediterranean, The Sotheby's Wine Encyclopedia is the most up-to-date and comprehensive wine reference in the world.
A remarkable achievement, bridging the gap between the needs of the novice and the experienced professional, The Sotheby's Wine Encyclopedia is fully illustrated, highly accessible, and contains authoritative information on every wine-related topic.
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This authoritative volume by one of the world’s great wine writers is all you need to distinguish among grape varieties— the wines they create and the flavors they contribute—and to make an informed choice on selecting the most satisfying wines.
“If we have any interest in wine and its flavors, we have to be interested in the grape variety itself. If we have any interest in how a wine matures and changes with age, we have to know about the potential of the particular grape. If we care about the style of a wine, whether it should be sweet or dry, fizzy or fortified or still, each different grape variety’s peculiar talents will be of prime importance.” - Oz Clarke
“Well-written and beautifully illustrated.” - Dallas Morning-Star Telegram
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- Hugh Johnson and Jancis Robinson, 2013