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| Sotheby's Wine Encyclopedia: Fourth Edition, Revised (Sotheby's Wine Encyclopedia) | 
 enlarge | Author: Tom Stevenson
Publisher: DK ADULT
Category: Book
List Price: $50.00
Buy New: $27.40
You Save: $22.60 (45%)
New (28) Used (7) from $26.44
Avg. Customer Rating:  31 reviews
Sales Rank: 13488
Media: Hardcover
Edition: 4
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 664
Shipping Weight (lbs): 5.6
Dimensions (in): 11 x 8.3 x 1.7
ISBN: 0756631645
Dewey Decimal Number: 641.2203
EAN: 9780756631642
ASIN: 0756631645
Publication Date: November 19, 2007
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Customer Reviews:
 An excellent wine enclopedia, my second choice, but still a reasonable choice December 26, 2007
It is may be hard for you to choose between Jancis Robinson's The Oxford Companion to Wine, 3rd Edition, 3rd edition, and this fourth edition of Stevenson's encyclopedia. In a sense it's like asking whether you prefer Burgundy or Bordeaux. I give the nod to Robinson, but you may enjoy Stevenson more.
Stevenson provides good comprehensive introductory essays with a great deal on the basics on various aspects of the winemaking process. The chapters are organized by country/region with introductions covering history and development, soils, grapes, climate etc, maps and some statistics, followed by a comprehensive run-down of appellations (or regions/sub-regions in New World) with specific rules and brief description (including some recommended producers) for each one.
One major problem: Stevenson has admitted that "frankly, I do not have the budget of a major revise."
Robinson maintains an excellent website, on which she updates significant changes that will be modified in the next edition of the COMPANION. The site costs over a hundred dollars a year, but the entire COMPANION is online and easily searched. There is no doubt that the last ten years have seen the most significant changes in wine ever. There is little doubt that the next ten years will see as many changes, if not more. So, I give the nod to Robinson, and only hope that Stevenson will find an online way to update his encyclopedia.
That said, you may like the format and shorter, punchy style of entries in Stevenson, and you certainly won't go wrong. The content is outstanding and comprehensive, albeit dated to a significant extent; much of the text is from 2000, the editorial deadline for the previous edition. Stevenson's annual series on the wine regions of the world, Wine Report 2008 (Wine Report), is a great way to keep up either encyclopedia up to date, if you decide on hard copies of either or both of these basic wine references.
I have to admit that I've got the first and second editions of Stevenson, and may pick up the fourth edition some day. As a wine writer friend opines: "Both are possible to simply browse or dip in and out of. Support the poor beleaguered wine writers - buy them both, I say!"
Robert C. Ross 2007 2008
 Great Reference and a Must Have for Wine Professionals November 24, 2007
9 out of 10 found this review helpful
What can I say about the latest edition except bigger and better. I love the breakdown of the appellations such as the difficult French and Italian AOCs and DOCs (and DOCGs). The layout is more accessible than the Oxford though lacks the breadth and depth of the latter text. Being in the wine business for many years I must recommend this as one of the cornerstones of any wine library and the 3rd book to buy for your wine knowledge after the Oxford Companion to Wine (1st) and the World Atlas of Wine (2nd)
Sothebys Wine Encyclopedia November 7, 2007
This is one of the best refrence books for wine. Every single Master Sommelier or wine professional I have talked to always recomends this book!
The New Sotheby's Wine Encyclopedia May 25, 2007
I purchased this book for my son-in-law's birthday gift. He says he REALLY likes this reference. He says this reference pulls together much of what he had in many other books on his shelves, plus much more!
BEST WINE BOOK EVER February 13, 2007
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
this encyclopedia was great all around, but its best feature is regarding the each of the wine regions. great knowledge for each of the regions
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