The Oxford Companion to Wine [Hardcover]

With more than 3,000 entries on every aspect of wine from vine pests to specific grapes, this hefty tome has something for both the seasoned connoisseur and novice alike. Edited by one of today's premier wine columnists, the work covers all aspects of wine, travelling back in time to early Greece to examine wine's role in Dionysian revels, then returning to today's wine centers to explore all aspects of wine appreciation. A full third of the book is dedicated to specific wines and wine-producing regions. All those technical terms you've heard and puzzled over at tastings are clearly explained, making this the perfect reference for newcomers to the world of oenology.

For the true connoisseur, The Oxford Companion offers detailed information on the history of the vintner's art, as well as a plethora of details on everything from climate effects on vine disease to the function of the second malolactic fermentation. If you buy only one wine book, this should be it. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

This essential addition to reference collections breaks new ground. Unlike the excellent works by Alexis Lichine (e.g., Alexis Lichine's Guide to the Wines and Vineyards of France, Knopf, 1989. 4th ed.) or Hugh Johnson (e.g., Vintage, S. & S., 1992), which are standard sources on the growing, buying, drinking, tasting, and enjoying of wine, this work broadens the discussion to "less obvious topics, such as animals (their function as vine pests), auctions, the specific influence of the British, and Australians, on the world of wine, fashion, fraud, global overproduction, wine in literature and art, and the role of water throughout wine production." About 3000 alphabetically arranged entries range from the most familiar topics, such as "California," to the quite obscure (e.g., "Xynisteri," a white grape grown on Cyprus). Yet those less interested in the esoterica of wine will surely find the information they seek, as about 70 percent of the book is concerned with specific wines and areas of wine production. There is also practical guidance on such matters as serving wine and matching the right wine with the right food. Editor Robinson, who writes regularly for the Wine Spectator, is widely respected for her taste and abilities. Here she assembles an international cast of over 70 experts. Since only a small number are from the United States and since many may be unfamiliar to the average American reader, this work is also valuable as a kind of directory of authorities on wine-related subjects. While erudite, this book is not dry; historical anecdotes abound. The text is complemented by over 250 fascinating illustrations, which include an aroma wheel, maps, a red wine-making chart, labels, a varietal geneaology, a wine-tasting sheet used by judges, and more. This book, which offers something for everyone, is highly recommended.
Wendy Miller, Lexington P.L., Ky.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

The first edition garnered a number of awards and uniformly positive reviews [RBB D 1 94]. The second edition maintains that high quality, with 500 new entries as well as a considerable number of revised entries covering all aspects of the history, science, geography, and culture of wine. This is an excellent accompaniment to The Oxford Companion to Food, which we reviewed in our January 1 & 15, 2000, issue.

From reviews of the first edition: `Beautifully illustrated, with alphabetical contributions from over 80 worldwide experts, here is everything you ever wanted to know about the subject, and more.' Christie Hickman. Midweek. Dec '94

`Edited by a lively and distinguished wine writer, this is a welcome addition to the Oxford Companion series.' Good Book Guide, January 1995

`far and away the best book on drink published last year.' Times

`the most impressive wine book ever published ... all wine enthusiasts would love to have a copy.' The Sunday Tribune (Dublin)

`a rich, enthusiastic celebration ... of the ancient people-centred arts of viticulture.' Valentine Cunningham, The Observer

`an exhaustive and richly informed reference' Newsday

`The Oxford Companion to Wine, edited by Jancis Robinson, is not just an extraordinarily well informed compendium of oenological data, it is a status symbol among wine cognoscenti, one of a handful of "must have" books for those who take their interest in wine that step further ... an oracular source par excellence ... Information is presented in a typically academic, yet still warm and 'human' style.' Harold Heckle, The Tablet

'Most ambitious, most respected writing project ever - The Oxford Companion to Wine... This is a massive overhaul. There are about 500 new entries, while more than half of the previous 3000 have been rewritten to varying degrees by Robinson and her tean of contributors ... with the same diligent approach she adopted to the first edition, she either wrote or oversaw every word.' - Mary Dowey, The Irish Times (Dublin), 23.10.99

'Always authoritative, she has revised about half of the 5000 entries to keep pace with the rapidly evolving wine world.' - Diana Gregory, The Independent, 9.10.99

''The words "magisterial", "magnificent", and "indispensable", used more than once in a lifetime, begin to lose their potency, but both books deserve all these epithets and more.' The Guardian, 3.12.99 (The other book was OC Food)

This new edition of Jancis Robinson's award-winning magnum opus is a major revision of her earlier work with over 500 new entries and the remainder completely revised to present the latest developments in the fast-moving and increasingly popular wine scene. Beautifully designed and completely reset in a larger, more manageable format with new illustrations and supplemented by useful appendices, the new edition of The Oxford Companion to Wine is a lively and authoritative guide to every aspect of wine for a new generation of wine-lovers as well as those who have used and applauded the first edition.

32 pp colour plates, numerous black and white illustrations, 31 maps

Jancis Robinson is a wine writer and broadcaster with an international reputation.