Reddit reviews The Oxford Companion to Wine

Here's a few books I've found useful:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0520276892/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?qid=1404722183&sr=8-2&pi=SY200_QL40

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0198609906/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?qid=1404722276&sr=8-3&pi=SY200_QL40

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1845336895/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?qid=1404722276&sr=8-2&pi=SY200_QL40

When you sign up for the Level I course, you'll receive a copy of Sales and Service for the Wine Professional by Brian Julyan. Much of the Level I course will be taught from this book, so it will be helpful to familiarize yourself with it.

I'm a big fan of the World Atlas of Wine by Hugh Johnson and Janis Robinson, since it focuses on regions and appellations and explores wine from there. Great for getting to know the smaller sub-regions that you'll be expected to know for future exams.

I also have a copy of the Oxford Companion to Wine by Janis Robinson. It's more of a reference manual than a book you can read straight through, but if you come across a term or a region you're unfamiliar with, this will be a great reference.

I also recommend Karen McNeil's Wine Bible and Wine for Dummies for a more conversational, digestible overview of wine. They won't delve too deeply into the Master-Level details, but for Levels I and II, they'll help immensely.

See this link for the Level I syllabus and recommended reading list from the Court of Masters. Hope that helps out. I took and passed Level I about two years ago, and will be sitting for Level II this year. PM me if you have specific questions about the test. Level I is pretty easy if you've been working with wine for a while, so October/November should be an attainable goal.

General Reference:

Wine Atlas

Oxford Companion

Windows on the World

Specific Reference:

Vino Italiano

Wines of Rioja

Chateauneuf-du-Pape

General Reading:

Wine and War

Adventures on the Wine Route

Liquid Memory

Billionaire's Vinegar

Judgment of Paris

On the offchance you haven't discovered WLTV yet... go there. Now.

If you're just starting off, it is a great source of quotable info that will help you "fake it till ya make it" so to speak.

See if your employer will let you expense educational materials. I'd recommend the Oxford Companion to Wine as a great general reference book. Not something you can read cover-to-cover, but if you happen across a term or a region that you don't know, it will be in there.

Your priorities:

1. Learn HOW its made. Don't overlook a single step. You need to be unquestionably good when it comes to the basics. Remember that everything is a variation on what is ostensibly a simple chemical reaction. Once you have the basics of production down solid, you'll be able to incorporate other knowledge easily because you'll see how it fits in.
   
   
2. GEOGRAPHY CLASS. Learn your AOCs and your IGTs. This is a lifetime pursuit, so start with the important ones. Learn Bordeaux, Burgundy, Napa, Piedmont and their sub-regions. From there, take a look and see what your store seems to specialize in.
   
   Don't forget to take advantage of your co-workers, distributor/importer reps, and even your customers. Be inquisitive. And most importantly, taste LOTS of juice. That is the best part, after all.
   
   Remember, it's just grape juice \^_^

I've been looking for something similar. I have read Tasting Beer and am currently reading Tasting Whiskey. I love the format of both of them.

Most wine books I've found are much easier to read by section as a reference than to read straight through. If you've looked at the Oxford Companion to Beer, a lot of them are kind of like that (and not just the Oxford Companion to Wine).

In order of most narrative to most reference I recommend:

Wine for Dummies (not kidding, nor to be confused with An Idiot's Guide to Wine)

Kevin Zraly's Windows on the World Complete Wine Course (reminds me of Bernstein's Complete Beer Course)

The Wine Bible

The World Atlas of Wine

The Oxford Companion to Wine

I once tried to read A Beer Drinker's Guide to Knowing and Enjoying Fine Wine. I couldn't read much of it because its tone seemed a little too... forced conversational.