Lavishly illustrated, with over 200 black and white pictures, 31 full color plates, and 31 maps of every wine region in the world, the Companion is the only wine volume to combine science, history, geography, wine varieties, social and cultural information, and much more. Ranging from Abruzzi and armagnac to Zimbabwe and Zinfandel, from Dionysian revels in ancient Greece to today's leading wine research centers, its 4,000 alphabetically arranged entries explore art aspects of wine, intruding the latest advances in viticulture and enology. There are in-depth discussions of the climates and grape varieties of great wine regions of the world, and numerous biographies ranging from Dom Perignon to Robert Parker. The book discusses vintner's terms, business and legal aspects, and related topics such as fortified wines. Art technical terms are fully explained, and the hundreds of useful, drawings and photographs illustrate key processes. New features include a guide to geographical, names, a vintage chart, an overview of wine prices and investment, and a navigation chart to the Companion.

The ultimate reference on wine and wine-making, The Oxford Companion to Wine is the perfect volume to enhance a lifetime's enjoyment of this intoxicating topic.