As a companion to Food Lovers Companion, it is a great reference especially to the "new" with wine.

Although written in a dictionary format, I have been known to sit down and just read through the book. A wealth of information, and an easy, quick look-up when necessary.

Keep it handy, and this book will look 10-years old in mere months from using it so much.

I should have written this long ago, better late than never I suppose.
I started with the 1st edition, purchased in 1996 at the CIA in Napa.
It quickly became my "go to" book for a concise yet informative explanation of so many alphabetically listed terms, appellations, etc. as I pursued first the title of Certified Wine Educator and then Master Sommelier, both goals achieved, in 1999 and 2003 respectively. And I still use it today (2nd edition 2003) as I mentor many others in their pursuit of wine knowledge. In fact, I used it yesterday when two students asked me for a synonym for the Portuguese grape Loureiro. They couldn't find one elsewhere, so I opened my trusty Wine Lover's Companion (WLC) and voila! Not one but three synonyms for Loureiro. I also love WLC for the pronunciation guide on so many foreign terms (like loh-RAY-roo.) There are many wine books out there (and I think I own most of them!)but none that pack so much into so portable a package. If you haven't bought a copy yet, I urge you to do so. I look forward to a 3rd edition in the near future. Ron? Sharon?

Eric Hemer, Florida