Unless you happen to live near one of the few remaining “big box” bookstores, you may seldom experience the joy of removing a book from a shelf, leafing through its pages, and determining whether it’s something you want to add to your home library.
Many of the books in my home wine library came from a Borders store that was located within walking distance of my house. Sadly, that store has been gone for years.
I’ve also procured a number of used wine books from various Goodwill stores I’ve visited while on the road. Navigating the book collections at such stores can be time consuming since the books rarely are categorized by subject, but occasionally the effort will yield some real gems and at bargain prices.
As you can see from this two-shelf peak at my collection, wine books come in all shapes and sizes. They also cover wine in a variety of ways.
For instance, if you’re looking for a go-to book that will provide solid information on almost any wine topic, “The Wine Bible” is a great resource, and is written in an accessible and entertaining manner.
If you prefer a more “scholarly” approach to our favorite subject, “The Oxford Companion to Wine” may be your cup of tea.
Other wine books deal with specific vinous regions — from California to Champagne, and from Bordeaux to Australia.
There also are wine biographies — those on Napa Valley wine icon Robert Mondavi and Hudson River pioneer Mark Miller are personal favorites — as well as books that detail specific events and even wine-related mysteries.
This holiday season, consider giving a wine book to the wine lover in your life. Or pick one up for yourself. You may find that reading about wine is (almost) as much fun as drinking it.
Personally, when it comes to wine reading and wine drinking, I’m a multi-tasker.
