The first edition of The World Atlas of Wine was a publishing landmark when it appeared in 1971. It married the clarity and precision of fine cartography to wine and its pleasure for the first time. It gave a unique graphic key to the familiar and unfamiliar names on labels; the relationship between vineyards and villages and their landscapes, their terroirs, became visible and memorable. As wine has evolved over half a century, growing in quality and in the vitalo " sense of place", maps have more to offer than ever to anyone eager to understand its essential complexities. The result: the book has been translated into 15 languages, sold 4,7 million copies, and is recognized as the most authoritative and essential guide to wine geography ever published. This completely updated eight edition will introduce new readers to the world of wine and take old friends in new territories.
The global scene has changed in many ways since the last edition of the Atlas of 2013. The effects of climate change, moves towards sustainability, and a raft of new techniques and tastes in wine styles and winemaking are all reflected in this new edition. The entirely revamped opening pages provide a guide to those topics of most pressing interest to today's wine drinkers. Few regions are unaffected by recent radical progress in wine science and the new text reviews what is important, and which producers are setting the pace.
Throughout the Atlas key regional information on terroir, climate and grape varieties is summarized in new introductory "nutshells". The atlas is renowned for its superlative cartography; this eighth edition has 230 unique detailed maps of the world's wine landscape, including specially created soli maps, helping readers to understand the link between the wine and their source. And new annotations points to producers, places and features of particular interest on the maps. Hugh Johnson and Jancis Robinson, the world's most respected wine-writing duo, have joined forces once more to create a classic that will satisfy every wine lover's thirst for knowledge and bring readers right up to date with the world of wine.
