If you are taking a WSET course, you will get a guide as part of your course materials which is all you will need for exam purposes. However, if you are taking a course that is a bit more laid back and/or you want to improve your wine knowledge generally, you will need a good book. To find suitable candidates, I reviewed seven separate best wine book lists and picked the four books that were mentioned most frequently. I then added one book based on recommendations made by Christopher Waters of the Globe and Mail in August 2024. His three picks are the first three listed in the Beginner Picks section below.
I’ve also added two books that featured prominently in the lists but are more for reference purposes – see Reference Books section. It is essential to own at least one of these in my humble opinion. Try Amazon or Indigo if you want to buy one or more books.
Beginner Picks
Wine Folly: Magnum Edition, 2nd Edition, 2018: Madeline Puckette & Justin Hammack
When Wine Folly was first published in 2017, it became an overnight sensation for its inventive, easy-to-digest approach to learning about wine. The book is 320 pages in length and conveys an expert-level knowledge of wine using simple infographics. More than 100 wines and grapes are colour coded by style to make it easy to find the best wines for your tastes. Food and wine pairings are listed, and it has a primer on acidity and tannin so that you can taste wine like a pro. It’s the perfect guide for anyone looking to take his or her wine knowledge to the next level in a practical and fun way.
Kevin Zraly Windows on the World Complete Wine Course
Kevin Zraly is America’s ultimate wine educator. He demystifies every aspect of wine: grape varieties, winemaking techniques, different types and styles of wine, how to read a wine label, and how to evaluate a wine in just 60 seconds. The 35th edition of this book features maps of each region, lush photographs and a wealth of infographics. It also highlights the best vintages to savour and includes comprehensive notes on food pairings, frequently asked questions, and quizzes to test your knowledge.
The Wine Bible, 2nd Edition, 2015: Karen MacNeil
The Wine Bible is a perennial bestseller that covers winemaking to wine tasting and everything in between. It has 1,008 pages of tips, anecdotes, photos, definitions, and recommendations. Karen MacNeil was dubbed America’s missionary of the vine by Time Magazine and based the book entirely on her first-hand research. Her descriptions so vivid that you can almost taste the wine yourself. You can learn about the best regional wines, the history of winemaking across the world, and wine and food pairings. The Wine Bible is one of the most comprehensive, yet palatable, wine books on the market.
Wine Simple: A Totally Approachable Guide from a World-Class Sommelier, 2019: Aldo Sohm
Renowned sommelier Aldo Sohm is perhaps one of the most laid-back, entertaining wine experts in the fine-dining world. His book is 272 pages in length and is both a reflection of his personality, and a testament to his philosophy that wine doesn’t have to be complicated or intimidating to be understood and enjoyed. The book provides beautiful infographics, and approachable explanations of winemaking processes, terroir, grape varieties, tasting and more. It is a refreshing gateway into the world of wines from a professional. You’re guaranteed to be both educated and entertained.
The New Wine Rules, 2017: John Bonné
The New Wine Rules by Jon Bonne is only 152 pages long but ranks as one of the best written wine guides around. This is a book written for the common person and is simple, fun, and engaging. He dismisses the old, needlessly complicated, and often snobbish rules provided by the “experts”. Instead, he reminds the reader that drinking wine should be a joy and not a chore. He demystifies the world of wine and tackles many misconceptions. Rather than explain the minute differences between wines, he aims to answer questions that can actually help a beginner. These include how to store wine properly and when to age it. Jon eliminates the beginner’s dread of being judged by wine aficionados and gives you the answers you want while making it fun.
Reference Books
The World Atlas of Wine 8th Edition, 2019: Hugh Johnson and Jancis Robinson
The World Atlas of Wine by Hugh Johnson and Jancis Robinson is published by Mitchell Beazley. It is recognized by critics as the essential and most authoritative wine reference work available on the world of wine with its pioneering use of maps to illustrate various regions It is one of the most popular books on wine, with the most recent eighth edition published in October 2019. To reflect all the changes in the global wine scene over the past six years, the Atlas has grown in size to 416 pages, and 22 new maps have been added. The text has been given a complete overhaul to address the topics of most vital interest to today’s wine-growers and drinkers.
The Oxford Companion To Wine: 5th Edition, 2015: Jancis Robinson
The 1st edition of this book was published in 1994 and immediately attained legendary status. It has won every major wine book award including the Glenfiddich and Julia Child / IACP awards. There are almost 4,000 entries on every conceivable topic from regions and grape varieties to the owners, connoisseurs, growers, and tasters in wine through the ages. It ranges from viticulture and oenology to the history of wine. Hundreds of useful drawings and photographs illustrate key processes.
Entries range from brief questions and answers to longer essays on wine scoring, wine aging, and how to judge a wine’s characteristics. It has useful lists such as the world’s controlled appellations and their permitted grape varieties. It also has vineyard area, wine production and consumption by country. it contains maps of every important wine region and goes beyond any other wine book in explaining wine in all of its wider contexts – historical, cultural, and scientific.