Lots of info. Very good read. Gives a lot of history and origins.

This is the best book on wines that I have found yet. It is written by someone who is obviously extremely knowledgeable about wine and loves it as well. She is able to impart this information in a "down-to-earth" manner that even the wine novice can understand. Thank you to the author for such a great book!

Has a wealth of information, stories and facts about just about every type of wine. This book is great for anyone wanting to expand their wine knowledge. It would probably also be great for someone that doesn't know anything about wine, but wants to learn.

Over the past year I have read four or five of the most popular wine books for relative beginners. Because it covers a lot of information, this book is a good choice for someone wanting to learn more about wine. If you are very new to the world of wine like I was, I recommend Essential Etiquette Fundamentals, Vol. 2: Wine Selection & Etiquette. The "Essential Etiquette" book is an audio book. I like that format because you actually get to hear the narrator pronounce the names of the various grape varieties, wines and terms. It does a great job of covering the basics. Windows on the World Complete Wine Course: 2008 Edition (Windows on the World Complete Wine Course) is another good choice.

Talk about not being able to see a tree for the forest. To much information. Definitely, Information Input Overload. Tried to do much, and perhaps did, but way to much info for a beginner.

Very informative...everything you need to know or learn about wines. Extremely large and alot of information to go through but well worth it. Product arrived as promised and fast. Will continue to shop with Amazon.

this book was ok. i expected more from it, but it did have some cool information on where wine came from, just not as much as i wanted on the actual wine itself (taste, type etc. ) i would buy it again however, i just wish i knew that it was more about where wine came from.

This was a great book...6 years ago. While that might not seem a long time, remember that insane changes have occured lately: the restructuring of many Italian DOCs, promotion of massive numbers of Spanish DOs, new AVAs in California and Oregon, Canada establishing itself as a wine powerhouse for more than dessert wines, not to mention the stylistic change of Bordeaux after the 2000 vintage.

I have also found several errors based on outdated (1997-1999) information. Though this is of little concern to novices, experts and those in the wine industry cannot rely on this information. Also, this needs to come in a hardcover form (for this many pages).

Pros: value, basic knowledge good
Cons: poorly laid out, outdated info, not durable, lacks advanced info

I know Karen MacNiel can do better, she is one of the most knowledgeable wine experts I have ever met.

...I was not disappointed. I have recently taken to wine seriously and the first book I bought was this one, based on a recommendation by NY Times wine columnist Eric Asimov. I backpacked it with some shirts and jeans and flew from Brazil to Bordeaux, then took the TGV to Burgundy, then train to Liguria and then Piedmont and Tuscany and Campania. Nice trip, everyone should do it sometime. (Couple of tips: in Burgundy, stay in Beaune, not Dijon. In Piedmont, spend two nights in Alba, jazzy little barolo-and-trufles town.) Back to business: TWB is exactly what most reviewers below say it is: conversational, unpretentious but authoritative and above all demystifying. The book is organized by countries, so it inspires you to travel. In my case, during the trip I followed her advices on local wines and I never regretted it. I learned a lot and drank some of the best wines so far in my life: thank you, Karen. (Look for these wines if you happen to go to Bordeaux or Siena, respectively: "Le Bon Pasteur", a Pomerol, and "Scirus", a Super Tuscan.) The only reason I do not give TWB five stars is that I feel that the book is already in dire need of a second revised edition. Some of the stores and restaurants she recommends do not exist any more, for example. But more important than that, the wine industry worldwide has been developing very fast in the last ten years and, frankly, the space the book dedicates to some regions seems to me indefensible. Being from South America, probably my opinion that Chile and Argentina together should get more than twenty-some pages at the end of a 900-page "bible" is a little biased. Ok, but the dry table wines from Portugal get six pages, less than the State of Virginia (USA). If you think this is fair, try the Portuguese red blend "Vinha do Mouro 2004" (US$10 or less) and get back here... Anyway, a fine and fun, if a little dated, introduction to wine. Still a buy.

...I was not disappointed. I have recently taken to wine seriously and the first book I bought was this one, based on a recommendation by NY Times wine columnist Eric Asimov. I backpacked it with some shirts and jeans and flew from Brazil to Bordeaux, then TGV-ied to Burgundy, then train to Liguria and then Piedmont and Tuscany and Campania. Nice trip, everyone should do it sometime. (Couple of tips: in Burgundy, stay in Beaune, not Dijon. In Piedmont, spend two nights in Alba, jazzy little barolo-and-trufles town.) Back to business: TWB is exactly what most reviewers below say it is: conversational, unpretentious but authoritative and above all demystifying. The book is organized by countries, so it inspires you to travel. In my case, during the trip I followed her advices on local wines and I never regretted it. I learned a lot and drank some of the best wines so far in my life: thank you, Karen. (Look for these wines if you happen to go to Bordeaux or Siena, respectively: "Le Bon Pasteur", a Pomerol, and "Scirus", a Super Tuscan.) The only reason I do not give TWB five stars is that I feel that the book is already in dire need of a second revised edition. Some of the stores and restaurants she recommends do not exist any more, for example. But more important than that, the wine industry worldwide has been developing very fast in the last ten years and, frankly, the space the book dedicates to some regions seems to me indefensible. Being from South America, probably my opinion that Chile and Argentina together should get more than twenty-some pages at the end of a 900-page "bible" is a little biased. Ok, but the dry table wines from Portugal get six pages, less than the State of Virginia (USA). If you think this is fair, try the Portuguese red blend "Quinta do Mouro 2004" and get back here... Anyway, a fine and fun, if a little dated, introduction to wine. Still a buy.

The Bible is well written, lots of useful info and facts - curious details, etc.
I like the break down of countries, regions, grapes by color/region, etc.
This was one of the very first books I got recommended to buy when I got into the wine industry - as I was asked the grapes of Bordeaux, I had no clue couple years ago. After looking them at the wine bible, I have never fogotten.
I now work at a Texas winery, and I can thank my teacher and this bible!
Read up, and drink up!
PS: only wish more of the photos were in color.

I bought this book as a tool for work, im a manager at a private social club. This book will teach you a ton about wine. I expecially enjoy the fact that you can start reading this book at whatever section you need to learn about. (broken down by region)

This is such a awesome book, thanks to Karen McNeil for spending the time to write it in "Plain English", it makes it enjoyable and easy to understand for the novice wine lover. CHEERS Karen.

I would rate myself as an intermediate wine enthusiast. I have a good wine cellar, love to buy wines and of course drink them! I just bought the "bible" and have learned so much in the introductory section. The information will bump me up to a new level and give me more confidence when discussing wines before I buy them. It covers the most important wine regions and the wines from them. It is after all a primer not an indepth study of a specific wine. If you want to be an expert on Bordeaux then buy a book on that. MacNeil's writing style is fun and so knowledgeable without being being a wine snob, which of course a leading authority on wine could be. This the perfect wine reference book for anyone interested in wine.

I have my own collection of wine books and I was introduced to the Wine Bible in a wine shop I worked in. I was very impressed with the amount of information in the book. Also, the book is well written and easy to read. Not only did I buy the Wine Bible for me, but I've bought it for friends just getting started in their wine appreciation and knowledge.

Great learning device for those interested in reading about every aspect of wine. Well-written and highly recommended.

Imagine yourself at one of the popular new wine bars in your town. You are sipping a glass of red wine perfumed with notes of violet and lavender - a departure from your typical request for a California Cabernet Sauvignon. You take another sip and wonder what combination of soil and sunlight could produce such a succulent wine? Your curiosity roused, you look at the label on the bottle and see it is from the Languedoc - a region in Southern France.

Suddenly, you are bursting with questions about the region. What grape is the wine made from? What is the typical climate of the area? Who are the top winemakers in the region? And if you were going to serve it at a dinner party, what foods would pair best with it?

Karen MacNeil, director of the wine program at the Culinary Institute of America in the Napa Valley, has crafted an excellent book in the appropriately-named The Wine Bible, a terrific 910-page resource for amateur and seasoned wine lovers alike. This book starts out with the basics, with MacNeil explaining the elements, such as sun, water, and soil necessary for good wine, and goes on to the more complex issues of wine making and regional styles.

What I liked best about the book is that MacNeil takes you to vineyards all over the world, describing the climate and terrain with such detail and color you will feel as if you are there, by her side, seeing it for yourself. She even introduces you to winemakers, taking you deep into their dank, dark cellars so you can taste the wine for yourself. Then she describes the local cuisine in such tantalizing detail you'll want to rush out and create your own wine and food pairing based on the succulent flavors described in that chapter.

You will find many ways to use this book. Instead of reading it from beginning to end, you might try to use it as a reference guide. Did you have a great Chianti at a restaurant and want to find out more about the region? Pick up this book and go to the appropriate chapter. Are you having friends over for drinks and want to show off your wine sophistication? Read up on the wines you'll be serving and surprise your guests with some fun, colorful facts about the wine. Do you love to cook and are you eager to find the perfect pairing for a recipe you just saw in Food & Wine magazine? You'll find it in this incredible resource.

Here are some other things you will discover:

how to taste and analyze wine like a professional
how to read a wine label
how to write your own tasting notes
how to store and serve wine

and much more.


With this book in hand, you can set up your own classes, or study sessions. One week you might study the wines of France, and buy wines from the region. The next week, you can do the same thing with Spain. What makes it even more fun is if you can get a partner or some friends together and make a party of it.

So the next time you find yourself in a wine bar, eager to learn more about what you are drinking, or in a wine store, wondering what to buy, sneak a peek in this book. Sooner than you think, friends and co-workers will see you as the go-to wine expert in your circle.

Building Buzz: How To Reach And Impress Your Target Audience

.... this is a good one to buy. A very good book for a wine enthusiast to keep in the car or nearby for reference. MacNeil has covered the wines of the world with interesting facts and offers a handful of recommendations of her favorite wineries. An easy to read Mastering Wine section is appropriately placed in the beginning. (I was a bit surprised that New Jersey, the fifth largest producer of wine in the U.S., was not given a review but Pennsylvania was.) (Joseph Broski - Dionysian Society International)

An exceptional book for the oenophile. MacNeil has covered the wines of the world with interesting facts and offers a handful of recommendations of her favorite wineries. An easy to read Mastering Wine section is appropriately placed in the beginning. (I was a bit surprised that New Jersey, the fifth largest producer of wine in the U.S., was not given a review but Pennsylvania was.) A must buy! (Joseph Broski - Dionysian Society International)

An exceptional book for the oenophile. MacNeil has covered the wines of the world with interesting facts and offers a handful of recommendations of her favorite wineries. An easy to read Mastering Wine section is appropriately placed in the beginning. A must buy! (Joseph Broski - Dionysian Society International)

An exceptional book for the oenophile. MacNeil has covered the wines of the world with interesting facts and offers a handful of recommendations of her favorite wineries. An easy to read Mastering Wine section is appropriately placed in the beginning. A must buy!

This is the best on everything about wine and grapes. Everything you need to know and then some!

This book is a very good source for the background and personallity of all types of wine. Excellent introduction wines.

If I was an expert, of course, I could better "rate" this book!

I bought this for my husband so we could better understand what we were buying and zero in on products we would more likely enjoy.

Very thourough and interesting - lots of information and recommendations for a low price.

This is a great book to keep by your bedside and read a chapter a night. It covers the basics on all the major wine regions of the world. You won't be an "expert" when you read this but you'll feel more confident and know the basics. I wish there was more about food and wine pairing, though.

This book touches on so many wine-related topics that it could probably replace three or four books on your shelf. I like that it is designed in such a way that you can flip through any section and get the info you want without having to read the whole book.

I do think the book is a little "old school" as far as wine education goes and tends present information as rules as opposed to presenting the topic wine as fun. But if you want to learn about wine, the book is packed with info to help you sniff, swirl and sip like a pro.

This book touches on so many wine-related topics that it could probably replace three or four books on your shelf. I like that it is designed in such a way that you can flip through any section and get the info you want without having to read the whole book.

I do think the book is a little "old school" as far as wine education goes and tends present information as rules as opposed to presenting the topic wine as fun. But if you want to learn about wine, the book is packed with info to help you sniff, swirl and sip like a pro.

We live in Brussels. This book is wonderful for our touring the European wine country. Very comprehensive and informative.

We live in Brussels. This book is wonderful for our touring the European wine country. Very comprehensive and informative.

This is a MUST if you have interest in wine. Reading her book is so pleasurable, that you can get lost in it for hours. I love it!!!

Some bright spots, good general overview of world wide wine. Falls down on Major new areas, especially in California.

Talks about a lot, and in great detail without boring you. I learnd more about wines in the first 2 chapters than I did in 2 years of drinking it.

I use this book as the main text for a course I teach at a local university. It is easy to read and understand and gives information in plain English. It was published in 2001 so some of the sections need to be updated. I supplement those sections. I was in contact with the author and she tells me that she is working on a revised edition and it might be ready in 08. It a big book and it takes time. All in all it is a very worthwhile text for starting to study about wine.

This is an excellent book on wine, wine regions, grapes, etc. The thickness of this book can look intimidating, but the larger than normal font and pictures make it easy to read and less intimidating. I keep this book by my chair for quick reference. You should also look for Karen's 13-part PBS series, "Wine, Food and Friends" on DVD.

Bought this for wine loving friends. They stated that they will never be able to get through all of the wines reviewed but will have fun trying.

I am doing a sommelier course at Algonquin College in Ottawa. The wine bible has a wealth of information relevent to my courses. It would also be of great benifit to some one interested in wine as a hobby.
Walter Cartwright

While drinking good wine isn't difficult, learning about wine can be complex. Once on a winery tour a vinter explained that there are 15,000 different choices that can be made from grape to bottle. Sometimes picking out a wine can seem daunting. The Wine Bible does a superior job of teaching those of us who would like to learn more without the information being overkill.

While there are more comprehensive books out there on Wine, I really like this book because it excells at being written for the average person. The book is divided into sections based upon region/country. I also like that recommended wines of the area are found in each chapter. This is a helpful guide when looking at wines you may be not know. I also like that histories of wine and what's makes each one special is also written about in each section.

While this book may not be the most up to date book there is, this book will enhance your knowledge as well as your ability to pick out wines that you and your guests may enjoy. I would highly recommend this book to those who want to learn more about wine, as this book does an excellent job of giving a basic education about many of the wines of the world.

The wine bible is great for looking up questions and small details. It really is just too large to sit down and read from start to finish. However, it is a WONDERFUL wine tool for looking up questions and getting comprehensive and thorough answers. A definite must have for a wine lover!

This is a comprehensive guide about wine and wine regions of the world. It's a good book to have around as a resource. I'm glad I bought it.

Bought as one of the birthday gifts for my adult son who was delighted to receive it.

I believe that this book knows *exactly* what it wants to be. It doesn't try to be as comprehensive as either "The World Atlas of Wine" or "The Oxford Companion to Wine". What this book is trying to do is appeal to everyone, and be considerably more accessible than the books referenced above. I recently gave this as a gift to my father-in-law who was interested in learning about wine. This was the only book I even considered giving to him. It contains enough information to get someone started, and make them thirsty enough to want more. I would probably follow this up with either "How to Taste" by Jancis Robinson (speaking of thirst...).

A lot of information regarding the wine processing, which is very interesting and helpfull. Book provides information regarding wine as a common sence, but if you looking for wine guide (vinery name, year of production, wine name ets.), you bought a wrong book.
I love this book. it contains everything I wanted to know about wine, very good description of wine from the different regions of the world.

I have three wine books, and this is the one I turn to the most. Granted, I don't have an atlas, and I am very new to the world of wine; nevertheless, this book is not only packed with information, it is an engaging and pleasurable read.

A book this long (over 900 pages) runs the risk of being overly dense and perhaps even overly pedantic. MacNeil's book is neither. The book is very well designed, with good visuals--text formatting and graphics--and MacNeil writes like someone who knows how to teach. Her prose is engaging, her voice clear, and she doesn't ever talk down to the reader.

The first 100 pages is devoted to examinations of grape varieties, storage, tasting, winemaking (i.e., how vintners do it, not how to DIY). (She warns us about the tendency of rabbit-ears corkscrews to chew up the cork, something I had to find out the hard way--I wish I'd know this sooner!) After that, the book is organized by country, and she discusses issues specific to regions, and even lists "Wines to Know" from each area, a nice feature for us novices.

If I could keep only one of my three wine books, this would be it. It's not just informative, it's fun.

Karen MacNeil's Wine Bible is so ambitious that it seems almost impossible for it to succeed. This book is first of all an encyclopedia, so it sets out to be comprehensive and it succeeds. Almost every bit of knowledge that isn't about a particular vintage can be found here. Remarkably, for an encyclopedia, many of the entries are quite detailed. I was particularly impressed by the section on Austrian and Italian wines (I've spent a fair amount of time in both countries).
Accuracy? It's a rule that everybody makes mistakes and the more ambitious you are, the more you make. But this rule doesn't seem to apply to MacNeil. Some wine snobs of my acquaintance have combed the book looking for errors (they're easy to find in most wine texts). So far, even this punctilious gang has found nothing wrong.
Another impressive thing about this book is its modesty. The author includes a generous bibliography that takes the reader to more detailed sources when it's necessary.

But the reason that you'll pick this book up time and again is its unfailing good writing and good humor. MacNeil is a pleasure to read and one suspects she'd be a pleasure to share a glass of wine with too.

Potential buyers should be aware that this isn't an atlas-real wine loons should have a seperate one of those anyway. The chapter on winemaking is good reading for a novice but leaves out a lot that a specialist might want to know. You won't make your own wine based on The Wine Bible. It's also not a coffee-table book. You'll have to look elsewhere for more pictures of gorgeous vineyards at sunset. But for the single, indispensible wine reference at a great price, you can't beat it.

Lynn Hoffman author of The New Short Course in Wine

After having reviewed a number of other books on the subject of wine, this publication takes the understanding of wine to a level easily understood by all. I have it in my kitchen for quick reference and use it for futures purchases as well as a quick understanding as to where the wine and grapes utilized in the wine came from. Maps and diagrams in the text are crystal clear and the text is written for easy understanding. This is a book I simply can't do without. Matter of fact, I have a copy in our Chicago home as well as our Florida home because it is that important to our wine purchases as well as understanding the history of wine and from whence it comes. It is truly best of breed.

Terrific guide to everything about wine, great for beginners as well as more seasoned enthusiasts. Written in an unpretentious, interesting style that clearly conveys the author's passion for the subject and takes the mystery out of a sometimes unapproachable subject. Strongly recommend it.

Excellent reference, covered wines from all over the world, all kinds of info about winemaking, different grapes,etc. I gave mine away, I have to order another one. Makes a great gift!

Excellent information -- maybe a little more needed on how to choose.

The Wine Bible is a great travel companion as it is structured by wine producing regions and offers extensive information on these regions. It paints a rich background on the regional wines, depicting the local cuisine, culture, traditions, and production / appellation guidelines.

Despite enjoying the book, I would not recommend it as your first wine book. The book does not offer a broad enough introduction to wine nor tie the knots together for wine beginners who know bits and pieces. For example, there can be better explanations linking regional appellations to basic grape variety and typical grape personality.

Overall, great content (especially useful if you are in the wine regions) and fun read.

Enjoy!

Kendra
http://www.bettertastingwine.com

Good information if you can see it or lift it. I would like to have seen this book larger and in 2 volumes. I do not agree with her choices, especially on the 'noteworthy wines' in California.

When I was studying for my Sommelier Diploma our assigned texts could be dry and confusing so I always started off by reading the Wine Bible. The Wine Bible gave me just enough information to jog my memory and I felt as though I had a handle on the basics before moving on to the required reading of our text.

The book is organized by major wine growing regions of the world so you learn about the region (ex. Bordeaux,France or Napa,CA) not by grape or wine type. If you are more interested in finding out what types of wines you would enjoy drinking, then I would suggest Oz Clarke's Understanding Wine. From there I would then suggest moving on to Mr. Clarke's Encylopedia of Grapes.

The information given in the Wine Bible is enjoyable,unintimidating,and easy to read and understand. It wets your appetite (pun intended) just enough so that you want to know more about the subject at the end of each chapter. You can use the book as a reference or read from cover to cover. The only complaint I have of the Wine Bible is that it is over 300 pages which makes it difficult to carry in your purse or backpack. Even with the bulkyness this is the one book that I have chosen on several occasions to take with me on week long vacations.