The world of wine offers endless opportunity and inspiration to learn, as it’s as old as time — and still ever evolving. Inspired by one of our favorite recent thriller reads, The Weekend Retreat by Tara Laskowski, we dug into a few recent books that contain courses in white, red, scandal, and more. Happy reading — and happy sipping!
The New French Wine: Redefining the World's Greatest Wine Culture
by Jon Bonné
The first definitive guide to contemporary French wines and producers in a deluxe two-book package, from a two-time James Beard Award winner
A WASHINGTON POST BEST WINE BOOK OF THE YEAR
This comprehensive and authoritative resource takes readers on a tour through every wine region of France, featuring some 800 producers and more than 7,000 wines, plus evocative photography and maps, as well as the incisive narrative and compelling storytelling that has earned Jon Bonné accolades and legions of fans in the wine world. Packaged in a deluxe slip case and built upon eight years of research, The New French Wine is a one-of-a-kind book set exploring the world's most popular wine region. First, examine the land through a thoroughly reported narrative overview of each region – the soil and geography, the distinctive traditions and contemporary changes. Then turn to the second book, which is a comprehensive reference guide to the producers and their wines, similarly detailed by region. From Burgundy to Bordeaux and everywhere in between, this is sure to be the resource on modern French wine for decades to come.
Champagne Magnum Opus
by Richard Juhlin
This is a grand and luxurious compendium on the most elegant beverage by world-renowned champagne expert Richard Juhlin.
Richard Juhlin, the world's foremost champagne expert, takes readers on a journey through the history of the beverage, the leading winemakers of Champagne, and the art of tasting. Superbly photographed by Pål Allan, this book depicts breathtaking landscapes in Champagne, historic photographs from the most prestigious and long-standing caveau, as well as other images capturing the champagne lifestyle. In his tenth publication, Juhlin summarizes, for the first time, everything he has learned about champagne in a beautifully packaged hardcover with an elegant gold slipcase.
This is the ultimate book about champagne, for generations to come. It is an indispensable buying and tasting tool and an entertaining account of the history of champagne.
The Sipster's Pocket Guide to 50 Must-Try Ontario Wines: Volume 1
by Luke Whittall
A handy, decidedly un-stuffy guide to 50 of the best Ontario wines under $50 a bottle.
In this handy portable guide to the top 50 Ontario wines under $50 a bottle, wine expert and educator Luke Whittall abandons the usual language of tasting notes in favor of a more personalized, approachable style, focusing on experiences, good company, and where a wine might take your thoughts.
As a wine industry professional, Whittall has often found himself inspired more by the way non-professionals talk about wine than the "hints of fresh cherries, dried herbs, and soupçons of eucalyptus" style typical of traditional wine writing. Sipster's Pocket Guide describes the experiences bound up in the tasting of 50 of the most amazing wines this province has produced, including reds, whites, rosés, sparkling, and dessert wines. With offbeat pairings that leapfrog from Frank Sinatra to truffle brie, digital detox to charcuterie, and an index of attitudes that lets you choose a wine based on your mood (be it cottage country or campus house party, accessible or argumentative) it's anything but stuffy. Before you head to the liquor store to deliberate over your next sip, take a glance through Sipster's.
The Wine List: Stories and Tasting Notes Behind the World's Most Remarkable Bottles
by Grant Reynolds
A one-of-a-kind exploration of the relationship between culture, politics, history, and wine.
Vintage refers to the year grapes are harvested, and that vintage holds meaning. You can look up the weather in any almanac, but some stories are known only to insiders – until now. In this wine book Grant Reynolds, award-winning sommelier, deciphers these signatures to reveal the impact of marketing and mentorship, technology and trends, and influencers old and new. Beginning in the late eighteenth century with a tale about Thomas Jefferson's secret White House stash and spanning over a quarter of a millennium to social media's effect on chenin blanc's popularity, The Wine List explores both the chemistry and sociology that have made vintages taste a certain way, fetch a certain price, or go extinct altogether. Featuring sidebars on topics like the taste of climate change, mini timelines capturing significant historical moments, and collage-style illustration, these entries solidify the idea that every bottle is a product of a particular moment in time.
A must-read for fans of wine books like Wine Folly or The World Atlas of Wine, The Wine List is a fresh new wine bible perfect for anyone looking for bar cart books or gifts for wine lovers.
The World in a Wineglass: The Insider's Guide to Artisanal, Sustainable, Extraordinary Wines to Drink Now
by Ray Isle
Food & Wine editor Ray Isle does for wine what Michael Pollan's The Omnivore's Dilemma did for food – showing readers how to choose more delicious, interesting, and environmentally friendly wines without breaking the bank.
So much of today's wine is mass-produced, industrially farmed, corporate-owned, and essentially, ordinary. In The World in a Wineglass, veteran wine writer Ray Isle explains that the way a wine is made, and who made it, can make a huge difference when you drink it – and why that information matters much more than knowing it scored 90 points. Or that it tastes like blueberries. Or "hints of violets and black pepper."
Drawing on his deep knowledge and genuine appreciation of winemaking, Isle takes us on a tour of several hundred independently owned wineries around the world – everywhere from France's Burgundy to Oregon's Willamette Valley to the Itata Valley in the southern reaches of Chile – bringing the local vintners to life and describing the different wines they produce in vivid detail. Isle's enthusiasm for the grape growers and winemakers who are working sustainably or organically shines through as he shares his love for the way a glass of wine can express the place it comes from and capture the essence of the person who made it. Focusing on wines people can afford, rather than $500 rarities, Isle shows us where and how to find the most interesting bottles out there today.
Whether you prefer a hearty cabernet, a crisp chardonnay, or something more off the beaten path, Ray Isle's affable, accessible guide to finding unusual or undiscovered varieties offers a window into a whole new fascinating world for wine lovers everywhere.
On Burgundy: From Maddening to Marvellous in 59 Tales
by Susan Keevil, Jasper Morris Mw, Aubert De Villaine
Burgundy is France's most prized and prestigious wine region today as well as being one of its oldest and most traded, if not always by the English. Its wines, to quote Jay McInerney who contributes, are "for lovers, lunatics and poets" and are the textbook definition of what terroir is all about. Villages mere meters apart produce wines of startlingly different personalities, and it is one of the rare regions in Europe whose red and white wines are equally celebrated. For all of its precious history it is also a region at the forefront of vinous innovation, with many winemakers certified as biodynamic. It is home to some of the world's most famous wine estates, and its top wines are all made from just one red and one white grape, yet the range of wine styles across the region, from Chablis in the north to Beaujolais in the south is significant. On Burgundy explores all of these themes and ideas with contributions from many of the world's top wine writers, looking at the kings, popes, mavericks, and pioneers who have made wine in this region for generations.
White Wine: The Comprehensive Guide to the 50 Essential Varieties & Styles
by Mike Desimone - Jeff Jenssen - Rob Mondavi Jr
Discover the delicious world of white wine with profiles of all the must-know varieties from Albarino to Viognier and styles from Bordeaux to Vinho Verde and dive deep into popular favorites, such as Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, Prosecco, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, and Sherry. Peppered with engaging facts and figures, each chapter surveys one grape or blend, featuring all-inclusive at-a-glance information that tells you what to expect in the glass, suggested food pairings, and hundreds of recommended wines, from cheerful bargains to worthy splurges. Detailed essays offer capsule histories of each variety or style, including its origins, favored growing conditions, notable countries and regions that produce it, and typical characteristics. Winemakers and other industry experts share their wisdom alongside gorgeous photography that brings the vineyards, grapes, and bottles vividly to life. Complete with a handy checklist to track the delectable wines that you taste, White Wine is the perfect resource to help you enjoy the best white wines in the world.
Vintage Crime: A Short History of Wine Fraud
by Rebecca Gibb
How fakes, fraudsters, and grape crusaders have shaped the world of wine.
This novel take on the history of wine reveals that, whether by adding toxic sweeteners or passing off counterfeit bottles, wine fraud is abundant – and as old as wine itself. Vintage Crime will intrigue even the most sated of wine drinkers with its juicy tales of deception, raising interesting questions along the way: what counts as wine, why do we drink it, and what makes a wine truly authentic?
The world of wine prides itself on its aura of respectability, but it has always had a murky side. Packed with engaging vignettes, Vintage Crime brings to life famous enthusiasts and crafty con artists from ancient Rome to modern-day California. It also introduces us to lesser-known industry figures: the scrupulous merchants, honest growers, and cutting-edge scientists who have led the fight against fraudsters. Author Rebecca Gibb holds the rare, sought-after distinction of Master of Wine, yet she writes in an engaging style that doesn't require any prior wine knowledge, skillfully synthesizing popular wine histories for amateur sleuths and armchair sommeliers alike.