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The Oxford Companion to Wine, 3rd Edition [Hardcover]

Jancis Robinson
4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (85 customer reviews)

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Book Description

October 1, 2006
Published in 1994 to worldwide acclaim, the first edition of Jancis Robinson's seminal volume, The Oxford Companion to Wine, immediately attained legendary status. The book has won every major wine book award including the Glenfiddich and Julia Child/IACP awards, and Robinson hasa received writer and woman of the year accolades for its editor on both sides of the Atlantic.

Combining meticulously-researched fact with refreshing opinion and wit, The Oxford Companion to Wine offers almost 4,000 entries on every wine-related topic imaginable, from regions and grape varieties to the owners, connoisseurs, growers, and tasters in wine through the ages; from viticulture and oenology to the history of wine. Tracing the consumption and production from the ancient world to the present day, the Companion is a remarkable resource for gaining further appreciation for a beverage whose popularity has only increased with time.

Now exhaustively updated, this third edition incorporates the very latest international research to present over 400 new entries on topics ranging from globalization and the politics of wine to brands, precision viticulture, and co-fermentation. Hundreds of other entries have also undergone major revisions, including yeast, barrel alternatives, climate change, and virtually all wine regions. Useful lists and statistics are appended, including controlled appellations and their permitted grape varieties, as well as wine production and consumption by country.

Illustrated with maps of every important wine region in the world, useful charts and diagrams, and stunning color photography, this Companion is unlike any other wine book, offering an understanding of wine in its many wider contexts - notably historical, cultural, geographic, and scientific - and serving as a truly companionable point of reference into which any wine-lover can dip, browse, and linger.

Frequently Bought Together

The Oxford Companion to Wine, 3rd Edition + World Atlas of Wine + Sotheby's Wine Encyclopedia
Price for all three: $105.98

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Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

With more than 3,000 entries on every aspect of wine from vine pests to specific grapes, this hefty tome has something for both the seasoned connoisseur and novice alike. Edited by one of today's premier wine columnists, the work covers all aspects of wine, travelling back in time to early Greece to examine wine's role in Dionysian revels, then returning to today's wine centers to explore all aspects of wine appreciation. A full third of the book is dedicated to specific wines and wine-producing regions. All those technical terms you've heard and puzzled over at tastings are clearly explained, making this the perfect reference for newcomers to the world of oenology.

For the true connoisseur, The Oxford Companion offers detailed information on the history of the vintner's art, as well as a plethora of details on everything from climate effects on vine disease to the function of the second malolactic fermentation. If you buy only one wine book, this should be it. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

This essential addition to reference collections breaks new ground. Unlike the excellent works by Alexis Lichine (e.g., Alexis Lichine's Guide to the Wines and Vineyards of France, Knopf, 1989. 4th ed.) or Hugh Johnson (e.g., Vintage, S. & S., 1992), which are standard sources on the growing, buying, drinking, tasting, and enjoying of wine, this work broadens the discussion to "less obvious topics, such as animals (their function as vine pests), auctions, the specific influence of the British, and Australians, on the world of wine, fashion, fraud, global overproduction, wine in literature and art, and the role of water throughout wine production." About 3000 alphabetically arranged entries range from the most familiar topics, such as "California," to the quite obscure (e.g., "Xynisteri," a white grape grown on Cyprus). Yet those less interested in the esoterica of wine will surely find the information they seek, as about 70 percent of the book is concerned with specific wines and areas of wine production. There is also practical guidance on such matters as serving wine and matching the right wine with the right food. Editor Robinson, who writes regularly for the Wine Spectator, is widely respected for her taste and abilities. Here she assembles an international cast of over 70 experts. Since only a small number are from the United States and since many may be unfamiliar to the average American reader, this work is also valuable as a kind of directory of authorities on wine-related subjects. While erudite, this book is not dry; historical anecdotes abound. The text is complemented by over 250 fascinating illustrations, which include an aroma wheel, maps, a red wine-making chart, labels, a varietal geneaology, a wine-tasting sheet used by judges, and more. This book, which offers something for everyone, is highly recommended.
Wendy Miller, Lexington P.L., Ky.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

  • Hardcover: 840 pages
  • Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA; 3rd edition (October 1, 2006)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0198609906
  • ISBN-13: 978-0198609902
  • Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 1.8 x 11.3 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 6.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (85 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #20,085 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

One of a handful of wine communicators with an international reputation, Jancis Robinson writes daily for JancisRobinson.com (voted first-ever Wine Website of the Year in the Louis Roederer International Wine Writers Awards 2010), weekly for The Financial Times, and bi-monthly for a column that is syndicated around the world. She is also editor of The Oxford Companion to Wine, co-author with Hugh Johnson of The World Atlas of Wine, co-author of Wine Grapes - A complete guide to 1,368 vine varieties, including their origins and flavours, each of these books recognized as a standard reference worldwide.

An award-winning TV presenter, she is invited all over the world to conduct wine events and act as a wine judge. In 1984 she was the first person outside the wine trade to pass the rigorous Master of Wine exams and in 2003 she was awarded an OBE by Her Majesty the Queen, on whose cellar she now advises.

She loves and lives for wine in all its glorious diversity, generally favouring balance and subtlety over sheer mass.

Customer Reviews

Highly recommended as the only wine book you should ever need. Lisa Shea  |  30 reviewers made a similar statement
If you're learning about wine, this is the book to get. Frederic Woodbridge  |  11 reviewers made a similar statement
It covers many aspects of wine and to a great deal of detail in some areas, which is welcomed. Randy Given  |  9 reviewers made a similar statement
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
140 of 143 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars *The* reference for anyone who enjoys wine October 26, 2000
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
Some reference books sit on the shelf, forgotten, hoping to be used someday in the future when someone has a desperate need to know how to calculate the third log value of an arctangent.

This book is as far removed from that fate as a Petrus is from a White Zinfandel!

At least once a week I have opened up this gorgeous wine tome and looked up the answer to a question, or read more about a particular wine I was enjoying. With over 3,000 entries to choose from, you can explore the ancient roots of wine in Iraq and Egypt, or learn about new vine-growing techniques winemakers are using in Washington State. The information is clearly written, well illustrated, and not overly technical.

Jancis Robinson, the editor of the tome, is well known in the industry for her knowledge and fluency in wines of all types. Combine her amazing knowledge with fantastic photographs of each wine region, and even reviews of various personalities in wine, and you have a book that you'll keep on the coffee table and actually read often! Be warned - you can lose guests in its pages for hours.

The book is great for a beginner. Confused about Beaujolais Nouveau? Want to know how a White Zinfandel differs from a Red Zinfandel? The Oxford Companion to Wine has clear, concise descriptions of all wine types, explaining their histories, their characteristics, and where they're found now.

The Companion is also a boon for experienced drinkers. It goes into the fine details of how wines are grown, and how various winemakers use different techniques to bring out the best in their particular grapes. There are maps of wine regions, and insights into what makes certain wines unique.

Great as a gift for your favorite wine drinker, but buy one for yourself, too! The book is a wonderful reference tool to have around the house. With its lovely photos of France, Italy, and Spain, it serves as a wine-lovers guide to places to visit or dream about, and wines to drink while doing so. Highly recommended as the only wine book you should ever need.

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75 of 79 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars An Exhaustive (but not exhausting) Wine Reference December 16, 1999
Format:Hardcover
The sheer breadth of what this astounding book offers is almost too good to be true. I just started out learning about wine and I wish this had been the first book I cracked open. Jancis Robinson shows her immense talent as an editor and should be commended. If you're learning about wine, this is the book to get. If you already know about wine, get it anyway. You won't reget the purchase.
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45 of 49 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars The best wine reference book in existence July 14, 2000
Format:Hardcover
As a wine industry professional and card-carrying wine geek I can say that this is the single best wine reference book out there. If you're a beginner look elsewhere, but if you're someone who needs to know the grape parentage of Huxelrebe or the history of Chateauneuf du Pape then this is the book.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Reference Book
Wow! This is an exhaustive examination of all things wine. Simply a beautifully put together book about wine, with an incredible amount of detailed info on all aspects of wine... Read more
Published 11 days ago by Know What I Mean? Nudge Nudge
4.0 out of 5 stars Great
The book was exactly what we wanted and came exactly when we expected it. It's a perfect addition to any wine enthusiast's library.
Published 14 days ago by CK22vd
5.0 out of 5 stars Very good book...don't you know
Solid 1st line of defense in learning and appreciating wine. I would buy it again...but then I would have 2 of the same book.
Published 1 month ago by Adam C. Vignola
3.0 out of 5 stars Pretty dense
I bought this with at the same time as Sotheby's Wine Encyclopedia. While this book has an enormous wealth of information - it's layout is pretty poor and difficult to read and... Read more
Published 2 months ago by Michael Beasley
5.0 out of 5 stars The ultimate wine guide
As a wine educator, the Oxford Companion to Wine is my daily Go To! But it is written in a style understandable to even the casual wine lover. Read more
Published 2 months ago by S. Kuykendall
5.0 out of 5 stars A must have
THE definitive reference book on wine! It simply needs a newer edition/updating as this last one was done in 2006.
Published 5 months ago by Richard Lee Schlesinger
4.0 out of 5 stars Great book, but not what I expected
The book is definitely like a dictionary - all terms and wines are listed alphabetically. It is very informational, but I was hoping for more pictures and whatnot.
Published 5 months ago by JT
4.0 out of 5 stars wines of the world - gaining new knowledge
addresses all of the wines from around the world. allows you to gain a great knowledge of wine without going over board in their reporting. Read more
Published 5 months ago by bob leonard
5.0 out of 5 stars The best
Best wine book there is for the wine professional/ lover. All you need for wine knowledge. Don't substitute, get the real thing.
Published 6 months ago by ChucktownDude
4.0 out of 5 stars It is literally an encyclopedia
"Encyclopedia" is an overused word. I've seen it used as a synonym for "comprehensive", which was what I was expecting from this. Read more
Published 11 months ago by M. F. Benson
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