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| The Wine Bible | 
 enlarge | Author: Karen Macneil
Brand: HomeAndWine.com
Category: Book
List Price: $19.95
Buy New: $5.69
You Save: $14.26 (71%)
New (59) Used (71) Collectible (1) from $4.22
Avg. Customer Rating:  79 reviews
Sales Rank: 4748
Media: Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 904
Shipping Weight (lbs): 2.7
Dimensions (in): 9 x 6 x 1.9
ISBN: 1563054345
Dewey Decimal Number: 641.22
UPC: 019628034342
EAN: 9781563054341
ASIN: 1563054345
Publication Date: September 2001
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Condition: NEW BOOK!! WE SHIP 6 DAYS A WEEK!!
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| Customer Reviews:
 The Title Is Correct -- The Bible of Wine December 17, 2002
13 out of 13 found this review helpful
I think "The Wine Bible" (TWB) should be the third book purchase for wine beginners (after "Wine for Dummies" and "Windows on the World Complete Wine Course"). TWB is full of good information. Of course, the first section is a must-read. Then, the sections are split into separate geographical areas and are very good and very detailed, while still being easy to read (the author's "education" background is readily apparent and helpful to the reader). I especially liked the depth of information that is presented in a friendly manner. For example, I wanted more in-depth information on Valpolicella. Most books given only a paragraph to it, if they give anything at all. Over several sections, this book probably had close to three pages (a lot of text on each page) which is about ten times the information of the competition. And no, this book is not lopsided in favor of information on Italy. That is just one example of why this book gets five stars. There are many other cases of information that other books do not contain or they gloss over. This book has a lot to offer.
 a general book December 3, 2002
2 out of 30 found this review helpful
I am a wine lover and i though this book would enhance my knowledge, but it did not. It is a general wine description book. The market has a lot more to offer.
For all who love wine... November 7, 2002
15 out of 15 found this review helpful
Utterly fascinating and comprehensive, The Wine Bible is just the right length to provide even the most discriminating oenophile with all the facts needed to quench his thirst. It is difficult to imagine a better overview of all the wine areas of the world. Certainly there are more scholarly tomes, but MacNeil's ebullient and zestful writing style is utterly charming and never wearying, her descriptions of specific wines so lively you can almost taste them. I wanted to rush out and buy all her recommendations.The layout of the book starts with the basics of how wine is made, what factors make great wine, how to taste, the major grapes and their characters, and other fundamentals. It then proceeds into an extensive look at the countries that produce wine. Each country section breaks down the major wine producing areas within the country, going into great detail to highlight the unique qualities of those areas that bring their wine to life. The country sections also include travel notes, comments about the local food, wineries to visit, and more. At the end of each growing area section, MacNeil includes specific wines of note. This format makes the subject quite approachable, but also leads to the only complaint I have (and it is not enough to take away anything from the book.) Because of the length (900+ pages), the book is written sectionally. Given the scope, MacNeil wrote it in a manner than lends each section to being self-contained. Because of this, when reading several country sections, MacNeil repeats herself many times, often explaining a concept in a later chapter that she had explained earlier. This is done for clarity sake, especially if the book is being used as a reference. For a complete readthrough, though, one can simply skip over what had already been explained previously. If you have a passing knowledge of wine and wish to go to the next level (or simply need an approachable, yet complete reference), I can think of no better place to start than The Wine Bible. MacNeil's love of wine certainly comes through and makes this reference a gripping read, one of the few references you'll find hard to put down.
An excellent introduction to wine... September 4, 2002
78 out of 82 found this review helpful
A great book for a beginner. This book doesn't rate wines, it teaches you about how they are made, what flavors each grape is known for, what regions grow each type of grape and so on. Immensely useful information. I have used this as * a learning tool,
* a reference when I'm curious about a wine I've found
* to settle arguments with family over wine labeling
* a reference to decide which wines may be worth trying from a specific region. As a reference, the book is not encyclopedic, but it doesn't attempt to be either. The book is a bible in the sense that it gives you a good solid overview of a wine region, it's styles of wines, and some of it's representative producers if you want to start trying out the regions wines. It is quick to point out that the ultimate judge of a wine is the drinker, and you shouldn't be shy to decide you do or don't like a wine despite it's reputation. I like that and believe it is a good approach.
An excellent wine book March 25, 2002
9 out of 11 found this review helpful
This is an up to date book that educates and enlightens all who have an interest in wine. The book need not be read from front to back. It is well researched and compiled. One item comes through clearly, wine making has changed and improved a great deal in the past 30 years.
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