Christopher Foulkes is General Editor of the Larousse Encyclopedia of Wine.
Interest in wine shows no signs of diminishing, and wine encyclopedias appear to be keeping pace. This latest, edited by a wine expert of almost two decades, focuses on European-primarily French-viticulture, with overviews of the Americas, Australia, New Zealand, and "the rest of the world." Each zone includes a discussion of its major wine producers, a map, photographs, and unique minutiae. Just as useful is the emphasis on self-education: reading labels; decanting, tasting, selecting, keeping, and serving wine; evaluating corkscrews and glasses; and forming wine and food partnerships. The section on wine-making is fascinating, and readers should find the page on ordering in restaurants very helpful. At the end, there are charts of vintages and of criteria and regulations for quality wine status. The seven pages of wine production statistics seem a bit removed from the book's more sensual purpose, and the glossary favors European spelling, e.g. "oenology." Nevertheless, this is a versatile addition to public libraries. [See also The Oxford Companion to Wine, LJ 12/94.-Ed.]-Wendy Miller, Lexington P.L., Ken.
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