Oz Clarke's Pocket Wine Guide 2003

Clarke, a columnist for Wine Enthusiast, presents a fully updated and alphabetized catalog of vineyards, grapes and growing regions in the latest edition of his annual wine guide. Although informative-detailing everything from recent climate changes in New Zealand to the correct wines to drink with game birds-the guide does suffer from tiny print and an almost maniacal attention to detail. It relies on a star-based rating system; the one-star Kenwood Sauvignon Blanc ""highlights floral and melon flavours with a slightly earthy finish,"" while the three-star Romanee Conti Grand Cru burgundy is described as ""the pinnacle."" It's unclear exactly who this guidebook is for: some of the information is appropriate for a reader who's never even seen a wine list before, while other descriptions seem geared toward experienced-even fanatic-oenophiles. But the breadth of this tiny guide is such that it provides a real wine education for anyone willing to squint.