Synopses & Reviews
Authoritative, international, and up to date, The New Sotheby's Wine Encyclopedia is arranged geographically and combines nearly 100 detailed maps with information on all wine-growing areas, profiles of top producers and assessments of individual wines. The book's easy-reference style and tremendous breadth of information, make it an unrivaled source of wine information for both beginners and wine buffs. Distinguished wine authority Tom Stevenson examines the viticultural history if each winemaking country, discussing its wine-producing regions and the current reputation of its wines. He analyzes the factors affecting the taste and quality of each region's wines -- location, aspect, soil, microclimates, grape varieties, and methods of viticulture and vinification -- before assessing its appellations, the individual wine producers (chateaux or wineries), and, of course, the wines themselves. Tom Stevenson provides practical guidelines on wine tasting, while an "author's choice" chart at the end of each section lists the very best wines. A star-rating system identifies the finest producers and highlights those offering the best value. A taste chart explains how to identify the flavors in a wine, and a troubleshooter's guide spots common wine flaws. Whether you are a newcomer wanting to explore the pleasures of wine or a wine enthusiast looking for inspiration, The New Sotheby's Wine Encyclopedia is the book to consult again and again.
Review
A tour de force, a triumphant success for which I have the highest praise. (First Edition) (Clive Coates)
Review
Tom Stevenson has struck gold again. (First Edition) (Robert Parker)
Review
If you're going to give one wine book this year, you should consider making it The New Sotheby's Wine Encyclopedia. (WCBS)
About the Author
Tom Stevenson has been writing about wine for 20 years. He is the author of 12 books and the winner of 21 literary awards, including, on three occasions, Wine Writer of the Year. Now recognized as a leading specialist on champagne and premium sparkling wines, Stevenson is the author of Champagne, the first wine book to win four major awards. His annual Superbooze is a bestseller. He has also written a regular column for Wine magazine for several years and is the Champagne and Sparkling Wine Correspondent for European Drinks Decisions. Foreword by Serena Sutcliffe, Director of Sotheby's International Wine Department. The first edition of Sotheby's Wine Encyclopedia published in 1988, won five awards and sold more than 150,000 copies in eight languages.
Table of Contents
Sotheby's Introduction AUTHOR'S INTRODUCTION Using this Book The Taste of Wine How to Assess a Wine Factors affecting Taste and Quality Guide to Vineyard Soils Annual Life-Cycle of the Vine How Wine is Made The Choice of Oak Glossary of Grape Varieties Grape Variety of Synonyms The WINES of FRANCE Introduction Bordeaux The Medoc St. -Estephe Pauillac St. -Julien Margaux Graves, Cerons, Sauternes, and Barsac The Libournais District St. -Emilion Pomerol Bourg and Blaye Entre-Deux-Mers AUTHOR'S CHOICE Burgundy The Chablis District Cote de Nuits and Hautes-Cotes de Nuits Cote de Beaune and Hautes-Cotes de Beaune Cote Chalonnaise The Maconnais The Beaujolais AUTHOR'S CHOICE Champagne AUTHOR'S CHOICE Alsace AUTHOR'S CHOICE The Loire Valley Pays Nantais Anjou-Saumur Touraine Central Vineyards AUTHOR'S CHOICE The Rhone Valley The Northern Rhone The Southern Rhone AUTHOR'S CHOICE The Jura and Savoie Southwest France AUTHOR'S CHOICE Languedoc-Roussillon AUTHOR'S CHOICE Provence and Corsica Vin de Pays AUTHOR'S CHOICE The WINES of GERMANY Introduction The Ahr The Mittelrhein Mosel-Saar-Ruwer The Nahe The Rheingau Rheinhessen Rheinpfalz The Hessische Bergstrasse Franken Wurttemberg Baden Saale-Unstrut and Sachsen AUTHOR'S CHOICE The WINES of ITALY Introduction Northwest Italy Northeast Italy West-Central Italy East-Central Italy Southern Italy and the Islands AUTHOR'S CHOICE The WINES of SPAIN and PORTUGAL Spain Introduction Rioja and Navarra Cava and Penedes Sherry Country Portugal Introduction Douro Valley Madeira AUTHOR'S CHOICE The WINES of The REST of EUROPE and the LEVANT Great Britain Switzerland Austria Southeast Europe The Levant Other winemaking countries of Europe AUTHOR'S CHOICE The WINES of NORTH and SOUTH AFRICA North Africa South Africa AUTHOR'S CHOICE The WINES of NORTH and SOUTH AMERICA North America Introduction California Mendocino County Sonoma County Napa County The North-Central Coast The South-Central Coast The Central Valley Other Wine Appellations of California The Pacific Northwest The Atlantic Northeast Other Winemaking Areas of the US Canada Mexico South America Introduction Chile and Argentina AUTHOR'S CHOICE The WINES of AUSTRALIA, NEW ZEALAND, and ASIA Australia New South Wales Victoria and Tasmania South Australia Western Australia Queensland and Northern Territory New Zealand AUTHOR'S CHOICE Asia Serving Wine Wine and Food Taste Chart Troubleshooter's Guide Guide to Good Vintages Glossary Index Acknowledgments