Wine is a complex and diverse subject, and there are many great books out there that explore its many facets. If you are looking for a book that is a great resource for understanding the basics of wine tasting or want to learn how to pair wine with food, then take a look at these books. You’re sure to find one that is of interest to you! 

Wine Folly: Magnum Edition: Master Guide

Wine Folly became a sensation for its inventive, easy-to-digest approach to learning about wine. Now in a new, expanded hardcover edition, Wine Folly: Magnum Edition is the perfect guide for anyone looking to take his or her wine knowledge to the next level. Wine Folly: Magnum Edition includes:

• more than 100 grapes and wines color-coded by style so you can easily find new wines you’ll love;
• a wine region explorer with detailed maps of the top wine regions, as well as up-and-coming areas such as Greece and Hungary;
• wine labeling and classification 101 for wine countries such as France, Italy, Spain, Germany, and Austria;
• an expanded food and wine pairing section;
• a primer on acidity and tannin–so you can taste wine like a pro;
• more essential tips to help you cut through the complexity of the wine world and become an expert.

Wine Folly: Magnum Edition is the must-have book for the millions of fans of Wine Folly and for any budding oenophile who wants to boost his or her wine knowledge in a practical and fun way. It’s the ultimate gift for any wine lover.

The Food and Wine Guide to Perfect Pairings

This guide to perfect pairings is the essential, must-have cookbook for wine lovers. With chapters arranged by the most popular wine types, this collection of outstanding recipes solves the What Do I Serve with This Wine? conundrum. You’ll find 15+ perfect dishes for each varietal—from Champagne and Chardonnay  to Rosé and Cabernet Sauvignon. Enjoy Ina Garten’s Crusty Baked Shells and Cauliflower with your Pinot Noir or Francis Ford Coppola’s Pizza Vesuvio with the Works with a nice bottle of Cabernet. This book guides you through choosing the ideal food pairing for any occasion as well as providing the key characteristics of varietals and the principles behind pairing them. With Food & Wine: Perfect Pairings, you’ll be as confident in your dish and drink couplings as the world’s greatest sommelier.

The Wine Bible

Comprehensive, entertaining, authoritative, and endlessly interesting, The Wine Bible is a lively course from an expert teacher, grounding the reader deeply in the fundamentals—vine-yards and varietals, climate and terroir, the nine attributes of a wine’s greatness—while layering on tips, informative asides, anecdotes, definitions, photographs, maps, labels, and recommended bottles. Discover how to taste with focus and build a wine-tasting memory. The reason behind Champagne’s bubbles. Italy, the place the ancient Greeks called the land of wine. An oak barrel’s effect on flavor. Sherry, the world’s most misunderstood and underappreciated wine. How to match wine with food—and mood. Plus everything else you need to know to buy, store, serve, and enjoy the world’s most captivating beverage.

The Essential Scratch & Sniff Guide to Becoming a Wine Expert: Take a Whiff of That

Richard Betts is one of fewer than two hundred master sommeliers in the world, but he’s no wine snob and he hates wine-speak. In the first book of its kind, he helps readers scratch and sniff their way to expertise by introducing the basic components of wine—the fruits, the wood, the earth—enabling anyone to discover the difference between a Syrah and a Sangiovese and get the glass they love every time. Humorously illustrated, with 16 scents, this irresistible gift puts the fun back in wine fundamentals.

Whether you consider yourself a wine expert, want to increase your knowledge, or you’re a complete beginner, these books will help you appreciate all that you love about wine. So pick one up, pour yourself a glass of your favorite wine, and read a few pages from one of these great books.

***All book descriptions courtesy of Amazon