Product Description

The original and best, "Hugh Johnson's Pocket Wine Book" successfully distills the world of wine. Now in its 32nd edition, it is the UK's number one wine book and appeals to both wine lovers and professionals alike, making it the key reference for enthusiasts, investors and collectors. This year's edition boasts up-to-date news on more than 6,000 wines, growers and regions plus invaluable vintage information from expert contributors around the world. In addition, a full-color supplement focuses on wine and food plus there are more than 200 of Hugh Johnson's personal favorites for 2009. Hugh Johnson's winning formula of personal insight and critical appraisal of the world of wine, plus vintage news has never been bettered. During the past four decades, he has written a number of books that have become landmarks on the subject, including his classic "The World Atlas of Wine", published with Jancis Robinson.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #20493 in Books
• Published on: 2008-09-01
• Original language: English
• Binding: Hardcover
• 320 pages

Review
Simply the best concise wine reference. David Sexton, London Evening Standard

About the Author
Hugh Johnson is the world's pre-eminent writer on wine. First published in 1977, Hugh Johnson's Pocket Wine Book sells hundreds of thousands of copies a year. His winning formula of personal insight and critical appraisal of the world of wine, plus valuable vintage news and numerous wine recommendations has been often-imitated but never bettered. With the publication of his first book, Wine, Johnson established himself at the age of twenty-seven as the most refreshing and authoritative voice on the subject. During the past four decades he has written books that have become landmarks on the subject, including his classic The World Atlas of Wine, published with Jancis Robinson published in its sixth edition in 2007, his Wine Companion, published in 2003, and The Story of Wine. In his spare time he writes about gardening from his home in Essex.

Customer Reviews

Excellent buying guide
An excellent guide for buying 'reasonable' to 'ultra-premium' wine. Thousands of wines are covered in short informative paragraphs along with ratings and vintage guides.

It's less detailed than "Wine Behind the Label" but at pocket size is totally portable. This is a thoroughly practical book and is genuinely helpful in making wine buying decisions, (mine has been everywhere from the supermarket to the caves of Burgundy). Hugh Johnson manages to combine a careers-worth of expert knowledge with a down-to-earth, sensible and non-stuffy approach.

If you already have the 2008 guide and were going to skip this one (like I was), there are multiple changes and updates to the individual entries, as well as rewritten country introductions. (And yes, last year's gremlins have fled the publisher and they've sorted out the mishaps before sending it to print).
It's also (to me) easier to read with maroon and black type, rather than last years gold and black, and the maps are recoloured and clearer.

It's only a tenner, the price of a bottle of wine, and it might help you to get more bouquet for your buck!

Great guide for wine lovers everywhere
This is fo9r everyone who enjoys or is curious about wine.

A comprehensive guide to wine - drinking, storing and enjoying.

The book is well laid out and covers practically every wine producing region in the world. Reviewing recent vintages within each region and then a wine section of wines from each area, rating them 1-4 stars and showing which vintages to drink, which to leave. The good, the bad and the OK. Johnson also has a mini section at the back of the book and each year this area covers a different topic. last years was food & wine matching & the best of Italy. This year looks at leading chefs/ restauranteurs views on wines and food matching.

Johnson also offers an in-depth review of the vintages 07 and 06. as well as an overview of the worlds most popular grapes.

good for wine pro's and those who just enjoy a good drink.

bought as a gift
hopefully it will be a useful gift for an amateur wine connoisseur. Nice size for tucking into a pocket or keeping in the glove box when travelling.