Wine books fall into simple categories.
1) Books for geeks – stuffed with technical information, poorly written, and boring to most readers.
2) Silly attempts to “demythologize” or “take the snobbism out of” wine – the what-wine-to-drink- with-what-food books really dominate this category.
3) Reference works – the really good ones make up most of my own bookshelf.
4) History/Human interest – fun to read if well done, though they don’t really add to your wine tasting ability.
5) Practical guidebooks for those wishing to tour wine country. These are gold, when the writer has truly logged the miles and done his/her homework. Back in the 1980s, the chroniclers of choice for the Northwest were Ronald and Glenda Holden, whose “Touring the NW Wine Country” books – first separate for Oregon and Washington, then combined – offered a gracious mix of history, personality, practical information, and savvy wine analysis. I still use them today when researching long-forgotten wineries and vineyards.