More Reading on Australian Wine

Oz Clarke’s Australian Wine Companion, Oz Clarke, Harcourt, Inc., New York, 2004, paperback, 168 pp, $19.95. As the subtitle states, “An Essential Guide for all Lovers of Australian Wine,” this is a first-rate volume on the many wines and producers throughout Australian There are succinct overviews of the different wine producing regions, lists of classic wines to try from each region, and short summaries of the major producers including many colorful reproductions of labels.

Australia’s Liquid Gold, Nicholas Faith, Mitchell Beazley, 2003, paperback, 272 pp, $29.95. An account of the growth of the Australian wine industry from its origins to the present day. Included are tales of pioneering wine doctors of the 1800s who grew grapes in Australia.

Wine Atlas of Australia, James Halliday, University of California Press, Berkeley, hardbound, 303 pp, $45. Halliday is considered THE authority on Australian wine and is revered for his opinions in Australia. This is a serious book with extensive maps and coverage of the topography, climate and geology of all of the major winegrowing areas of Australia. Beautiful photographs of vineyards are included throughout. Short snippets about major producers in each region are included with signature wines of each winemaker emphasized. The maps are extensive.