I bought the first edition of this incredible tome in 2015. As an ardent winelover for the past fifty years, I fully appreciate the dedication and passion that went into writing it. But MacNeil didn’t just write it, she submitted the chapters to literally dozens of experts in their specialty for review. That is how it took TEN years to write!
How good was it? Good enough to take a two pound book with me to the Basque Country of Spain!
I own more than a dozen wine books, most of which gather dust on my bookshelf…not that one, it is a constant companion!
Imagine, a book that took TEN years to write, TEN years ago, and is still valuable. Wait, isn’t that a bible?
If you read the Amazon reviews of it, you will find only two complaints: when will she write a new edition, and the weight. Oh, one more: why nothing on Temecula wines?
Finally, ten years and 4,000 pages of manuscript later, we got our wish…and more, because of all the changes, THE most valuable is the Kindle edition! Portable, quick and easy to search, and dozens of other new features.
As a wine advocate and aficionado who is a blogger and is working on a book project on wine, or more accurately the passion of the people who make them, this is a huge help to me.
I have been asked what wines I would take if I was going to a deserted island. I cannot narrow the list down, but as for what wine book I would take, this is it!
Oh, and even Temecula gets mentioned, as well as upcoming regions like Slovenia!
Thank you, Karen!

The Wine Bible is positioned between Dummies guide and reference books such as Sotheby’s Wine EncyclopediaSotheby’s Wine Encyclopedia. The book is packed with useful wine knowledge and their colourful history. Important wine terms and facts were highlighted in boxes. Introduction to local food and their pairings were also included in most famous wine regions.

The latest update reflected today’s wine market. As wine drinkers become more adventurous, the Wine Bible offered handy introduction to new wine producing regions such as Slovenia, Georgia (not exactly a new region), and even Asian countries.

The Wine Bible was good in describing different wine styles but it did not recommend enough actual wine brands to try.

Karen MacNeil has an incredible gift in conveying the facts about wine in such an eloquent manner. She blends together the facts, geography, people, and most importantly the wines of the world in a way like no one else does.

I picked up the first edition of her book years ago when I started my career in wine and the new, improved, updated addition has proved to be the perfect supplement as I study for my CSW.