There is nothing more gratifying than finding a book that you enjoy reading. When the content focuses on learning more about a topic you love, wine, it is a double benefit. If you've bought books about any subject you know that not all writers are equal. Below are some books we purchased, read, and deem exceptional.

	The Emperor of Wine : The Rise of Robert M. Parker, Jr. and the Reign of American Taste by Elin McCoy This book is not only a chronological account of Robert Parker's journey to become the most powerful wine critic in the world, it is also an account of the evolution of the American wine industry. The book starts out portraying a young Parker with no wine knowledge during the nineteen sixties. Parker hones his wine tasting skills and establishes the Wine Advocate with the history of the American wine market as a backdrop. It is an invaluable portrait of the who's who of wine spanning the last four decades. If you want to know more about wine, this book is a great historical look at our modern times. -BF Top
	The Complete Idiot's Guide To Wine Basics Tara Q. Thomas This a fantastic book for anyone interested in wine at any level of knowledge. I found it very easy to read, yet packed full of details and useful information. You can open this book to any page, read a few paragraphs, and find yourself completely entertained. Her style is simple, yet thorough; she leaves no gaps in the information presented. There is a light-hearted and humorous facet to this book that makes it hard to put down. Thomas offers a few tricks for remembering the information presented. I love to flip through the book just to read the sidebars. A must for any wine savvy library. -BF Top

	The Wine Bible by Karen MacNeil This book has become one of our favorite references. It does a good job of giving a history of all the wine producing areas of the world and focuses on the well known as well as the smaller production wines. This has become one of my favorite references. MacNeil's prose is eloquent; her explanations and the way she organizes the information makes you wish you had written the book yourself. It is a comprehensive book from a global standpoint and does a good job covering most regions. -BF Top

	The New Spain by John Radford The first time I met Eric Solomon he was presenting his Spanish portfolio to a group of wine salespersons. Part of his presentation included a slide show of Spain. One of the first slides in his presentation was a photograph of this book. He remarked how it captured the new spirit of Spanish wine and referred to the country itself as The New Spain. I can take that comment further by saying it is a must if you want to learn about Spain's history. The book is well written and makes sense of Spain's winemaking history from the time of the Moors, through the time of Columbus, to the infestation of phyloxera at the turn of the twentieth century and on into the present. Beautiful photographs grace the pages of this book. A great primer for travel in Spain. Well written, it would make a wonderful gift for any wine lover. Top

	Wine for Dummies by Ed McCarthy, Mary Ewing-Mulligan This is a great primer for the novice wine drinker or for the person that wants to sharpen their wine vocabulary. It offers recommendations on particular wine labels and touches on all the major wine regions. Written in the Dummies style, McCarthy and Ewing-Mulligan offer a delightful look at wine basics. A great gift for someone new to drinking and understanding wine. -BF Top

	Vino Italiano, The Regional Wines of Italy by David Lynch, Joseph Bastianich I can imagine how much fun these gentlemen had touring Italy and writing this book. You can feel the relaxed tone in the beginning as each wine region is introduced. They include quaint stories about colorful locals who escort them about, who show the writers the true flavor of Italian wines and Italian culture. This book also touches on Italy's history, but from the modern timeline. It discusses important events in Italy's recent history that inhibited and then later allowed Italy to experience her true potential. A wonderful reference book for anyone interested in learning more about Italian wine. A great primer for any oenophile planning on exploring Italy. -BF Top