Wine Literature for the Serious Student

[Alex]

In addition to reading, I've learned a lot by talking with my wine gurus at my local wine stores.

[KMPickard]

One of my favourite wine reads (other than this site, of course) is Willie Gluckstern's " The Wine Avenger". It's opinionated and entertaining and has as its' emphasis food and wine together.

If I lived in NYC I'd sign up for his tastings in a flash.

K

[rlm]

*Karen MacNeil's "Wine Bible" is amazing.

*Andrea Immer's two books on tasting ("Great Wines Made Simple" and "Great Tastes Made Simple") are probably my favorites.

*If you enjoy dessert wines, pick up James Peterson's "Sweet Wines."

*Fun reads: "Love By the Glass" by Dorothy J. Gaiter and John Brecher and "Bacchus and Me" by Jay McInerney.

*Jancis Robinson rules.

[Christopher]

The first book I always recommend is Kevin Zraly's Windows on the World Wine Course.

I agree, this remains the definitive entry level book.

[KatieLoeb]

The Windows on the World course is great.

Andrea Immer is my hero. I want to be like Andrea. Her book is excellent. She's also a incredibly interesting drinking companion. I had the rare pleasure to be invited to meet her with a group of other women in the wine industry. A very interesting evening I will not soon forget.

Matt Kramer's Making Sense of Wine. A classic.

[drinkingchef]

I would suggest taking a basic wine course. Have somebody walk you through it. The International Sommelier Guild offers basic programs, as does the Wine and Spirit Education Trust. I took one about a year ago. I knew nothing about wine at the time. They are usually one night a week. It was fun and something different to look forward to every week. But beware. The basic courses are so much fun that you get hooked. I am. I had my first sommelier diploma class last week. The work load is pretty heavy. Classes are still fun, however. Heres some links

www.internationalsommelier.com

www.wset.co.uk

As for books. I like Exploring Wine. It is the Culinary Institute of America's wine text. Its laid out really simply, for someone who knows nothing. I love books by Jancis Robinson, but I didn't find them helpful as a beginner. Her books were much more valuable once I had a bit of basic knowledge under my belt. I also find her writing to be very opinionated. I prefer to form my own opinions. I would also recommend the Oxford Companion to Wine. Its laid out like an encyclopedia, which makes it easy to reference peculiar terms while reading other books.

P.S. Good wine books aren't usually cheap. So maybe try one out at the library before you decide to buy, if money is tight. If money is free flowing in your world, but lots. You can send me the ones you don't want.

[Phil Ward]

I agree with most of these posts.

I recommend WOW Wine Course. Kevin added a section this year to the new revison. It guides the consumer through the retail wine buying experience. Kevin sent me the rough draft and it reads well.

I have always recommended this book as a great way to start down the road to wine knowledge.

[KatieLoeb]

Reading this thread caused me to go off on a book buying binge on Amazon.com.

I purchased a copy of Making Sense of Wine for 64 cents! I also purchased both Andrea Immer books, Great Wine.. and Great Tastes Made Simple. I spent about $35.00 for all three and shipping costs. I need to start building up my personal wine library, if for no other reason than for creating staff training materials.

Half.com also had some of the books mentioned at good prices if anyone is interested.

[Andre]

The first book I always recommend is Kevin Zraly's Windows on the World Wine Course. My two favorite books are Hugh Johnson's The World Atlas of Wine , recently updated with Jancis Robinson, and Michael Broadbent's Great Vintage Wine Book. Zraly's book starts from scratch and was originally intended for the waitstaff at Windows on the World in the World Trade Center. Johnson's book has an easy to understand introduction to every aspect of making wine, including the history of winemaking, plus detailed topographical maps of every great vineyard site in the world. Broadbent's book is fascinating in that there are tasting notes of great wines that go back to the mid-nineteenth century.

I appriciate Hugh Johnson very much but I am not sure I find the style in the new vrsion of the Atlas with Robinson as clear as before. It is like a body with two heads. Subjects are not full clarified and the introduction to many sections is not providing the simple straight forward Johnson style.

Make no mistake, I worship Robinson as well.

Edited September 21, 2003 by Andre (log)

[Hopleaf]

*Karen MacNeil's "Wine Bible" is amazing.

I second that. I'm just getting into wine myself and just got my hands on MacNeil's bible. It is truely amazing. She knows a lot about wine and organizes it very well.

[badthings]

Well, this may make me weird, but I wish I'd read Kermit Lynch's Adventures on the Wine Route a long time before I did. Probably not the first wine book one should read, but maybe the second.

[minichef]

have to add in Oz Clarke's Wine Atlas, not so much for the exuberant writing although that does help a little, but for the beautifully done maps, and examination of the soil types. Also good for me, a beginner, as quick reference region by region with grapes, soils, and climate in little boxes on the side of the page.

Ordered JR's Oxford Companion through Amazon but it hasnt arrived yet. And that was MONTHS ago. I was really looking forward to it!

Our class is pretty good though. I retain a lot more info through listening than reading.... but when the class is over I'm going to invest in a little library.