Joelle Thomson delves into the latest edition of the book regarded as a “must-have” for wine lovers everywhere...

“A masterpiece, a magnum opus, a treasure trove, indispensable, a must have on every wine lover’s bookshelf, desk and coffee table...” The descriptions of the long awaited fifth edition of The Oxford Companion to Wine are, unsurprisingly universally flattering. So much so, that the 944-page book feels like a hefty weight of responsibility to any reviewer, even one who has followed this outstanding book from its inception in 1994 when Jancis Robinson, MW and OBE, was the sole editor.

The book has come a long way since then. Both the third and fourth editions were edited by both Jancis Robinson and fellow Master of Wine, Julia Harding. This issue has seen the biggest style departure yet, as Robinson has handed the vast majority of editorial over to Harding, who chose Tara Q Thomas as her assistant editor. 

The three writers, editors and co-conspirators on the new tome have surpassed the million-word mark for the first time in this fifth edition, which has 100 new expert contributors and 4,100 entries, including 272 new ones.

The new Companion feels as substantial to read as it is to hold – all 3.2kgs of it. New entries include Estonia, Latvia, and Finland, Gabon, Senegal, and Uganda. North American wine is given greater depth than previously, along with Mexico. There is information on DNA profiling of wine grape varieties too, no doubt helped by Robinson and Harding’s painstaking work on their other impressively hefty tome, Wine Grapes, which they co-edited with José Vouillamoz.

The chemistry of winemaking and how it affects taste is featured, along with trends, the history of screwcaps and a subtle sprinkling of dry humour, which makes all the incredibly complex material a lot more readable and digestible.

The first edition of The Oxford Companion to Wine was published in 1994 and won every major wine book award, including the Glenfiddich and James Beard awards, as well as writer and Woman of the Year accolades for Robinson, both in the United Kingdom and in the United States. 

Impressive as that first edition was, I am in awe of this new release. The sheer depth of information contained within the entries (even those that are relatively brief) makes for impressive reading that inspires ‘lightbulb moments’ and is easy to retain, due to the accessible writing.

The Oxford Companion to Wine – Fifth Edition (Oxford University Press). Available in hardback and e-book.

Joelle Thomson is a journalist, wine writer and author.

joellethomson.com