Customer Reviews

French Wines: The Essential Guide to the Wines and Wine Growing Regions of France

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As someone who enjoys French wines but finds the whole subject very confusing, I've been looking for a book like this for years. I initially picked it up because I liked the format (it is published by Dorling Kindersley and follows much the same colorful, accessible format as their travel books) and thought it would provide useful basic information. Having used it and traveled in Europe with it for a couple of months, I've found it invaluable in restaurants and wine shops. Joseph, the author is quite opionated, which I like, but he doesn't get into the business of ranking wines out of 100. Instead, there are descriptions of the ways different wines taste and suggestions of good producers, vintages and food matches. There are also some suggested tours (I'd have liked more of these) and background information on all the major regions. I pack it in my case whenever I travel

While attempting to purchase a number of interesting and fine wines for my brother for Christmas and finding my knowledge of the subject lacking in almost every way, I purchased this book as it seemed to possess everything I was looking for in a fine presentation with plenty of much needed photographs. For me, visting a wine shop is a dangerous endeavor; I am dually susceptible to selecting and suspicious of the wine merchant's recommendations. After researching some fantastically priced wines on the FinestWine.com website, I took my list to my local store and was sorely disappointed. Since none of the wines I had researched were available, I needed to start at square one and did not have a square one to jump on. This book provided one. It tutored me regarding label so that I could get more grape and taste for my buck. By depicting in full color the actual labels produced by the various chateaus along with a succinct description of the producer's quality, yield, climate, soil, grape varieties, styles, longevities, etc, I was able to make some great selections.

The book is divided into the different varieties of wine based on region: Alsace & Lorraine, Bordeaux, Burgundy, etc and is further exemplified by the various appellations and recommendations regarding producers and good vintages. Each of the ten regions begins with pages about the region with a drivng tour and ends with a discussion of the region's food partnerships and tasting tips. I would imagine that this would serve well on one of the popular wine tours of France.

The book begins with some rudimentary information regarding the process of winemaking, label reading, red and white wine differences, starting a cellar, wine and food . . . it is extremely comprehensive and yet fits well into the 240+ page format --- every page filled with glossy photographs and interesting sidebars.

If you enjoy the popular DK city/region/country travel books, you will equally enjoy this. I recommend this highly for anyone who wants to indulge in a small book with a huge amount of information.

This is precisely the book I'd been looking for. I have grown to enjoy French wines and am lucky to live near New York stores with great selections to choose from, but the subject is horribly confusing. Joseph deals with just about every wine I've come across and provides enough information to give a clear idea of how it's likely to taste and the food to have it with. I travel overseas for my work and have found it a great companion (its format is ideal for a briefcase) in restaurants with daunting lists.

DK makes wonderful books -- always colorful, well written and made of heavy stock. This French Wine guide is no exception. Covering all of the wine growing regions of France, including the non-classified areas, this guide provides for some wonderful reading. It covers several of the better vinyards for each area, including a history of the vinyard. The photographs are of very good quality and quite beautiful. The descriptions of the vinyards are fun to read and give a good general history. This guide would make an excellent companion for a travel tour of France.

One of the great attributes of DK books is that they can be read in short bursts -- the information is concise but thorough, and allows the reader to take in a good amount of information in only a two or three paragraph span. This makes it an excellent book to keep in the car, for those times spent in waiting rooms.

Like so many other fabulous DK books, this is for reference, not for reading for hours at a time. Lovely photos, great suggested routes for driving or biking and recommendations of vinyards to visit. Take it with you when you travel, keep it with you when you decide you can't possibly leave France and settle down there for a few years...

If you are looking for a really comprehensive book on French wines, this isn't it. But, for its size and price, it should be ideal for anyone wanting to buy all sorts of wine - or to visit France (there are very useful maps).

What a great book! This publisher is well known for high quality books on heavy stock with full-color illustrations on every page, and detailed maps galore - makes you want to book a French wine vacation. If you need room in your suitcase, take something else out like medication or clothing, but leave this book in.

This is an excellent overall view of French wines, the varieties, and locations of the vineyards. It is good for the beginner and experienced wine lover.

Although it's several years old, this is one of the most useful and helpful books for your wine library. If you don't have a wine library, this is a great book to start with. Includes great information on small and lesser-known AOC's. Small enough to take along on a trip, which I have done. And it's reasonably sturdy. Not a source for information on vintages, but great background. This is a book that will help you enjoy wine, and that's the point, isn't it?

This book arrived promptly and is filled with great wine information. If you want to learn more about wine, this is a great book.