Jancis Robinson's In-Depth Guide to Becoming a Wine Expert in 24 Hours

Dorothea C.: I really like the tone of the book -- not snooty at all -- a short, easy read little book for basic concepts and the most commonly used grapes. A good value and a good way to see whether you are interested in learning more.

There was more info on European wines and less on those of other continents. Not surprising, since viticulture flowered in Europe and we all need to learn about those wine traditions. Those of us mainly interested in drinking wines produced on a different continent will need to find up-to-date info elsewhere.

United States on Oct 14, 2022

tony: LIked the cover but unless you only want a very basic knowledge this isn't much good. I skipped a lot of pages. She says to drink whatever wine you prefer with food and not bother with 'pairings' by experts. Then produces a lump of wasted pages on doing just that. If you are totally ignorant then its a start but you'll knock it off (reading) in a few hours, if that.

United Kingdom on Feb 08, 2021

Amazon Customer: After reading this book I’ll feel a lot more confident in buying wine. This book helps build a framework for understanding wine basics and what exactly you’re looking at in a wine shop.

United States on Apr 27, 2020

Abhinav Prakash: This book explain wide number of topics related to wine in brief. This book is basically for beginners who just want intro about various topics not for sommelier or anyone who want in depth knowledge.

India on Mar 15, 2020

silverships: This book, paired with a more general beginner wine book (wine for dummies, wine folly) would be ideal. It’s enlightening to hear the opinions of a wine master, someone who is passionate and knowledgeable. However, I found conflicting statements & opinions after reading several wine books, so in the end you have to make up your own mind about some things. But this compact, vividly written book is a perfect quick read to add to your wine library.

United States on Jul 17, 2019

Aakaasha: As a wine novice who has on again, of again tried to study up on the topic, I found this book quite good as a refresher. But it also provided me with some good insights and grounding should I find time now to delve deeper finally.

United Kingdom on Jan 03, 2019

Amazon Customer: Anyone who likes wine but doesn't know much about it should read this book as it will enhance your enjoyment of wine and help you buy better wine for the same money. Won't make you an expert but will teach you more than most people know about wine. Great gift for people who know nothing about wine but want a solid basis for further learning. Book basically makes you not sound like an idiot. So it's like a For Dummies book, but written by the most respected wine critic in the world.

United States on Sep 01, 2017

Henry Quekett: Jancis Robinson is perhaps most famous for producing the "Wine Atlas" with Hugh Johnson which remains one of the most famous wine books, and an absolute essential for any enthusiast and professional alike.

In this much shorter and briefer text, Robinson does briefly introduce the key grapes and their distinguishing characteristics as well as introducing you to some of the most important wine regions from around the world. However the book is not aimed at those hoping to extend their wine knowledge but attempts to act as first entry point to those new to the subject.

Robinson does a good job of managing to fit such a expansive and complex subject into such a small volume, briefly touching upon many of the key points in the field. However, don't expect to have all your questions answered, as if you are anything like me, you will be left asking questions and wishing to further explore the subject.

United Kingdom on Sep 10, 2016

Josh: Jancis Robinson has out-done herself here. This book is like a plot outline of a play... it gives you just enough to let you know what to expect. It was never intended to be the last word in wine books, but it beats most of the ones I have read on giving the basics of whatever the topic is. It is a great book for giving "thumbnail" introductions to grapes, regions, wine rules, etc. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Thank you.

United States on Jun 19, 2016

thecosmicbartender: This is designed for the absolute beginner - whereas Hugh Johnson's guide can be somewhat intimidating and can assume a level of knowledge, thereby challenging the new wannabe wine lover, this book is a good introduction for those who might want to learn from scratch or might wish to revisit, take a step back or simply confirm their own personal beliefs namely that you don't need to spend £25 on a bottle for it to be good. If you know what you are looking for and have a budget in mind Ms Robinson gives common sense advice to assist you through the sometimes pretentious quagmire of wine purchasing.

This review is based upon my husband's report - I don't drink as such - I taste it from time to time. We have now amassed a small collection of wine related publications and to be honest you really don't need many to build a reasonable selection - for the price this book, the annual Hugh Johnson and another one I reviewed about wine biorythms (if you click my name and look at my reviews you'll see it there) are probably all you need.

Consequently I've now converted part of the basement of the house into a wine cellar for my husband and bought him a wine kit so he gets the...

United Kingdom on Feb 29, 2016