Reddit reviews World Atlas of Wine

The World Atlas of Wine

has been an invaluable resource to me in my wine journey.

For overall wine knowledge: World Atlas of Wine is a wonderful resource and looks nice on your coffee table :) You'll learn a lot, and can reference it for specific things that come up.

Since you'll be working for a local winery, though, you're probably not going to be getting questions about how the presence of oyster shells in the soil affects the taste of Chablis. Your customers (ie: restaurants, stores) are going to want to know about your product. So read up on any literature the winery has to offer, and talk to as many people as you can who work there. What is the production process like? Are the grapes sourced from a single vineyard site? Is it aged in oak barrels, or stainless steel? What makes the wines stand out? How can I turn around and sell this to my customers?

Then as far as private events, I am 99% sure you'll get questions about food pairings. What should I serve with this? Would it work for Thanksgiving? So, do some research (tactile, sip and eat!) and get to know your product the same way your consumers will. Taste lots of other wines as well for comparisons. You'll probably hear something like, I typically drink Chardonnays, what would be similar?

And, most importantly, have fun! I used to have a blast running tastings, and I made the most sales by being friendly and willing to chat, and listen. As far as the lingo, you'll pick up on it the more you taste. It's an enjoyable challenge to describe sensory experience.

Hope that's helpful!

One of our mods - /u/ChampagneFloozy I believe currently works at an independent wine shop in NC and I'm sure would be able to help select some interesting bottles.

For a start on a book collection, it's hard to go past something like The World Atlas of Wine. The Oxford Companion to Wine is another essential reference book, but probably due for an update sometime in the not too distant future.

I second Karen MacNeil's Wine Bible as a great place to start. At 900+ pages for the cost of an inexpensive bottle of wine, it's a bargain no aspiring cork dork shoild be without. I'd suggest getting stick-on thumb tabs and labeling each country chapter for fast reference. You don't have to attempt to tackle the whole thing like a novel. Just pick a region that interests you and really concentrate on learning that region by tasting along with reading. That, inevitably will lead to more specialized books and inquiries about specific regions and time periods. Even though it's only a dozen years old, the Wine Bible could already use an update, but IMO, it's still one of the best intro to wine books out there.

If you find yourself hooked on the regions and terrior and want lots more, another one for mapoholics that I'm really keen on is [The World Atlas of Wine]( http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1845333012/ref=mp_s_a_1?
pi=SL75&qid=1348009527&sr=8-1). You could think of it as a second year course, or a lifetime reference.

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