We are often asked what our favorite wine books are for somebody just getting into wine. Here is a list of some of the books that have informed and inspired us as well as recommendations by our wine friends. If you are interested in making your own wine, one of the best resources is the US Dept. of Agriculture’s Cooperative Extension Service, New England Wine Grape Growers Assoc., the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Assoc. and various Universities that have agricultural studies, in particular Cornell and the University of Minnesota. Also, we’ve included a short list of our favorite movies with wine related themes. We hope you enjoy them!

The Oxford Companion to Wine;   Confessions of a Wine Lover    by Jancis Robinson

The Wine Bibleby Karen MacNeil

Adventures on the Wine Route by Kermit Lynch

A History of the World in Six Glasses, Tom Standage

Vino Italiano by Joseph Bastianich and David Lynch

Uncorking the Mystery of Wine, by Fabrizio Pedrolli

Michael Sanders books:  Families of the Vine   and   From Here You Can’t See Paris

Michael Broadbent, Vintage Wine: 50 Years of Tasting

Vit Lit   by Joe Mesics

Alice Feiring’s, Naked Wine: Letting Grapes Do What Comes Naturally ; and The Battle for Wine and Love: Or, How I Saved the World from Parkerization

Jamie Goode and Sam Harrop’s ,  Authentic Wine: Toward Natural and Sustainable Winemaking.

Jamie Goode , The Science of Wine, also  Wine Bottle Closures

Everyday Dining with Wine, by Andrea Immer Robinson

First Big Crush: The Down and Dirty on Making Great Wine Down Under, Eric Arnold

Norman L. Roby and Charles E. Olken’s “The Connoisseurs’ Handbook of the Wines of California and the Pacific Northwest

Clive Coates : An Encyclopedia of the Wines and Domaines of France ; Côte d'Or - The Great Wines of Burgundy

Rhône Renaissance  by Remington Norman

Phylloxera: How Wine Was Saved for the World   by Christy Campbell

World Encyclopedia of Champagne & Sparkling Wine; The Sotheby's Wine Encyclopedia ; The Wines of Alsace  -   all by Tom Stevenson  

Nicholas Belfrage:  Barolo to Valpolicella: The Wines of Northern Italy  also Brunello to Zibibbo: Tuscany, Central and Southern Italy

Reading Between the Vines, by Terry Theise

Complete Book of Australian Wine  by Len Evans

A tribute to the great wines of Burgundy- Henri Jayer, winemaker from Vosne-Romanée -  by Jacky Rigaux

 The Great Wines of Bordeaux   by Sophie Brissaud

Steven Spurrier, The Concise Guide to French Country Wines

The Emperor of Wine: The Rise of Robert Parker and the Reign of American Taste , Elin McCoy

Great Wine Made Simple: Straight Talk from a Master Sommelierby Andrea Immer Robinson

You Heard it Through The Grapevineby Stuart Walton

Wine & War  ;  Champagne: How the World’s Most Glamorous Wine Triumphed Over War and Hard Times     By Don & Petie Kladstrup

Secrets of Wineby Giles Kime

Wine: A Life Uncorkedby Hugh Johnson

A Wine & Food Guide to the Loire  ; Earthly Delights from The Garden of France by Jacqueline Friedrich

Making Sense of Wine   by Matt Kramer

The Backyard Vintner: An Enthusiast's Guide to Growing Grapes and Making Wine at Home by  Jim Law

The Grape Grower: A Guide to Organic Viticulture), Lon Rombough

At Home in the Vineyardby Susan Sokol Blosser

Understanding Wine Technology: The Science of Wine Explained by  David Bird,

Concepts in Wine Technology  by Yair Margalit

Tyler (Dr. Vino) Colman's,   WINEPOLITICS: How Governments, Environmentalists, Mobsters, and Critics Influence the Wines We Drink

Real Wine: The Rediscovery of Natural Winemaking  ; The Wild Bunch: Great Wines from Small Producers   By Patrick Matthews

The Wines of the Northern Rhône  by John Livingstone-Learmonth

Issued by University of California Press and written in conjunction with Jospeh Furstenthal and Charles Olken, The New Connoissuers' Guidebook to California Wine & Wineries

Cooperage for Winemakers: A Manual on the Construction, Maintenance and use of Oak Barrelsby Geoffrey Schahinger and Bruce Rankine

Micro Vinification: A Practical Guide to Small-Scale Wine Production  by  Murli Dharmadhikari and Karl Wilker

Vineyards in the Sky    by Martin Ray

The Wines and Winelands of France, Geological Journeys  by Charles Pomerol

The Vineyard at the End of the World by Ian Mount

The Wines of Chablis  by Biss & Smith

Bouquetby G.B. Stern

Movies we recommend:

Sideways, Bottle Shock, A Good Year, Mondo Vino,  Blood Into Wine.

© text Black Sheep Wine and Beer Shop 2012

Photos/Illustrations Credit: Wikimedia Commons, Public Domain, Personal Photo of the Author.