Top 20 Essential Wine Books

Top 20 Essential Wine Books

I enjoyed Michael's post last week about the 20 essential food books of all time, suggested by the James Beard Foundation. Although there was one deserving wine book on that list, The Oxford Companion to Wine by Jancis Robinson, I believe that the topic of wine deserves its own list.

I've started this list with thirteen suggestions, but I'd like your thoughts on making it a complete list of 20:

Adventures on the Wine Route
by Kermit Lynch

Wine writer and merchant Kermit Lynch takes on a delightful romp throughout France in search of wine with soul. One of the best books about wine ever written.

Keys to the Cellar: Strategies and Secrets of Wine Collecting
by Peter D. Meltzer

Peter Meltzer covers all the basics in creating and stocking a cellar, whether you have a modest budget or are ready to build the den of Dionysus. I like his tips for avoiding costly mistakes and his solutions to common challenges.


Perfect Pairings
Evan Goldstein

One of the most comprehensive, accessible and authoritative guides on wine and food matching I've read. Evan Goldstein a Master Sommelier and wine educator, knows his subject, yet makes it imminently interesting and enjoyable. There are also lots of delicious recipes. His book made me both thirsty and hungry!

Vineyard Tales
by Gerald Asher

A series of personal essays about the joy of wine from Gourmet magazine's columnist.

The Accidental Connoisseur: An Irreverent Journey Through the Wine World
by Lawrence Osborne

The Accidental Connoisseur by Lawrence Osborne is a wonderful romp through the world of wine. Osborne asks each person he meets what taste is as it relates to wine. The answers prove insightful and at times, hilarious.

The Heartbreak Grape: A Journey in Search of the Perfect Pinot Noir
By Marq De Villiers

Before Sideways, pinot noir found a following with readers of the Heartbreak Grape by Marc de Villiers. This is the author's only book on wine, and I wish he'd write more on the topic. But as he told me recently, he's sticking to drinking it for now. Fortunately, we have his take on one of the world's most seductive and silky red wines as told through the story of one of California's best winemakers Josh Jensen of Calera Vineyards.

The Oxford Companion to Wine
By Jancis Robinson

I can't think of a more complete and well-written wine reference book than Jancis Robinson's Oxford Companion to Wine. It's a must for every wine library and includes information about all of the world's wine regions, grapes, styles and terms.

Hugh Johnson's Pocket Wine Book 2008
By Hugh Johnson

Hugh Johnson's Pocket Wine Book 2008 is an invaluable book to have when you want to know when your wine is prime for drinking. This book notes the peak drinking years for most of the world's cellar-worthy wines and it's a handy guide to keep in your pocket, whether you're in the liquor store or your cellar.

Making Sense of Wine
by Matt Kramer

Wine Spectator magazine columnist Kramer explores the making and drinking on this wonderfully written and witty book.

Essential Winetasting: The Complete Practical Winetasting Course
by Michael Schuster

Schuster has produced an intelligent and articulate primer, the result of his more than twenty years of teaching wine appreciation. In addition to the basics of wine tasting, the book looks at wine labels, winemaking, the varieties of wine, decanting and other essentials.

Africa Uncorked
by John and Erica Platter

Africa Uncorked Africa won the coveted Glenfiddich Award. The husband and wife team chronicled their trek across visiting vineyards and meeting winemakers who deal with severe droughts, elephants and antelopes and tribesmen packing AK-47s. A beautifully written travelogue that will make you want to pack your bags and go.

Wine with Food
by Joanna Simon

The wine columnist for the London Times suggests wines to serve with spicy, hot and sweet dishes, as well as the less-challenging, everyday fare. The summary charts at the back of the book are worth the price alone.


Wine and War: the French, the Nazis, and the Battle for France's Greatest Treasure
By Don and Petie Kladstrup

The story of how French winemakers were able to preserve their wines from the occupying Germans during World War II is expertly told in Wine and War: The French, the Nazis and the Battle for France's Greatest Treasure by Don and Petie Kladstrup. The French used such clever tactics as creating false cellar walls behind which they hid their best vintages, smuggling Allied soldiers out in their barrels and passing off poor vintages to the German troops. It's a thrilling read for the history buff.

What's on your bedside table beside your glass of wine?