The Wine Bible

by Karen MacNeil Workman Publishing Company, 910 pp., $19.95 (paper)

Karen MacNeil is the director of the wine program at the Culinary Institute of America in Napa Valley, Calif. We love the approach of her new book, not the least because we share her thoughts about wine. “To me, it’s a way — quite possibly the most pleasurable way — of understanding history, experiencing culture and exalting in cuisine,” is the way she states it.

The Wine Bible doesn’t attempt to look at every wine in the world. She doesn’t have the space, even at 910 pages. In terms of individual wines, she uncovers very few rarities and mostly focuses on the conventional choices at the higher end of the price scale. Her approach is country by country, touching on grapes, climates, styles, local social customs, gastronomy, and historic uses. Virtually every wine-producing nation in the world is included and given sufficient space. But she offers more detail than a beginner would want and less than an expert would need. However, if you find yourself in the middle ground — knowledgeable and interested, but not an authority — this is an exceptional book at a very reasonable price.

This article appears in December 7 • 2001.

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Wes Marshall is the author of What's a Wine Lover To Do? (Artisan) and The Wine Roads of Texas (Maverick), as well as the Executive Producer of the PBS television series of the same name. Wes has written for The Austin Chronicle since 1999, covering wine, cocktails, food, and travel.