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Santa's wish list: Wine books
As it happens, though, 2005 hasn't been a very good vintage for wine books. Most of the handful of review copies I've received have failed to break new ground, merely offering yet another take on buying guides or mini-encyclopedias or introductory wine books that promise to take the mythology out of wine and make it accessible to the everyday human, but in fact repeat the same old rituals. Yawn. At this point, my best reading recommendation for the wine lover who has just about everything is a hefty boxed set that presents new printings of two familiar classics in a classy package that would look great on a coffee table or bookshelf, even if its 8 1/2-pound heft is way too much to hang up in a Christmas stocking. The hardcover set, sold together as The World of Wine, includes matching coffee-table-size printings of Hugh Johnson's and Jancis Robinson's World Atlas of Wine (the 2001 Fifth Edition) and a 2004 update of Johnson's outstanding wine-history book, The Story of Wine, which was published originally in 1989 as a companion to Johnson's excellent 12-part public-television series.
"Literate" defines Johnson's The Story of Wine as well. It does for wine history what the Atlas does for geography, bringing the reader all the way forward from the Bronze Age to modern times, featuring more than 40 chapters that stretch from ancient Black Sea coast through Egypt, Greece and Rome, through medieval times, the Renaissance and ages of exploration and on to modern times. I compared the 1989 and 2004 versions suspiciously, catching a couple of oopsies (an allusion to "40 years ago," for instance, that went unchanged in the update), but I couldn't find much evidence of serious abridgement in the newer book, which has fewer, but larger, pages; and the final chapters appear to have been completely rewritten to incorporate Johnson's thoughts about recent wine developments in the Old World and New.
If you - or the wine "geek" on your list - doesn't have these books already, this would be an ideal gift; and Amazon.com is currently offering a substantial discount on the boxed pair, which lists for $85 but is now available for $53.55, a $31.45 (37 percent) saving. To order it online, click
On the lower end of the wine-book price range, another Hugh Johnson favorite that will fit into a Christmas stocking is his handy Pocket Wine Book. Updated annually, this handy guide packs an incredible amount of information into a pocket-size volume. Thousands of wines are rated, described, and listed with coding indicating which vintages are preferred and which are ready to drink. I buy the new edition every year, and highly recommend it. The 2006 edition is now available ... and you can buy it through our Amazon.com link for just $10.17, a 32 percent discount:
Finally, if you're seriously into Australian wines, you'll want to check out Australian Wine Vintages, the so-called "Gold Book," by Robin Bradley. It appears to list virtually every Australian wine in production, with label photos, quality ratings on a five-star scale, vintage evaluations, when-to-drink it advice and current value for every wine. It's a useful, comprehensive directory; as a buying guide, however, it's somewhat limited in that it contains no tasting notes on specific wines; star ratings are for the entire winery, not individual wines; and on a quick scan, it appears that every winery receives at least three stars, making the five-star system a rough guide at best. Amazon.com offers the book for $26.95, no discount. To purchase through our link,
TALK ABOUT WINE ONLINE If you prefer to comment privately, feel free to send me E-mail at wine@wineloverspage.com. I'll respond personally to the extent that time and volume permit.
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Ravenswood 2002 Sonoma County "Icon" Syrah ($16.99)
An attractive Rhone-style offering from a winery much better known for its Zinfandels, this sturdy red is labeled Syrah with 87 percent of the predominant grape, but adds a little complexity thanks to 9 percent Grenache and 4 percent Mourvèdre. Dark garnet in color, black at the core, it breathes open aromas of plums and berries and a whiff of menthol. Ripe and juicy on the palate, black fruit and fragrant pepper, it gains structure from firm acidity and palatable but rather "green" tannins. (Nov. 20, 2005) FOOD MATCH: Rare roast beef might be the perfect match, but a long-simmered, simple beef pot roast made a mighty comfortable alternative. VALUE: Entirely reasonable at this mid-teens price. WHEN TO DRINK: Drinking well now, particularly with an appropriate food match, but fruit, balance and tannins suggest a package that will fare well in the cellar for five years or even 10.
WEB LINK:
FIND THIS WINE ONLINE:  Boutique Wine Bargains at PersonalCellar.com New artisan winemakers are waiting to be discovered and PersonalCellar.com is the source for highly-rated, limited-production wines at up to 50% off. Daily online auctions and winery direct deals make it easy to find a rare bottle or interesting mixed case from Australia, Chile, California, Italy or France with delivery in a week to most states. PersonalCellar.com takes the guesswork out of wine with our "Tasted, Recommended, Guaranteed" policy. After sampling hundreds of wines each month, only the best are selected for sale or auction, so buy with confidence. If you don't like it, we take it back. It's that simple. Begin your wine adventure this Holiday Season. Shop for gifts, join a club or play the auctions. Browse, bid, win! FREE SHIPPING! Still not convinced? We offer free shipping to 30 Second Wine Advisor friends on case purchases (auctions excluded) until Dec. 10, 2005. Use code "30SWA" at check-out to waive shipping. http://www.personalcellar.com/front/default.php?vendor=51  A Bonus Gift From The California Wine Club! This week The California Wine Club is giving thanks in a very special way. To commemorate 15 successful years in business The California Wine Club is offering a copy of their hilarious 2006 Wine Calendar - free with every gift order. Illustrated by Bob Johnson (renowned wine cartoonist), the calendar pokes fun at the wine world, while offering an array of wine tips, quotes and facts. It's a $20 value, absolutely free with every holiday gift order placed with The California Wine Club.
To place your holiday gift orders call 800-777-4443 or visit As always, The California Wine Club hand-selects every wine featured and every wine comes with a 100% satisfaction guarantee. Gift packages start at $32.95/month plus shipping and include two bottles of award-winning wine plus their beautiful 12 page magazine, Uncorked. Be sure and ask about discounts on gifts of 3, 6, 9 and 12 months.
Call 1-800-777-4443 or visit This week on WineLoversPage.com Some highlights of recent articles on WineLoversPage.com that I hope you'll enjoy:
• Bucko's Wine Reports: Late Autumn 2005 Releases
• QPRwines: 2000-2003 Bordeaux
• Wine Lovers' Voting Booth: Are you buying more wine online?
To cast your ballot, click to the Voting Booth,
• Hot topics in our WineLovers' Community Turkey Day wine!
Does an eye-catching label ever sell the wine? Last Week's Wine Advisor Index The Wine Advisor's daily edition is usually distributed on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays (and, for those who subscribe, the FoodLetter on Thursdays). Here's the index to last week's columns:
• Vintage 2005 (Nov. 18, 2005)
• A taste of Bourbon (Nov. 16, 2005)
• Are you buying more wine online? (Nov. 14, 2005)
• Complete 30 Second Wine Advisor archive:
• Wine Advisor FoodLetter: Reading about food (Nov. 17, 2005)
• Wine Advisor Foodletter archive:
SUBSCRIBE: Administrivia To subscribe or unsubscribe from The 30 Second Wine Advisor, change your E-mail address, or for any other administrative matters, please use the individualized hotlink found at the end of your E-mail edition. If this is not practical, contact me by E-mail at wine@wineloverspage.com, including the exact E-mail address that you used when you subscribed, so I can find your record. We do not use our E-mail list for any other purpose and will never give or sell your name or E-mail address to anyone. I welcome feedback, suggestions, and ideas for future columns. To contact me, please send E-mail to wine@wineloverspage.com All the wine-tasting reports posted here are consumer-oriented. In order to maintain objectivity and avoid conflicts of interest, I purchase all the wines I rate at my own expense in retail stores and accept no samples, gifts or other gratuities from the wine industry.
Monday, Nov. 21, 2005
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