03/07/07 Book Recommendations

Welcome to Vine to Wine this is your host Linda Moran. I just bought a new book  not that it was just published, what I mean is, it is new to me and as I am often asked for book recommendations, I must share. I just bought a book titled the "The Pocket Wine Encyclopedia" published by Barnes and Noble. The list of contributors reads like a who's who in the wine world. Well the title is very deceiving, as I have no idea whose pocket this volume would fit. Rather, it is a hefty little book - an overview of the world of wine. It identifies and describes one hundred wine regions, two thousand wine producers and about four thousand wines. Whew! The maps and photographs are plentiful although, at times a bit small. What I think this book does well is help us to understand regional differences and styles of wine production both old and new world. I appreciated the first chapter and the excellent overview of the growing of grapes and the winemaking process. At the conclusion of each of the sections, it identifies a few of the better known producers of that region. It was fun to read about the United States. This is a book you can pick up and read a little bit at any time and always find something interesting. It is The Pocket Wine Encyclopedia that won't fit in your pocket but I highly recommend it. Remember to send your wine questions to Linda at vine to wine dot not and thank you for joining me on today's Vine to Wine.