Encyclopedia of Wine [Hardcover]

Indefatigable Oz Clarke looks set for another success with his Encyclopedia of Wine, the latest manoeuvre in his campaign to expunge any lingering taint of elitism from the enjoyment of wine. This is his big one and it is immaculate. No-one could cover everything in the world of wine, but this books seems at moments as if it does. Its thousands of entries, organised alphabetically, cover the most important wines, wine regions, grape varieties and producers around the world. It is beautifully produced and generously illustrated with photographs, maps and vintage charts. Clarke and his editorial team seem to have been everywhere, talked to everybody and tasted everything. He is the best kind of populariser: possessed of quite staggering breadth and depth of knowledge, and with a reputation as one of the best noses in Europe, there is nonetheless nothing intimidating in his style. His task is perhaps made easier by the truly astonishing overall increase in quality over the last 10 years or so, a development attributable to the activities of the so-called "flying wine- makers", who parachute in to forgotten vin de table vineyards, apply a few elementary rules of modern, hygienic wine-making and conjure from them fresh, bright, modern wines. This is very much to Clarke's democratic taste.

The quality of Oz's prose--sensuous, warm, precise, concise and witty--adds greatly to the pleasure to be had from this production. Here he is, firstly on a very grand but perhaps slightly over-rated Italian label, then on Cornas, the awakening giant of the Rhone. "No-one ... could deny that they are capable of great longevity, even if they never quite seem to arrive at the point of being a pleasure to drink". "The colour is still deep, but tingling with life; the smell is rich and opulent, blackcurrants and raspberries, heady and exotic; the taste is almost sweet, with the fruit bursting through its tannic chains, and there's the roar--pure sensuous fruit, coating your mouth, tannin too, and herbs, and deep chocolaty warmth to sear the flavour into your memory". You envy him his ability to conjure such a world of pleasure and interest from what is after all fermented grape juice. --Robin Davidson

As a reference book for those with an eye to improving their wine knowledge it's pretty damn good.

'Actually quite a laugh as well as being a very enjoyable and informative read. ...As a reference book for those with an eye to improving their wine knowledge it's pretty damn good.'

'...a useful and accessible tome.'

...a useful and accessible tome.

Praise for Oz Clarke's previous books `An enthusiastic, opinionated and entertaining study of the world's wines'

In this revised and updated edition, Oz Clarke takes a tour through the world of wine. The book condenses the vast amount of wine information into an accessible A-Z format with concise and vivid descriptions of the world's leading wines, wine regions, producers and grape varieties. The book begins with an introduction to the major wine countries of the world, local grape varieties and wine-making practices, as well as the various classification systems used throughout the world. The practical section then teaches the reader how to identify different wines through bottles, labels and corks and how best to store and serve them. The gazetteer forms the core of the book and provides an up-to-date and comprehensive listing of the world's best known wines, wine regions and producers. Finally, 40 special features on the world's leading wine-producing regions are included and cover the latest developments in the world of wine today. Over 500 colour photographs, maps, labels and artworks supplement the text adding to its suitability as a reference volume for any aspiring or accomplished wine buff.

In October 2003, Websters International Publishers and Little, Brown released a new, updated, paperback edition of Oz Clarke's Encyclopedia of Wine: ISBN 0316726540

For me, the thrilling thing about this modern world of wine is that we now have choice – endless choice from a vast array of wines that gets bigger every year. And with that choice comes excitement, challenge, but also confusion. That’s why this encyclopedia is here: to help you make sense of the cornucopia of flavours and delights that extends from the most famous and expensive wines of Bordeaux and Burgundy down to the first nervous offerings of virgin vineyards from unsung valleys. They’re all covered here – the grapes, the places, the vintages, the people, the flavours – all in an easy to use A-Z format. There’s a massive amount of information in this book, but we’ve made it as easy as can be to access and, I hope, as enjoyable as possible to read.

Oz Clarke is a well-known personality and highly respected authority on wine. He appears regularly on BBC TV's FOOD AND DRINK programme and writes on wine for the DAILY TELEGRAPH.