Amazon.com (ISBN 068484589X, Hardcover)

Hugh Johnson's Modern Encyclopedia of Wine is an indispensable reference book for all wine lovers. Johnson's strength is taking the incredibly complex subject of wine and making it accessible to any reader, from the occasional wine drinker to the serious connoisseur. The heart of the book, though, is the large middle section, "Wines, Vineyards, and Winemakers of the World." Organized by region, all of the major winemaking countries are included, as well as a host of emerging ones. With 7,000 entries, the book is one of the most comprehensive guides available, and unlike comparable volumes such as The Oxford Companion to Wine, Johnson includes tasting notes for many of the wines and winemakers reviewed. The other two sections of the book, "Modern Wines" and "Enjoying Wine," provide the essential information needed to understand the production of wine and how to choose and store wines. Johnson is a rare writer who can match the depth of his knowledge with equal breadth and width. Couple the Modern Encyclopedia of Wine with Johnson's earlier volume, The World Atlas of Wine, and it is hard to imagine any more exhaustive, or better, reference available today. --Mark O. Howerton