Rating: 
Summary: The Curious Grape
Review: Although there is little I can add to what previous reviewers have stated I did want to say that, once again, Hugh Johnson has put together THE perfect wine reference guide for beginners...and beyond! The book is truly all encompassing and for those of you who are just starting out on the road to understanding wines and Viticulture you will no doubt find this book an indispensable guide! As far as the book itself... it is layed out extremely well for quick and easy reference points and can be digested in small doses as the reader sees fit. There truly is a tremendous amount of knowledge encapsualted so you wish to take it oh so slowly.Plus, I found even the basic info i.e. serving temp.,wine-tasting,storage and even influence of soil to be helpful. Keeping your knowledge of the basics in this field current is still so important to all...not just the beginner. And, of course the photographs are very well done plus including the atlas was simply indispensable as well. Very well-done!! And, just to nit-pick,I found the reproductions of older wine lables to be extremely interesting and helpful as well. I simply don't know where I could locate this much valuable information in any other single source. Altogether, a wonderful guide you'll find yourself turning to again...and again. Plus, it makes a wonderful gift! So you may wish to pick up a copy,at a price, I feel,that is budget concious, seeing at how much useful information is contained between the covers.A guide for all those who truly love wines and the mysteries that surround them! Enjoy!!
Rating:
Summary: Required Reading
Review: As a wine professional in San Francisco I recommend this book to anyone who has considered taking their beginning wine appreciation to the next level. It is a visually engaging and accurate resource, there are dozens of comprehensive maps, and relevent information on virtually all of the world's wine regions. If one is looking for something more intuitive and accessible than the Oxford Companion, this is a great choice.
Rating: 
Summary: How to cram the most information into the fewest pages
Review: As the other reviewers have also stated, this book has a tremendous amount of information on making wine, the geological conditions for each wine region of the world, detailed maps, and a good indication of the top tier of wines from each region. The problem is the typefaces that are used throughout the book. I'm 43 and my eyes aren't that bad, yet I found myself very fatigued after only a few minutes of reading this book because the fonts are miniscule. That may not sound very important, but I actually had to get a brighter lamp and some reading glasses just to be able to extend my reading sessions with the book. I suspect this is because the publisher wanted to minimize the cost of publishing this volume and 'microprint' was a way to accopmlish that. This significantly dampened my enjoyment of the book. The publisher should be embarassed. You would think publishers would remember Doubleday's fiscal problems caused when they started cutting manufacturing/printing corners in the eighties.
Rating:
Summary: Best all-around wine book; has stayed the course over years.
Review: Everything you need to know to get you started, to develop you, to polish you, and then to guide you to where the best wines of the world are produced. Crisply, sensibly, eruditely written. The perfect wine book; the only book I religiously update when new editions are released. Hugh Johnson is simply the best.
Rating:
Summary: the world atlas of wine
Review: Good, but not as in depth as Sotheby's Wine Encyclopedia. Many typos. The section on Cote Chalonnais is cut off and the begining is repeated. Nice photos.
Rating:
Summary: Excellant All-in-One Guide
Review: Great book which does a lot more than adorn your coffee table.
Excellant reference.
Rating:
Summary: The Definitive Reference for Wine
Review: Have you ever found the perfect book for a hobby that answers all of your questions? Not likely...but Hugh Johnson's World Atlas of Wine gets very close to being the definitive reference for the subject of wine. The 5th edition is my third copy!!! If you have at least one drop of "wine geek" in you, then you will love this book. It's a great reference for both the mildly curious and the die-hard enthusiast.
Rating:
Summary: The best single-volume cover-it-all wine book I know of!
Review: Hugh Johnson - the man whose writing has drawn more people to wine loving than anyone else I know of - has done a great job covering (in one volume!) both the essentials of wine making and wine drinking together with a detailed survey of all the important wine regions of the world. The book is stuffed with pictures, illustrations and maps.
Rating:
Summary: This Atlas Doesn't Shrug
Review: I just got my copy, my tome, in the mail, and I immediately went to the sections that were reported as missing or flawed by some of the other reviewers here, and I'm glad to say that the section on Cote Chalonnaise in my book was not cut off nor was the beginning reprinted again on the two pages. There was no printing error, so I don't know what that reviewer was talking about. Besides, printing errors don't detract from this awesome book that serves as an important reference to any wine expert or wannabe, like you and me, who loves great wines from all over the world. This will be my reference of choice until I find a better one, and I don't expect the search to end tomorrow. This is a highly useful book and well worth the price.
Rating:
Summary: I thought it was okay
Review: I was a bit overwhelmed with the geography aspect of the book, but then again, it is a wine atlas. I would have liked a better listings of what wines to look for instead of the few that were given. If you are a beginner and would like a very good book that holds your attention, refer to the Windows on the World Complete Wine Course for 2003.
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