There’s nothing better than a good book whether you are cozying up at home or lying by a pool somewhere. If you have an interest in wine and want to learn more, here are some of my favorite wine books through the years! These can all be purchased through Amazon.
For Education:
The Wine Bible
by Karen MacNeil
I really love the way this book it is written, it’s very dense with a lot of intricate wine knowledge, but it’s woven with personal stories, history, travel tips, serving tips, wine & food pairing and recommendations on some of the top producers in the region to know. This makes it a much nicer read than some study books that are basically lists of facts the whole book and can be very dry and hard to get through. I think this is a great book for a beginner or advanced wine lover to read to become familiar with the world of wine, and a book I continue to reference today when I want to deep dive again into a region.
Windows on the World - Complete Wine Course
by Kevin Orally
This book was written by the Cellar Master of the famed restaurant “Windows on the World” that was atop the One World Trade Center in New York City. This is a great beginner wine course to dive into everything from tasting, to vintages, buying tips, food pairings, regions, and more. It’s laid out in an easy to read style, you don’t need to read front to back, you can flip around the book and focus on different regions or topics depending on what you are interested in that day.
Wine Folly
by Madeline Puckette
I think this book is a must to have on hand when you are studying the world of wine. My favorite references in this book that I go back to time and time again is the “Color of Wine” Chart that helps you differentiate different colors in your wine when you are learning to taste, and the incredible maps of each wine region in the back of the book. There’s a lot of wine maps out there, but I think the ones Madeline makes are the most clear, easy to read, and always include all the most important wine growing sites. The more you start learning about wine, the more you will start to love maps and this book has the best ones! She also breaks down each grape by color, flavor profile, and structure. A great reference book as you are learning how to taste, and differentiating different grapes and regions.
Fun wine reads:
Wine Girl: The Trials and Triumphs of America’s Youngest Sommelier
by Victoria James
As a woman in the wine industry, I loved this book about the path Victoria James, just 21 years old and a Sommelier in NYC, had to take to make waves in an industry that was predominantly male. It’s a testament to how far we’ve come I think, but also that there is always farther still to go, and very interesting to learn how some of the first women in this industry had to fight their way to the top.
Wine & War: The French, the Nazis, and the battle for France's Greatest Treasure
by Donald & Petie Kladstrup
This book is a fascinating read about the role French winegrowers played in WWII and the Nazi occupation in France. It details the lengths wine growers had to make not only to survive, but to save their precious wine from the relentless pillaging and “the Spirit of France” in the process. If you love history as well as wine you will love this side of history that isn’t often told and the intriguing thoughts it brings up about the real importance of wine as part of a community culture, especially in a place like France.
Cork Dork: A Wine-Fueled Adventure Among the Obsessive Sommeliers, Big Bottle Hunters, and Rogue Scientists Who Taught Me to Live for Taste
by Bianca Bosker
This is a great read for anyone interested in a behind the scenes look into becoming a Sommelier. You follow Bianca’s journey as she discovers the world of rigorous tasting and studying as groups of wine lovers prepare for their Master Sommelier exam and the host of not-so-nice characters she meets along the way. I think it gives readers a great insight into this other world and the intensity and grueling study It takes to really try and master the tastes, smells, and truth behind wine.
These are just a few of my favorite wine books that I’ve found along the way, but I’m sure I’m missing a whole host of other great ones! Let me know in the comments some of your favorite wine books you’ve loved on your wine journey!