WineLovers Discussion Group

Greetings all! I was wondering if anyone has suggestions on good wine books. I have read a lot of the more general overviews on wine, and I would love to know of some more "advanced" books.

As a side note, I really enjoy reading the tasting notes and other discussions on this board. I am still a law student, so I cannot afford many of the wines, but one day....

Lizbeth wrote:Greetings all! I was wondering if anyone has suggestions on good wine books. I have read a lot of the more general overviews on wine, and I would love to know of some more "advanced" books.

As a side note, I really enjoy reading the tasting notes and other discussions on this board. I am still a law student, so I cannot afford many of the wines, but one day....

Lizbeth, great to see another student on board! First of all, I would get any book (yes, unconditional praise for the author) by Jancis Robinson. She rocks! Also Hugh Johnson's Atlas of Wine is a must and his Pocket Wine Guide (comes out every year) is great. These should get you to a start. These, though overviews, are such great references that I like to always have them at hand. Or did you have a certain area which you would like to get reccos on?

Oh, and if like me you are on a tight budget, get thee to a tasting group (small portions, but for cheap you can taste wines you'd never otherwise be able to taste) and start drinking lots of Loire wines (under appreciated but cracking stuff, ergo cheap!).

Cheers,
Fellow student of something not so financially viable as law, LOL!!

Otto

If you go to
http://www.wineloverspage.com/
you'll find links to many wine related topics, including "Wine Books". If you browse through the links you'll find one of my favorites, which you can download for free! Its under winemaking and titled "Home Winemakers Manual". Even if you don't plan on making wine, knowing how its made, all the variables, techniques, grapes, etc. is an education in itself. In addition, as a student with limited resources, making your own wine is a great hobby and you can make some very nice wines for less than $2.00 per bottle.

I second the recommendation of Hugh Johnson's World Atlas of Wine.

For a more in-depth look at a couple of wine regions, I recommend two books by Remington Norman:

Rhone Renaissance - This book looks at the grape varieties, appellations, wine estates, and winemakers not just of the Rhone Valley in France, but those worldwide who use the grape varieties of that area.

The Great Domaines of Burgundy - An in-depth look at some of the top winemaking estates, and top winemakers, of this famous region.

-Paul W.

For quick reference on lots of things, I turn often to Oz Clarke's Pocket Wine Guide. And it's cheap!!!