On the Vine by Sue Guerra-a New Jersey wine expert shares her knowledge-www.njmonthly.com

My library of wine books is always growing. With holiday gift giving upon us, here are three great reference books that transition seamlessly from bookshelf to coffee table.

The Sotheby’s Wine Encyclopedia by Tom Stevenson

The intro chapters of this book are loaded with some of the best information on viticulture and wine making that you will ever find, all of which are embellished with wonderful illustrations, photographs, and diagrams. For those of you who are wondering: The Geneva Double Curtain is, in fact, a vine training system and not something that you saw in an episode of Get Smart.

The World Atlas of Wine by Hugh Johnson and Jancis Robinson

I’ve taken my share of ribbing from coworkers for my propensity toward visual learning but if you do nothing else but stare at the maps in this wonderfully written tome, you’ve gotten your money’s worth.

The Oxford Companion to Wine by Jancis Robinson

Organized with alphabetical entries from “Abboccato” to “Xynisteri,” this encyclopedic reference book tones the biceps while it sharpens your wine knowledge. Who out there knew that Pokdum is a dark-skinned vine variety named after the Thai grape grower Nong Pok?

Tags: wine books | viticulture | sotheby's wine encyclopedia | wine gifts

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Comments

Wine Books

Sue,

I just wanted to know if you have seen and/or read Charlie Trotter’s new Lessons in Wine Service. I have the other 2 books (Lessons in Excellence and Lessons in Service) and wanted to know if this will be just as informative and insightful. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated!

Enjoying the column! Happy holidays!

Rusty Obra

Posted by: Rusty, None | Dec 19, 2008 10:07:23 AM |

Wine Books

Hi Rusty,

I am not familiar with the Trotter books. Excellence in Wine Service sounds like one that I should check out. The books that I have listed are more for reference rather than service although each of them does deal with that topic. The Oxford Companion is sort of like the wine version of Larousse Gastronomique where you can look up obscure facts and terms. The other two books have a general reference section at the beginning of the book with individual chapters that then get into each of the world’s wine regions and the key factors that influence the wines produced. The Sotheby’s book also has reference sections and a glossary at the back.

I’m happy to hear that you are enjoying the blog. Happy Holidays to you too!

Sue

Posted by: Sue Guerra, None | Dec 22, 2008 07:27:51 AM |

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