Judgment of Paris: California vs. France and the Historic 1976 Paris Tasting That Revolutionized Wine Customer Review: Judgment of Paris 1976
A delightful read for any true wine aficionado, and a must for any would-be-wine-snob, this book is filled with facts that entertain and educate!
Customer Review: A look behind the scene
Mr. Taber takes the reader inside the wine world with respect to judging, production and history. At The Berwick Wine Company we have made this required reading as it personalizes the winemakers and creators of the wine world. The reader should also note the difficulty in judging wine, which has
only become more difficult as the critics pull the terrior out of the vineyard forcing winemakers to stylize their wine for the export markets.

The Way to Make Wine: How to Craft Superb Table Wines at Home Written by a vintner and science editor with twenty-five years experience, The Way to Make Wine is the most readable and reliable handbook among the many winemaking guides. In engaging conversational prose, Sheridan Warrick shows that making your own wine is not only easy, but also fun. Geared to everyday wine lovers who want to drink well, save money, and impress their friends, this book reveals everything needed to make delicious wines–both reds and whites–from start to finish.
Warrick demystifies winemaking by explaining the nuts and bolts and demonstrating that if readers can replace a faucet washer or cook a pasta sauce, they can make food-friendly wines that cost less than the bottles they’re now opening. He enables amateur vintners to equip a home winery, procure top-quality grapes, run a flawless fermentation, and enjoy their wine–its nose, its body, and finish–with renewed awareness and appreciation. At the same time, the author points experienced home vintners to new skills, describing top wineries’ techniques. Rich with insiders’ know-how, this book also divulges the many advances that have been made in the past few decades and makes clear that, with enologists’ innovations, home winemaking is easier than ever. With straightforward illustrations of key steps, this book offers one-stop shopping for anyone who’s ever dreamed of making table wines at home.
two step-by-step sections: one for beginners, one for experienced home vintners
sidebars offer quick tips and key elements of winemaking lore
includes the only clear and comprehensive guide to minimizing the use of sulfites in wine
section on suppliers and labs provides a wealth of information on sources of fine wine grapes
Customer Review: Terrific how-to book , thank you Mr. Warrick
I loved reading this book, Warrick really knows his wine-making. He explains when, how, and in what order to ad this and that, temperatures to keep, tools and equipement to buy etc., after reading this book, I feel that I have enough knowledge to make a few gallons of bubbly delicious red wine. This book is very comprehensive and easy to read with more than enough information to enable you to make wine.
Customer Review: Excellent Read and Very Informative
This book is easy to understand and should enable a novice to walk through the wine making process with ease.

Sotheby’s Wine Encyclopedia: Fourth Edition, Revised (Sotheby’s Wine Encyclopedia) The essential insider’s guide to every major wine-growing region in the world, this book offers dozens of helpful Top 10 lists covering a broad range of topics, including Best-Value Producers, Greatest-Quality Wines, and Most Exciting or Unusual Finds. The book is a must for every wine serious enthusiast who wants to keep up with the constantly changing and ever-expanding world of wine. AUTHOR BIO: Tom Stevenson has been writing about wine for nearly thirty years and is the author of more than 20 books. He’s been nominated Wine Writer of the Year on three occasions and received the coveted Wine Literary Award, America’s lifetime achievement award for wine writing.
Customer Review: Not an encyclopedia - a useful secondary atlas
Warning: despite the title, this book is NOT an encyclopedia. It is not a general compendium of wine related knowledge. Do not expect to find articles on topics like “shiraz,” “brettanomyces,” or “tannins.” It is in no way comparable to The Oxford Companion to Wine.

This book is essentially a wine atlas; it is directly comparable to Johnson & Robinson World Atlas of Wine. The first 50 pages of both books are devoted to general articles on topics such as “Terroir,” but the bulk of the book (550 pages) is arranged geographically by region. The regional headings correspond almost exactly to those in the Atlas. (As with the Atlas, the focus is on the old world. France alone gets over 200 pages of the 550, while the Americas (North and South), Australia and New Zealand combined get just under 160 pages. These are roughly the same proportions as the Atlas.) One major difference between Stevenson’s book (which I refuse to call an “encyclopedia”) and the Atlas is that Stevenson’s book has few maps, and the maps that it does have are very general. No doubt this is why the book is not called an “atlas” despite its geographic organization.

As an example, consider the treatment of Barbaresco (which I happened to be drinking when I first opened this book). There are 39 pages on Italy, which begins with a 4 page overview of the country as a whole, focusing on the DOG system. The general content seems to be very well done (I am not enough of expert to say whether it is accurate). It is then divided into subregions. Northwest Italy gets 9 pages, of which 2 are general, with a paragraph each of the main regions, such as Piedmont. The bulk of the section are capsule descriptions of all of the various appellations. Because of the number, these descriptions are individually very short. The longest description, that of Barolo, is one-third of a page. Barbaresco gets three sentences. The capsule descriptions themselves seem to be very well done, with a considerable amount of information packed into a few sentences (though again I am not enough of an expert to say whether the information is accurate). The descriptions are followed by a list of preferred producers which, in the case of Barbaresco, is almost as long as the description itself. Essentially every entry has such a list of producers. While most are proportionately shorter than in the case of Barbaresco, they nonetheless form a substantial part of the total text. With that said, the Atlas uses pictures of wine labels for much the same purpose; these are more attractive, but they take up more space for the amount of information content.

Compare this with the Johnson & Robinson Atlas. Northwest Italy gets 8 pages, with 2 pages of that discusses the minor regions, followed by 2 pages for Piemonte generally, 2 pages for Barbaresco and 2 pages for Barolo. About half of the coverage consists of maps. This is a major difference between the Stevenson work and the Wine Atlas; as the name suggests the Wine Atlas has excellent detailed maps, while the Stevenson book has fewer and less detailed maps. Another difference is the major regions get more coverage in the Wine Atlas; Barbaresco gets a full page of text in the Atlas, as opposed to three sentences in Stevenson’s book. You might think that the minor regions would get correspondingly less coverage in the Atlas, but this is only partially true. The difference is that Stevenson’s book treats each DOC or distinctive vini da tavola as with a separate section, while the Atlas treats them as part of a sub-region. So, the region above the town of Novara has six different DOCs - Gattinara, Lessona, Bramatera, Boca, Colline Novaresi, Ghemme and Sizzano - each of which gets a separate brief description from Stevenson, while they are treated together in a couple of paragraphs by the Wine Atlas. The Atlas approach is more efficient as it generalizes about the region, with a phrase or two about most of the sub-regions. But there is some extra information in Stevenson’s work; we learn, for example, that Colline Novaresi requires at least 40% Uva Rara, while there is no mention of this in the Atlas, whose authors (according to Robinson’s preface) made a conscious decision to omit discussion of regions which they felt would not be of no practical interest to most wine drinkers.

So, the Wine Atlas has far better maps, and better treatment of the major regions, but doesn’t provide quite as much detail on the minor regions as does Stevenson. What about total information content? Stevenson’s book has 550 pages devoted to regional description, while the Atlas has significantly less - around 325 (as noted each also has about 50 pages of general text). Since the Atlas also has far more space devoted to maps, and substantially more photos as well, one might suppose that there is just more text in Stevenson’s book. But on the other hand, Stevenson’s book has a lot of blank space because of the layout, with the distinct heading for each region.

Finally, an important difference is that the Atlas is much easier to read. It is possible and indeed enjoyable to read through the Atlas’ page on the minor regions of Northwest Italy and gain some appreciation of these regions and their relationship to one another and the major regions. Much of the same information is found in the Stevenson book, but it is much more difficult to piece together. The information about the area near Novara is found in two contiguous paragraphs in the Atlas, while it is found in seven separate paragraphs spread over six pages in the Stevenson book. Furthermore, because of the lack of a map, it would not be apparent to the non-expert that these are in fact closely related regions (unless you are looking at the Wine Atlas at the same time). So, the information is there in the Stevenson book, but you won’t get a picture of region in the same way that you would from the Atlas.

In summary, Stevenson’s content is good; as compared to the Atlas he provides some extra information on minor regions and even when he covers the same region he provides a different perspective from the Atlas. Nonetheless, I strongly prefer the Wine Atlas, partly because of the maps, but primarily because of the superior readability. When I’m lingering over a glass of wine in the evening I often pick the Wine Atlas to read about the region the wine came from, or even about a random region that I might want to sample. I cannot imagine doing the same with Stevenson’s book. I might turn to Stevenson’s book as a reference, particularly if I wanted grape variety information about a minor region, but it is not a book that lends itself to idle curiosity. On the whole, Stevenson’s book might be a useful secondary reference for wine enthusiasts, but the Wine Atlas is a clear first choice.

Customer Review: great for the serious wine student
Great for studying for Sommelier exam and also great for wine buyers to learn about vineyards…and much more.

Sailing the Wine-Dark Sea: Why the Greeks Matter (Hinges of History) In Sailing the Wine-Dark Sea, his fourth volume to explore “the hinges of history,” Thomas Cahill escorts the reader on another entertaining—and historically unassailable—journey through the landmarks of art and bloodshed that defined Greek culture nearly three millennia ago.

In the city-states of Athens and Sparta and throughout the Greek islands, honors could be won in making love and war, and lives were rife with contradictions. By developing the alphabet, the Greeks empowered the reader, demystified experience, and opened the way for civil discussion and experimentation—yet they kept slaves. The glorious verses of the Iliad recount a conflict in which rage and outrage spur men to action and suggest that their “bellicose society of gleaming metals and rattling weapons” is not so very distant from more recent campaigns of “shock and awe.” And, centuries before Zorba, Greece was a land where music, dance, and freely flowing wine were essential to the high life. Granting equal time to the sacred and the profane, Cahill rivets our attention to the legacies of an ancient and enduring worldview.
Customer Review: new way of looking at old things
Liked this book as much as the How the Irish Saved Civilization.
I am a Greek history buff and obsessed with the Iliad which may be another reason I enjoyed this overview of Greek culture. Not so much that I learned new things but found new ways of looking at old things.

Customer Review: A bit disappointing
Despite the subtitle of the book, Cahill has very little to say about why the Greeks matter. The book is rather short on analysis in general, and consists largely of lengthy quotations from Greek works (Homeric epics, dramas, Plato’s Socratic dialogues, Thucydides, and descriptions of greek visual arts, etc.) with which the reader who was interested enough to pick up this book is probably already familiar, followed by sparse commentary by Cahill which takes for granted some prior knowledge but doesn’t add much to it.

Also, some of the choices he makes about what material to treat at length and what material to omit are quite strange. To give just one example, in the chapter on Greek philosophy, Cahill devotes pages to the Pythagoreans, who he himself admits were considered bizarre by most Greeks. This might be justifiable given their influence on Plato, who was slightly more mainstream and of course has had tremendous historical influence. But then, turning to Aristotle, he spends a paragraph giving a brief list of a few of Aristotle’s tremendous achievements (such as inventing formal logic and the science of biology), but then dismisses the subject by saying that Aristotle is “boring.” I’m not kidding. He also says that Aristotle didn’t have the philosophical scope, depth or insight of his master Plato, but this is certainly debatable to say the least, and in a book about why the Greeks matter to Western civilization, this treatment of Aristotle (the rediscovery of whose works in the Middle Ages led to the Renaissance) is really inexplicable, and unforgivable.

If you are interested in the Greeks but have only sketchy knowledge about them, this might be an okay introduction. Otherwise, skip it.

Italian Wines 2008 (Italian Wines) A comprehensive guide to the delicious world of Italian wine

The Wines of Burgundy: Revised Edition Ten years after the publication of the highly acclaimed, award-winning C?te D’Or: A Celebration of the Great Wines of Burgundy, the “Bible of Burgundy,” Clive Coates now offers this thoroughly revised and updated sequel. This long-awaited work details all the major vintages from 2006 back to 1959 and includes thousands of recent tasting notes of the top wines. All-new chapters on Chablis and C?te Chalonnaise replace the previous volume’s domaine profiles. Coates, a Master of Wine who has spent much of the last thirty years in Burgundy, considers it to be the most exciting, complex, and intractable wine region in the world, and the one most likely to yield fine wines of elegance and finesse. This book is an indispensable guide for amateur and professional alike by one of the world’s leading wine experts, writing with his habitual expertise, lucidity, and unequaled firsthand knowledge.

Hugh Johnson’s Pocket Wine Book 2008: 31st Edition (Hugh Johnson’s Pocket Wine Book)

Customer Review: A great gift
I reviewed several pocket wine books before purchasing 20 copies of Hugh Johnson’s book to give as gifts. This edition has the perfect balance of content to educate the novice and inform the expert.
Customer Review: Continues to be very good, although has some flaws
I have been using this annual guide for many years and I continue to find it extremely useful. Johnson’s approach is much more in-depth and informative than the various single-number raters. Compared to previous editions, however, I note two deficiencies in the 2008 edition:

* There is much less vintage information on many individual wine entries. (I refer to the vintage data in the individual listings, not the regional vintage summary table.) Past editions gave much greater history of which vintages were still recommended, ready, or at peak with unmentioned vintages being unrecommended. This edition in many instances lists only a few vintages. This important insight is no longer included.

* Johnson’s publisher should pay attention to ensuring clear visual contrast. A different color is used to denote a vintage “at peak” from a vintage that is “just ready”. The two colors are too close together and it can be difficult to discern which vintages are at peak.

While the guide is still extremely valuable and a truly comprehensive resource, these factors step it down a notch in my opinion.

What to Drink with What You Eat: The Definitive Guide to Pairing Food with Wine, Beer, Spirits, Coffee, Tea - Even Water - Based on Expert Advice from America’s Best Sommeliers The most comprehensive guide to matching food and drink ever compiled, by the James Beard Award winning author team of Karen Page and Andrew Dornenburg, with practical advice from more than seventy of America’s leading pairing experts In a great meal, what you drink is just as important as what you eat.This groundbreaking food and beverage pairing reference allows food lovers to learn to think like a sommelier, and to transform every meal- breakfast, lunch, and dinner - from ordinary to extraordinary. Exceptional in its depth and scope - with over fifteen hundred entries - What to Drink with What You Eat is based on the collective wisdom of experts at dozens of America’s best restaurants, including Alinea, Babbo, Bern’s, Blue Hill, Chanterelle, Daniel, Emeril’s, French Laundry, Frontera Grill, Inn at Little Washington, Jean Georges, Masa’s, The Modern, Per Se, Rubicon, Tru, and Valentino. You’ll find authoritative recommendations for stocking your cellar and kitchen with must-have beverages, from wines to waters.You’ll also learn what to drink with everything from French toast to Chinese food, and what to eat with everything from Pinot Noir to green tea, to create mouthwatering matches.Follow the authors three simple Rules to Remember when making a match - or just dive into the wide-ranging listings in chapters 5 and 6. This incisive, hip writing team (Publisher’s Weekly) distills history, geography, science, expert technique, and original insight to create a remarkably user-friendly and engaging reference.Lavishly illustrated with gorgeous four-color photographs, What to Drink with What You Eat is an instant classic essential to every connoisseur’s bookshelf.
Customer Review: Best Resource for Food and Wine pairing
I use this book in my wine shop to help customers decide on which wines to pair with their menus. I have started selling it now, since they are thrilled with the details and actually ‘read’ the book rather than use only as a reference.
Maureen
Customer Review: A great book for everyone
I’ve really enjoyed referencing this book. I am a catering sales manager and it’s so nice when the sommelier isn’t in to be able to make some great recommendations for my clients. I would highly recommend this book to anyone - not just someone in catering! It makes it so nice to have dinner and know that you made a good selection with the wine pairing.

From Vines to Wines: The Complete Guide to Growing Grapes and Making Your Own Wine For the home wine-maker ready to . . . begin turning out consistently professional-quality wines, this book contains about all the information one is likely to need.– Ruralite Country Bookshelf.
Customer Review: Especially good for trellising and pruning
I gave this to my father and he was so excited because it focused a lot on building a good trellis with good illustrations and also good for prunning.
These are two things that lack in other books that i have bought him (and that I am starting to be interested in, too).
Of course the book covers all aspects of the grape and wine making process, but the trellising and prunning in more detail was very welcome.
Recommended on all aspects.
Customer Review: Great for Home Winemakers or Wine Students
This is indespensible for home winemakers. Period.

If you are a person engaged in wine studies, this is an essential first look into serious technical winemaking aspects. Before delving into more serious technical manuals such as “Understanding Wine Technology” and “The Science of Wines from Grape to Glass”.

Pros: wonderfully written in laymans terms
Cons: drawings sometimes difficult to distinguish

The Wine Bible THE MOST COMPLETE WINE BOOK EVER. A must for anyone who loves wine, whether they are a pro or an amateur. 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 CafT Cookbook)

The essentials: The romance and intrigue of Burgundy of sauvignon blanc and the surprising elegance of Spain’s top Riojas. Italy, one of wine’s most enchanting and ancient homelands. What makes a great wine great? The reason behind Champagne’s bubbles. The precise and food-friendly wines of Germany. California, wine’s Camelot. The lip-smackingly good wines of Australia. The complexities of Port revealed. How a vineyard profoundly affects a wine’s character.

Plus, matching wine with food - and mood. The secrets of professional wine tasters and how to expand your wine-tasting vocabulary. And everything else you need to know to buy, store, serve, and enjoy the world’s most captivating beverage.

The shimmering elegance of Veuve Clicquot, affordable luxury in a glass, page 185.

Ravishing, elegant, and rich, Petrus in Ingrid Bergman in red satin, page 156.

Some wines are like people… they get better as they get older, pg. 64.

Sherry, the world’s most misunderstood and underappreciated wine, page 437.
Customer Review: Good Overall Wine Book
Over the past year I have read four or five of the most popular wine books for relative beginners. Because it covers a lot of information, this book is a good choice for someone wanting to learn more about wine. If you are very new to the world of wine like I was, I recommend Essential Etiquette Fundamentals, Vol. 2: Wine Selection & Etiquette. The “Essential Etiquette” book is an audio book. I like that format because you actually get to hear the narrator pronounce the names of the various grape varieties, wines and terms. It does a great job of covering the basics. Windows on the World Complete Wine Course: 2008 Edition (Windows on the World Complete Wine Course) is another good choice.
Customer Review: Wow, overkill.
Talk about not being able to see a tree for the forest. To much information. Definitely, Information Input Overload. Tried to do much, and perhaps did, but way to much info for a beginner.