Netscape Forum Poll: Best wine-info book

[Robin Garr]

Marking this month's release of Jancis Robinson's much-revised and updated Third Edition of the Oxford Companion to Wine, this week's Netscape WineLovers Community poll asks you to tell us <i>your</i> favorite comprehensive wine-information book. We've set up a ballot listing six favorites: the Oxford Companion, Hugh Johnson's World Atlas of Wine, Hugh Johnson's Pocket Wine Book, the Wine Bible, Wine for Dummies and Kevin Zraly's Windows on the World Wine Course, plus the usual fill-in-the-blank option for those who choose "Other." Just in time for holiday shopping, let's see which book the world's wine lovers rate most highly. (Links above go to Amazon.com info and purchase pages that return a small commission to WineLoversPage.com if you buy.)

Click here to vote!

the only book i refer to regularly is tom stevenson's sotheby's encyclopedia of wine. don't even own a copy of wine for dummies or wine bible or windows.

[Robin Garr]

the only book i refer to regularly is tom stevenson's sotheby's encyclopedia of wine. don't even own a copy of wine for dummies or wine bible or windows.

Do you prefer it to Oxford, Dave? I took a fairly thorough look at a review copy a while back and thought it was decent, but it just didn't impress me as much as Oxford. If I recall correctly (although I may not), I felt that it had more of a British perspective (despite the obvious Britannic connections of Oxfort) and was strong on France and more traditional wine regions but weaker on the rest of the world. Or am I confused? That does happen ...

I certainly agree with you about Wine Bible and Dummies, by the way. I find them weak. But in fairness, they're popular, so I thought they should be included on the ballot. Windows on the World gets a lot of praise and in my opinion is one of the better introductory books for beginners.

Put my vote in for the pocket book. Maybe best might be stretching it, but it's incredibly useful, handy and cheap. Pound for pound (or dollar for dollar) I reckon there's no better book in the market.

regards

Ian

well, i use if FAR more often - so i guess the answer is yes. i like the layout for one thing. you MAY be correct about some of the lesser regions; but at least tom mentions MI and has visited here - not true for jancis.

[Robin Garr]

Man, the lack of response is remarkable! This poll is really stinkin' up the place. I didn't think it was that stupid a question.

Remember, folks, you don't have to register or log in to vote, just click and go, and vote "other" if you don't like the choices.

Robin,

I'm really a big fan of Vino Italiano by Joe Bastianich and David Lynch (not the director, but I'd like to hear his thoughts on Barolo too). It's not only full of info, but a great read.


Prost!
Bill

[James Roscoe]

I love the wine atlas so I voted for it. I have no idea what the poll question was. I don't have a copy of the pocket book. I am not THAT geeky. (I would be if I could afford to be.) I like the other books too. Some of them I have outgrow, but they all have their place.

Man, the lack of response is remarkable! This poll is really stinkin' up the place. I didn't think it was that stupid a question.

Remember, folks, you don't have to register or log in to vote, just click and go, and vote "other" if you don't like the choices.

Well, I've discharged my responsibility. FWIW, I agree that the Pocket Guide is the most useful, for a number of reasons, but that wasn't what was asked, so my vote goes to the Atlas. Now, maybe if I get a copy of the Oxford Guide, I can do a proper comparison (hint, hint)

Mark Lipton

Robin,

I'm really a big fan of Vino Italiano by Joe Bastianich and David Lynch (not the director, but I'd like to hear his thoughts on Barolo too). It's not only full of info, but a great read.


Prost!
Bill

I have and enjoy their book as well as their pocket size guide for shopping. Not the be all end all but it does help!

[Robin Garr]

I'm really a big fan of Vino Italiano by Joe Bastianich and David Lynch (not the director, but I'd like to hear his thoughts on Barolo too). It's not only full of info, but a great read.

I like that book a lot too, Bill, and would rank it in my top 10 wine books (a good subject for another thread). When I set up this poll, though, I was really thinking more in terms of broad-spectrum books that covered the entire field of wine in one way or another, rather than specific geographical regions.

When I set up this poll, though, I was really thinking more in terms of broad-spectrum books that covered the entire field of wine in one way or another, rather than specific geographical regions.

I guess my second choice of The Wines of Hungary doesn't work either Jancis is IMHO, the best "All-Purpose" wine writer on the planet. Any edition of Vines, Grapes and Wines is good enough for me. I have recently purchased a few older copies of Lichine's Encyclopedia of Wines and Spirits and like them very much for their traditional "text-bookness" and nostalgia factor, even though they were written before I was born.


Prost!
Bill

When I need a definitive answer to a question, I turn to the Oxford. So as "best wine information" book, it gets my vote. On the other hand, I never pick it up for fun, the way I do Johnson's Atlas or Robinson's "Vines, Grapes and Wines."

Now that I think about it, the book I actually spend the most time with lately is Nicolas Belfrage's two-volume guide to Italian wines. I don't own it anymore, but Paul Strang's "Wines of Southwest France" is really great, and it would give me great pleasure to learn that a second edition was in the offing...

The only "Dummies" books I buy have to do with software