cover image Oz Clarke's New Wine Atlas: Wines and Wine Regions of the World

Oz Clarke's New Wine Atlas: Wines and Wine Regions of the World

Oz Clarke. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (HMH), $75 (336pp) ISBN 978-0-15-100913-8

Wine writer Clarke helps direct armchair connoisseurs to the right vineyards in this revised second edition of his beautifully illustrated guide to the world's great wines. Country by country and region by region, Clarke leads the reader through each location via panoramic maps so meticulously rendered by Keith and Sue Gage that they often convey the feeling of viewing the countryside from a low-flying plane. Beginning with a succinct explanation of how climate, weather conditions and soil affect the growth and taste of grapes, Clarke then moves into a geographical consideration of wines all over the globe, from Austria to Bulgaria to California. With each region-be it the Rhone Valley in France or the Brunello di Montalcino in Italy-Clarke covers history, geography, origins, appellations and classifications. Illustrations inform the reader about soil types and land patterns and show where specific vineyards lie. His margins are filled with samples of wine labels, bottles, various charts of details, keys to the maps and more, all combining to make this first-person account a handsome and truly informative resource.