It must be difficult, fifth time around, to recreate a classic. This time, however, the indefatigable Jancis Robinson has teamed with, or as I suspect virtually taken over from, Hugh Johnson with the latest edition of the must-have The World Atlas of Wine. I’ve spent several hours browsing through this update, which amply justifies its billing of being a genuine upgrade. While the heart and soul of Johnson’s lyrical prose is retained, Robinson has added her own impressions here and there. Furthermore, the maps have been tidied up, especially for New World countries, and thirty new ones have been added. The atlas is as now as strong in places like Italy and the US as it has traditionally been with France and Germany. More than just an atlas, the book serves very well indeed as a genuine wine primer (albeit an expensive one) for someone wanting a reliable place to initiate an interest in wine. The substantial introductory sections that comprise the volume’s first fifty pages are as good a presentation of down-to-earth educational wine communication as you can buy. Additionally, the introductions to the various wine regions around the world, their accompanying photography and cartography serves the beginner’s curiosity as well as it does the enthusiast’s fondness for detail. So, there’s no justification whatsoever in not buying this book for someone on the basis that they’re ‘not ready for it yet’. It costs $79.95 for a copy of The World Atlas of Wine, ie not enough to buy two bottles of half-decent pinot noir. I don’t think it’s possible to think of a better way to cultivate or improve an interest in wine than by doing so.
