French Wines: The Essential Guide to the Wines and Wine Growing Regions of France Paperback by Robert F. Joseph and Robert Joseph (DK)

While attempting to purchase a number of interesting and fine wines for my brother for Christmas and finding my knowledge of the subject lacking in almost every way, I purchased this book as it seemed to possess everything I was looking for in a fine presentation with plenty of much needed photographs. For me, visting a wine shop is a dangerous endeavor; I am dually susceptible to selecting and suspicious of the wine merchant's recommendations. After researching some fantastically priced wines on the FinestWine.com website, I took my list to my local store and was sorely disappointed. Since none of the wines I had researched were available, I needed to start at square one and did not have a square one to jump on. This book provided one. It tutored me regarding label so that I could get more grape and taste for my buck. By depicting in full color the actual labels produced by the various chateaus along with a succinct description of the producer's quality, yield, climate, soil, grape varieties, styles, longevities, etc, I was able to make some great selections.

The book is divided into the different varieties of wine based on region: Alsace & Lorraine, Bordeaux, Burgundy, etc and is further exemplified by the various appellations and recommendations regarding producers and good vintages. Each of the ten regions begins with pages about the region with a drivng tour and ends with a discussion of the region's food partnerships and tasting tips. I would imagine that this would serve well on one of the popular wine tours of France.

The book begins with some rudimentary information regarding the process of winemaking, label reading, red and white wine differences, starting a cellar, wine and food . . . it is extremely comprehensive and yet fits well into the 240+ page format --- every page filled with glossy photographs and interesting sidebars.

If you enjoy the popular DK city/region/country travel books, you will equally enjoy this. I recommend this highly for anyone who wants to indulge in a small book with a huge amount of information.