Call it a bias opinion but since i was taught this book by the author Mr. Kolpan. This book has done wonders for me. No this book is not for the weak reader it has alot of information and can get a bit wordy but all of it has relevance in its own context. Who ever says this book is not a good resource is disagreeing with UC Davis and The Culinary Institute of America cause both Schools use this text book for there classes. This has kicked started my passion for wine and i absolutely love this book.

Quite Comprehensive. A true text book - not just a collection of maps. Helpful with food and wine pairings and a strong glossary.

Very large book, almost too large to read and enjoy comfortably. However, makes a good coffee table book.

So the book might be a bit too technical-tongued sometimes, or it may contain unbalanced chapters (the one about serving wine should have been either more accurate or none at all) but by all means it is a great book. Graphics and pictures are superb. I enjoyed reading it, although, as an Italian, I found the story about Italian produce a bit modest (forgive me, it's only that we have the best wines in all the world, it's a fact...). I just need to find a wine book that tells it like it is: THE BEST WINE IS THE ONE YOU LIKE, OR THE ONE YOU DRINK WITH YOUR GREAT FRIENDS.

P.S. : my mom told me Mr. Mondavi, the prefator, is a relative of a relative. The world is small.

Althought this is a good book, I would not recommend it as a primary purchase (try "Wine for Dummies" or "Windows on the World Complete Wine Course") nor as a secondary purchase (try "Wine Bible" or "Oxford Companion to Wine"), but I would recommend it as a tertiary purchase. There is a decent amount of material presented in a professional and eye-pleasing manner. Be forewarned that the book is large (9"x11") and heavy -- probably not something you would read in bed. The coverage of the different areas is pretty good, but not exceptional, hence my four-star rating.

This is a disapointing book. The writing is verbose and akward. The information is poorly organized and too frequently incorrect. I advise others to buy the Oxford Encyclopedia of Wine, Sotheby's Wine Encyclopedia, or The World Atlas of Wine, before buying this book.

This is a disapointing book. The writing style is verbose and akward. The information is poorly organized and too frequently incorrect. I advise others to buy the Oxford, Sotheby's, or the Atlas, before buying this book.

This book is successful on several different levels. First, it is just a great book to have lying around the house. Very relaxing to sit down for a few minutes, leaf through the pages and take a look at all of the beautiful and warm areas that produce wine (especially nice on a cold winter's day!) The layout is outstanding and the photography is excellent. However, this book is more than just pretty pictures. If you want to learn something about the process of making and developing great wines, this book delivers. I cannot pretend to understand all of the technical detail dealing with soil contents, acid levels, appellations, etc., but I am trying to learn. And I know I will have many interesting nights ahead as I settle in to learn about the various grapes and the various wine growing regions of the world. One slight annoyance--there are too many sidebars dealing with the personalities in the wine world. However, this is more than made up for by keeping the foofy wine jargon ("peach undertones" or "texture like cashmere") to a minimum.

It is a very good value for the price.

If you're looking for a step-by-step guide to the winemaking process, or to the myriad types of wine the world offers, there's no better choice than "Exploring Wine." It's also a great resource for such arcana as the wine industry in Texas, the different estates of Pomerol or an exhaustive list of the prestige cuvees of the various champagne houses. "Exploring Wine" gives you all the minutiae of the history, business and esthetic properties of wine, without ever becoming dull. This being a production of the Culinary Institute of America, "Exploring Wine" even gives you detailed charts of recommended wine and food pairings, as well as sample menus pairing national cuisines with indigenous wines (including South Africa, South America and the Middle East as well as the different regions of France, Italy and California). There's also an informative chapter on the health benefits of wine. "Exploring Wine" is an invaluable resource for the dedicated enophile as well as the average reader with a casual, but real, interest in wine.

I am a Culinary Arts student enrolled in a Beverage Management course. Exploring Wines was on our list of supplemental readings. It is, in fact, more helpful and informative than the original assigned text. The format is easy to read and understand which is essential when looking at such a complex subject as wines.

This is the book I've been looking for and I highly recommend it. One stop shop for the wealth of knowledge about the world's wine producing regions. Gives an excellent, and often moderately in-depth, overview of regions, appelations, producers, and key players. Also has call-out interview boxes with noted authorities. Well done. If you wanted any more detail, you would need to contact state/federal departments of agriculture. Very well done.

All of the great reviews of this book are accurate, so I won't repeat the same praises. Yet, as comprehensive as this book is, the authors have managed to make the 2nd edition of the book even better by giving California its own chapter, and improving the maps. The maps in the second edition are awesome! Get the 2nd editon.

Excellent source for wine knowledge. Provides information from growing to making to regional information about diffrent wines. Very good for general information to the enthusiastic ameteur or the professional.

I cannot even begin to describe how fantastic this book is. I've been working in gourmet restaurants for about three years now and have checked out many books on wine to try and understand every nook and cranny of wines; most of the time I still felt a little confused. The way the book is organised helps you to easily understand every aspect of wine including the varietals (grapes), laws of appellations for each country and so much more. It's so easy and detailed to understand (studying is still required, trust me) and also uses graphs, maps and tables to make the information even more clear. Yes, the book can be considered a bit pricey, but if you are a student, in the industry or want to know more about your hobby, I can't think of a single reason why this wouldn't be a worthwhile investment. There are cheaper books out there, but the information they provide is no where near the quality you can get with this book; believe me, I've got a mini-wine library where most of the books will now be collecting dust because all the information I need is in this book.

Also recommended: The Oxford Companion to Wine (detailed definitions to wines, regions, etc...); Wine Lover's Companion (nice pocket guide for quick definitions to wine)