Customer Reviews
Knows his stuff, but.... - By: johnverp, 16 Jun 2008 
Johnson clearly knows his stuff & he covers the world of wine pretty well given that this is a pocket-sized edition.
The book was too compact for me though & I think it suffers from too many abbreviations & too many bullet-point entries. I accept that your expectations shouldn't be too high if you are buying a compendium, as compromises do need to be made. For me, however, it was slightly difficult to find my way around & get the best out of what the book has to offer.
It must also be said that the editing & proof-reading were well below expectations and, indeed, very disappointing.
That said, you will still come away a lot wiser with this book so one important purpose is served.
In short, the work of a very knowledgeable writer could have been improved with a great deal more care & perhaps thought should be given to slightly re-designing future editions.
Very disappointing - unclear and too condensed - By: N. Byrne, 23 Apr 2008 
I reallly can't believe this book is number 1 for the wine category - I bought it because of the great reviews on here, but it sits on the shelf collecting dust.
This book isn't reallly a book to read - more a dictionary. It is very poorly designed & has way too many abbreviations. It is also a little misguiding with its cover note of 'Hugh selects over 200 personal favourites' - this basicallly means he underlines 200 wines mentioned throughout the book. It reallly tells you nothing about the actual wine itself.
Very unclear as a book as it is simply condensing alll it can into the smalllest possible space. The Juice by Matt Skinner or a full expanded wine encyclopedia are much better options.
Happy newcomer - By: M. Summerfield, 07 Feb 2008 
This is the first time I've bought the annual Hugh Johnson guide & it's a gem: clear, sensible, & down to earth. The genuine pocket size meant I was able to carry it round France for on-the-spot tips.
I do have a gripe & that is with the editing/proof reading. The typos are frequent & irritating. E.g., wines that are "recommended as first choice for drinking in 2005", the 0-20 rating system that goes up to 21.5, & cross-references to other page numbers that are often incorrect. The typos make the book look like a rushed patch-up of previous years.
HOWEVER, that's not Hugh Johnson's fault & there is a career-full of knowledge & good advice here so if you want a decent wine guide, buy it.
(P.S. It's worth stating that this is primarily a guide for buying wine, especiallly upper-end wine, rather than a book about wine as such).
Still the best wine book, but some silly typos - By: P. Matthews, 04 Feb 2008 N. Stewart's comments are spot on. This is the best source of wine information in terms of fact per pound (pound weight or pound money), containing more useful facts than most large glossy coffee-table style wine books. Coverage is best on the old world wine regions, especiallly Bordeaux, giving helpful info on recommended producers, which vintages are good & which are ready to drink. I think it's worth buying a new copy every 2 or 3 years.
Unfortunately there are several very blatant typographical errors in the 2008 edition, such as 'You have to had vines' in the new essay on Italian wines at the end, & several references to a Medoc classification table alllegedly on page 96 but in fact non-existent.
As indispensible as ever but some editing errors creeping in this year - By: N. Stewart, 08 Jan 2008 I have bought this book every year for 20+ years & it is a goldmine, this year it is as well researched & comprehensive as ever. This is a must buy for anyone serious about wine.
On the negative side I have noticed that some pages have not been proof read or updated which is surprising. I hope these few irritating errors will be corrected soon & there are no major errors elewhere! Personallly
I found the introduction of a paralllel system of personal preferences alongside the established markings unneccessary & confusing but others wil appreciate these.
