Good Grape Wine Company

This book is as simple or as researched as you need it to be. Not only that, it's a very beautiful edition (makes a nice coffee table item). And if you really enjoy it, I suggest you also get Mrs. Robinson's funny DVD "Understanding Wine" (no, not "The Graduate", you wino!).

Cheers!


The One To Own   August 4, 2003
I've done some extensive reading of most of the comprehensive wine books available. In my opinion, this one is definitely the best. The layout is easy to follow and it is easy to find what you're looking for, two things which cannot be said for many of the wine "encyclopedias". The text is clearly written and not in any way laborous to read. The pictures are great.

The background information about wine is a good concise exploration, not overdone, yet not just put in as an afterthought. Most regions are well covered, though some up-and-comers like Argentina, or limited distribution sources such as New York State, get less coverage than they perhaps deserve.

Even with its short-comings, this book does a better job by far than any other in its genre in providing a concise, comprehensive, and well-written/well-formatted guide to the world of wine. Take this one home and read the rest in Borders' Cafe!


the world atlas of wine   July 30, 2003
Good, but not as in depth as Sotheby's Wine Encyclopedia. Many typos. The section on Cote Chalonnais is cut off and the begining is repeated. Nice photos.


A must have book for any enophile!   June 30, 2003
 4 out of 6 found this review helpful

One of the greatest wine reference books gets even better with this new addition. Jancis Robinson joining Hugh Johnson is wonderful, two of the greatest wine writers of our time.

I admit that as a beginner, it would be tough to follow since there is more empasis on the land and the grapes rather than on regulations and general regional information. It makes a great companion to the Oxford Wine Companion by Jancis Robinson.

I have over 50 books on viticulture and enology (on my current quest for my Master of Wine cerification) and this is one of the most important! Buy it and the Oxford Companion (or the pocket companion for beginners).

Most books by Hugh Johnson and Jancis Robinson are good buys, as are Oz Clarke's and Clive Coates. Stay away from Karen McNiel and Andrea Immer, the books are written for the very green beginner.


The Real Thing   May 25, 2003
 38 out of 38 found this review helpful

If you subscribe to the notion that information is the key to a deep understanding of a subject, then this is where anyone who has ever enjoyed a glass of wine should be.

I've got a large collection on wine-related books and I find that the World Atlas of Wine is the one I turn to the most. I won't go so far as to say it renders the other's irrelevant -- the Wine Bible is also quite good, and several books on have that are more narrowly focused on specific countries or regions are essential to me -- but this is the one that explains the most about more subjects.

It should not be surprising: Hugh Johnson has produced four editions of the book before this one, and the addition of the wonderful Jancis Robinson just solidifies the Atlas' place atop of the heap of wine literature. This great looking and easy-to-read book is pleasing in so many ways: its delightful photos and large format make it a great coffee table book; the detailed maps and region-by-region explanations make it a good travel companion; and the text's lively anecdotes and density of information virtually make the volume a thrilling page-turner. It is at once accessible enough for beginners and informative enough for experts.

No, it is not perfect. As with any comprehensive wine book, some will complain that certain remote (and perhaps up-and-coming) wine producing regions have been left out or glossed over. And despite improvements from previous editions (thanks to Ms. Robinson, I believe), there is still some of the crusty and old-fashioned wine lingo that often intimidates the uninitiated.

So with what amount to only minor caveats, I wholeheartedly recommend the World Atlas of Wine. Get it and you will never feel the same about the wine you drink again.