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The Sotheby's Wine Encyclopedia

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The Sotheby's Wine Encyclopedia
Company typeBook series
IndustryPublishing
Founded1988
FounderTom Stevenson
ProductsWine reference guide

Overview

The Sotheby's Wine Encyclopedia, authored by Tom Stevenson, is a comprehensive wine reference guide first published in 1988 by Dorling Kindersley. It has achieved global reach, with sales exceeding 600,000 copies and translations into 14 different languages.

The encyclopedia aims to document and detail "every appellation, official and unofficial,"[1] which numbered over 4,000 by 1997,[2] establishing it as a definitive resource within the wine industry. It is considered essential reading for professionals preparing for the Master of Wine, Master Sommelier, and Cape Wine Master certifications.[3][4] The book’s structure separates factual data, technical specifications, charts, and supplementary explanations from the main narrative, featuring profiles of close to 2,000 wineries,[2] alongside recommendations for more than 6,000 producers.[3][1]

Often mentioned alongside The Oxford Companion to Wine as a leading wine reference,[5] The Sotheby's Wine Encyclopedia, together with The World Atlas of Wine, ranks among the most prominent publications in the field today. Tim Atkin MW, wine correspondent for The Observer, regards it as one of the two most indispensable English-language wine references.[6] The San Francisco Chronicle review highlights its substantial weight of 5 pounds, 11 ounces and praises Stevenson's candid writing style complemented by subtle yet thought-provoking essays scattered throughout the volume.[7]

Editions

Originally released in 1988 under the name Sotheby's World Wine Encyclopedia, the book has undergone various updates in subsequent editions. The most significant update occurred in 1997, when the volume expanded from 480 to 600 pages.[2][8] In 1995, the title was modified to The New Sotheby's Wine Encyclopedia. The current title has been used since the 2005 edition, which featured extensive enhancements to winery ratings and introduced symbols to denote wineries practicing organic or biodynamic methods for the first time.

Criticism

Although some regard The Sotheby's Wine Encyclopedia as maintaining its status as "academically comprehensive,"[9] Neil Pendock, a South African wine journalist for The Times, criticized the 2007 edition for its omissions, inaccuracies, and outdated information regarding South African wines.[10][11] One disputed assertion is Stevenson's claim that "The development of [Pinotage] was supposed to provide Burgundy-like elegance in the baking vineyards of North Africa".[10] In his 2008 publication Sour Grapes, Pendock labeled The Sotheby's Wine Encyclopedia as "spectacularly error-prone".[12]

References

Footnotes
  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named swe05
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named swe97
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named swe07
  4. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named decajudg
  5. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named slate
  6. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named gua
  7. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named sfc
  8. ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2123: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  9. ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2123: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2123: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  11. ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2123: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  12. ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2123: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
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