Christie's World Encyclopedia of Champagne & Sparkling Wine

by Tom Stevenson

The first in-depth guide to sparkling wines of the world from Champagne to California, Italy to Australia and beyond. In time for the Millennium when Champagne is expected to dominate all celebrations and may even be in short supply! A fascinating first section describes the history of sparkling wine and proves beyond any doubt that it was the English rather than the French who first produced a fizzy wine. The main body of the encyclopedia is devoted to profiles of the world's sparkling wine producers accompanied by tasting notes, recommendations for drinking and good value for your money. Another section lists the author's personal selection of sparkling wines to drink for the Millennium. 280 x 216 mm. Beautifully illustrated and designed with over 600 full color photographs and illustrations, this is the ultimate book for those who love the good things in life and who want to discover the best to welcome in the year 2000. 280 x 216 mm, maps.

Genres: Wine, Reference

336 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1987

Reviews

[Tonari · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really love Tom Stevenson, his books are very entertaining and this one is no exception. You start reading and it is so interesting and stimulating that you come back again and again. My only doubt is: is this really an encyclopedia? I mean the author goes very deep for wines that he considers good, but dismiss in few words others that he doesn't like, with the exception of the Jacques Selosse entry, which can be summarized in "Well I don't understand all the fuss, but... here it is!" More than objectively reporting, he judges (wines, regions, practices, market trends etc) and that is why one should also refer to other sources before drawing conclusions.
But this style is also what makes the book interesting and sets it apart from the others. Just I would call it a buying guide more than an encyclopedia.