With more than 1400 wineries producing many of today's most celebrated labels, North America has become a respected world power in wine production. California Chardonnays now compete with French, and discriminating shoppers can now choose Mexican and Canadian reds in addition to their European counterparts. The Oxford Companion to the Wines of North America encompasses this fertile region's wine and winemaking with scope and authority, illuminating the major techniques, variations, and key players on the North American scene for the first time in one comprehensive volume.
The ultimate complement to The Oxford Companion to Wine--now in its second edition and praised by The New York Times as the "most complete compendium of wine knowledge assembled in modern times"--this new Companion objectively surveys the current state of American wine production, celebrating traditions and sensibilities unique to American vintages while highlighting the geographical, philosophical, and commercial variations that distinguish regional wines. General Editor Bruce Cass and world-renowned wine expert Jancis Robinson weave the knowledge of wine academics and writers from across America into a compelling set of introductory essays that distinguish features of North American wine and its history, followed by corresponding alphabetical entries that explore wine topics in depth. Although California dominates American production, wineries and local specialties from throughout North America receive balanced coverage within individual area, region, state, and country entries. Mondavi and Beringer are here, along with segments on Gold Seal winery of New York, Santo Tomas of Mexico, Stoney Ridge of Ontario, and many others. Curious wine tasters will also find reliable information on grape and resultant wine varieties, viticultural techniques, notable brands, and the most coveted wines. All technical terms are fully explained with helpful cross-references to Robinson's Oxford Companion to Wine.
Sure to become the classic book on American wine, The Oxford Companion to the Wines of North America is a masterpiece of scholarship with a dynamic flavor befitting its subject. Novices and connoisseurs alike will find it an irresistible resource.
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 3.5 / 5.0
Good, but could have been better:
Given some of the less than stellar reviews of this book, I was expecting far less. This is a collection of excellent information specific to North American winemaking, wineries, producers, etc., that can't - to my knowledge at least - be found anywhere else "under the same roof". There are also some good introductory articles that are educational, especially for the neophyte. True, the maps in the back of the book are fairly useless. They display towns, highways, mountain ranges, elevation, but no... more info
an inferior supplement to the Oxford Companion to Wine:
The "Oxford Companion to Wine", edited by Jancis Robinson, is the definitive modern reference on wine. Not intended to be read as a book, the entries nevertheless make compelling reading and following the cross-referenced entries can easily consume a pleasurable evening. This "supplement" doesn't live up to the original in terms of quality, comprehensiveness or value. If you were expecting a version of the companion tuned to American wines, you'll be sorely disappointed. On the other hand, if you can't get... more info
Doesn't deliver as a "companion":
I bought this book for our public library's reference collection. Reviews indicated that this book would be an excellent source of information about wine. It falls far short of that. One example: I needed it for a definition of "syrah" (which they refer to in an article) - neither the alphabetical arrangement of the book nor the index yielded anything. This is a coffee table book and nothing more.
The definitive guide for wine connoisseurs:
The Oxford Companion To The Wines Of North America is the definitive guide for wine connoisseurs, weaving the knowledge of 21 wine academics and writers from all over American into a set of compelling introductory essays. The comprehensive 302-page compendium includes an A-to-Z survey of North American vineyards and wine terminology. The informative, "reader friendly" text is further enhanced with superb color photography, twenty maps, and an exhaustive index. The Oxford Companion To The Wines Of North... more info
