Just to keep things simple for you, I’d like to provide you with my go-to list of resources for all things wine.
These are the books and material that I rely on for building my wine education, and hopefully they can be of interest to you too!
Some are super simple, breaking things down to the basics, while others offer a much deeper dive.
I will update this page as I add resources to my own library, so please, don’t hesitate to share you favourites with me as well!
Pro tip: If you would like to purchase any of these resources, clicking on the image will direct you to an Amazon link. Easy-peasy!
Wine Folly: The Master Guide, Magnum Edition, by Madeline Puckette and Justin Hammack
This was the first wine reference book I bought and it’s still one of my absolute favourites.
I am very much a visual learner, and I love getting familiar with the big picture before filling in all the nuanced details. This book feels like it was *made* for my brain.
All of the material is presented in a straight forward manner and is accompanied by beautiful graphics. It’s certainly not your typical text book.
It covers the basics of wine, food pairing, different grape varietals, and wine regions.
It’s honestly my go-to whenever I am first starting to study a subject because I know it will give me the baseline information that I need to get started, in an easily digestible format that I can build upon.
If you are looking for a great book to start out with (or a gift for a wine-loving friend), then I highly recommend this one.
Side note: Wine Folly also has a fantastic blog and various associated social media accounts. Check those out too, so you can learn on the go!
The 24 Hour Wine Expert, by Jancis Robinson
Jancis Robinson is a world-renowned wine expert and is responsible for quite a few books on this list!
I picked this little starter guide up from the Osoyoos Tourism gift shop the last time I was in the Okanagan, and it has turned out to be quite the handy little gem.
It’s small enough that I can easily toss it in my suitcase without worrying about overweight fees at the airport, for starters.
And it covers everything from the basics of wine, tips for selecting wine from a wine list or retailer, how to taste, pairings, specific bottle suggestions, wine myths, essential tools, and of course grape varietals and regions.
If you’re looking for a good travel companion, this one is my top pick.
The New Wine Lover’s Companion, by Ron Herbst and Sharon Tyler Herbst
This is another smaller scale resource, but it’s a little too fat to fit in your pocket!
It’s jam packed with valuable information on all things wine, and is conveniently organized in alphabetical order.
I love how easy and quick it is to look something up if I don’t want to be overwhelmed with info, but I still need to know the basics.
The Wine Bible, by Karen MacNeil
I’ll be honest, I only picked this one up because the main character in “Uncorked” carries it around with him constantly. But now that I own it, I can see why!
This is a true wine text book, that brings me back to my university days – thin paper, text crammed closely together, but brimming with valuable information. I feel like I need to highlight every line!
And even better, it’s not nearly as “dry” as your typical textbook. The writing is still easy to digest and there are quite a few witty gems hiding in there.
In addition to all of the basics provided in the first two books, this text takes a much deeper dive into 20 prominent wine countries and their regions.
It even covers off various wine laws and glossaries of important terms in each country.
If you really want to nerd out while learning where your wine comes from, this is the book for you.
The World Atlas of Wine, 8th Edition, by Hugh Johnson and Jancis Robinson
It there was room on my coffee table, this would be the book I would lay out to impress my guests.
This massive bad boy is an absolute tome of information paired with incredibly detailed maps of 34 different wine countries, notable regions within them, and even breaks things down into sub-regions.
Oh yeah, and it’s still got all of your usual basic topics, as well as goes into detail on factors that roll into terroire.
If you’re at the point in your wine education where you want to know how the sun and the weather and the soil and the altitude and everything else affect the wines made in specific regions, then this is an incredible resource.
I plan on using this bad boy to dream up all of my future wine tasting trips…
The Oxford Companion to Wine, by Jancis Robinson
This in another giant tome, either for your coffee table or a sturdy shelf.
I really like the way this book is organized alphabetically. Despite the vast amount of material, it makes it super easy to find the information you are looking for. A great all-encompassing reference book to have on hand.
Wine and Spirit Educational Trust (WSET) Materials
I currently hold my WSET Level 2 certification (with distinction). The textbook for Level 2 “Wines: Looking Behind the Label” has been a fantastic resource.
In 2019, I took the Level 1 course and have retained that material for my reference library as well.
If you are interested in not only expanding your wine knowledge, but earning a world-renowned accreditation to prove it, then I highly recommend taking one of their courses.
They have four different levels of selection, ranging from a one day beginning course, to a full diploma program, so you can find whatever suits your current level of interest.
It also gives you a great opportunity to meet fellow wine-lovers living in your area! You don’t have to be a wine professional to take these courses. In both of my experiences, the majority have been casual wine-drinkers looking to expand their knowledge, although it does get more serious moving up the ladder.
Shout out to Fine Vintages, the company that runs the WSET courses in the Edmonton, AB, area! Check them out here.
2021 Certified Specialist of Wine Study Guide, from the Society of Wine Educators
This is my next wine education challenge: to become a Certified Specialist of Wine. I’m not sure yet when I’ll be ready to take the test, but I’m shooting for sometime this year (2022), maybe in the summer.
I love that their text book (and accompanying workbook) are available on Amazon. And you don’t need to be registered for an exam in order to buy it!
What I’m Reading Next:
I’m really trying to get better at blind tasting, so I’ve picked up these books and will be going through them in much more depth throughout the year. They aren’t my usual resources, but they sure are fascinating!
Click image to purchase on Amazon
