Top 10 Wine Books for the Holidays

by Tim Fenton MW

Sometimes, the best thing about wine is that it can be trivial, frivolous and fun. This is not a wine book you should buy for those wanting to learn about the details of winemaking or the character of recent vintages. This is the wine book to buy for your friends who are hip to the funnier side of wine. Let them enjoy the quips, jokes, quotes and tips designed to enlighten and amuse us all.

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by Ben Howkins

Here's a book that manages to amuse and entertain. If you want an interesting and complete overview of the Port wine industry without having to read a text book, I can think of no finer tome. Ben Howkins is well known for his knowledge of Port, and is able to convey fascinating details with passion as he examines the history of both Port wine and the Port drinker from early days to the present. There are some behind the scenes surprises revealed here that make this an essential book for the Port lover.

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by Gerald Asher

Gerald Asher made a name for himself as the long time wine editor for Gourmet magazine. Over that span of three decades, he witnessed firsthand the transformation of regions and an entire industry. In his casual and easy-to-read style, he conveys many of his best wine moments to his reader, recalling great wines, exciting finds, revelations and the winemakers who made them. This compilation of his best essays is a joy to read and reflects many of the changes he witnessed.

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by George Taber

George Taber is one of the great authors in the wine world, having written the probing and definitive account of the famed Judgment of Paris. He's out with a new book, and this take is a decidedly lighter tone. It's not frivolous by any means, just incredibly pertinent.

The subtitle says it all: "How innovators, Iconoclasts and Winemaking Revolutionaries Are Changing the Way the World Drinks" Learn why inexpensive wine is better than ever and see who George thinks is among the best.

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by Kevin Zraly

So you want to learn about wine? Then take a course from the master. No one has taught so many people, so well, and over such a long period of time (sorry Kevin) than Kevin Zraly. His course has been honed over many years and is the same course work he uses to teach his renowned Window on the World wine class. Easy to read, easy to understand and broken down into convenient lessons that make sense, this book is simply the best way to learn about wine!

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This is Kevin's 40th year in the wine business, and to celebrate, he has updated all the material on vineyards in Austria, Hungary, Greece, New Zealand, South Africa, Chile, and Argentina. Plus, he completely refreshed the tasting section with flavor profiles that also discuss winemaking, created a new Best of the Best chapter, and included more than 20 smart phone tags throughout the book that link to videos of Kevin talking about wine. As always, the book offers the chapters: Wine Basics, Tasting Wine, Matching Wine and Food, Frequently Asked Questions About Wine, and a Selected Glossary. Zraly goes region by region, with the wines organized from simple to complex, allowing readers who follow Kevin's order to experience the finest wines and a wide diversity of tastes, styles, regions, and countries.