Need an ideal stocking filler for a winelover friend?  Consider buying the What Varietal is That? book!

Wine Books

Even in this digital age it is great to have a shelf full of real books to help you learn about wine.

Some of the books on Vinodiversity's bookshelf

A shelf laden with good wine books will give you almost as much pleasure as a well stocked cellar. Notice I said almost.

In fact books and bottles go hand in hand. You need good books to find and enjoy good wine, and there is nothing better than reading with a glass of wine at hand.

I think books should give pleasure as well as information. That's why I love to read the books by Jennifer Rosen, for example. She is sassy, opinionated and entertaining. But her words are backed up by a sound knowledge of wine.

A large part of the information on Vinodiversity has been extracted from several key wine books. I have found these books useful. I hope you do too.

ChecK out these wine Books

Available from Book Depository I have long been a fan of rose wines,  and there are now plenty of good ones around.  Rose and rosado wines come in a whole range of styles: from pale pink to copper, bone dry to summer sweet, light and delicate to full and rich. In this fun, informative guide, Jennifer offers an enlightening history of the style, explains how it's made and surveys the countries and regions producing it today

New book for winelovers A fortnight's holiday among the vines convinces social planner Burt Surmon and his new wife Jeni to make a life-changing decision. They will quit the city grind to grow grapes, make wine, open a cellar door, art gallery and function centre. Forever optimistic, but largely ignorant of farming, Burt and Jeni begin a life of hard yakka. Available with Free delivery from Book Depository

Three Key books

These three books contain all you ever wanted to know about varieties

This is the third edition. Comprehensive, accurate and written by hundreds of experts

A mini-encyclopedia of varieties, smaller and less comprehensive but it contains useful information

The masterwork for varietal freaks 1,368 grape varieties described

Putting you in the picture 

Three atlases you need

By the top two wine writers in the UK. Click for Vinodiversity's review

The latest edition of this atlas with maps and plenty more

Not so much an atlas but it gives some concise info about some great wine regions

More wine books worth reading