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Books on Winemaking, Grape Growing, and Vineyards

As we've become more interested in wine, we've also become increasingly interested in visiting the wineries and talking to the winemakers. We think that this interest will help give us greater understanding of some of the growing and winemaking techniques that result in wines that we enjoy. In turn, this will help us make better buying decisions if we know that the winemaker is using procedures that we have liked in other wines. And, finally, we will become more appreciative of the effort that goes into making a good wine as sun, water and soil is converted into grapes and then, with yeast, into wine. has helped spark our interest and learning.

The following books are some of those that we've read in the pursuit of knowledge on the science of winemaking. This list of books complements our booklist on wine appreciation and history books.

Wine Making

Featured Books

From Vines to Wines: The Complete Guide to Growing Grapes and Making Your Own Wine by Jeff Cox
This is an invaluable book. On my first read-through, it introduces many of the techniques required to (1) successfully grow grapes and (2) make wine. On my second reading, as I inch closer to planting my own backyard vineyard, I picked up on many additional subtleties that I missed the first time around. Although I'm sure that the entire process will be more complicated than I can just pick up and read, it makes the possibility of actually doing this less intimidating. Plus, the background from this book made it easier to understand some of the other books on this list. Highly recommended. (Buy from Powell's or Amazon.com.)

Modern Winemaking by Philip Jackisch
This book is more advanced and technical than many of the others listed here but it offers a solid second-level understanding of the winemaking process. (Buy from Powell's or Amazon.com.)

Other Highly Regarded Books For Beginners

More Advanced Winemaking Books

Grape Growing Books

Featured Books

Oregon Viticulture by Edward W. Hellman (editor), et al.
This book updates the fabulous Oregon Winegrape Growers' Guide edited by Ted Casteel. These books are unique in their approach of combining the expertise and experience of university researchers with that of professional grape growers and winemakers. The new version has both broader coverage of more topics and greater depth of coverage than its predecessor. It emphasizes the importance of understanding the characteristics of a vineyard site, matching grape varieties to the site, and selecting the most appropriate management practices for each unique site. The structure and physiology of grapevines is concisely summarized, and viticulture principles are introduced throughout the book. Standard production practices are described, and separate chapters discuss sustainable viticulture practices and organic grape growing. Important business management topics not usually found in similar books are also addressed, including economics, marketing and contracts, compliance with government regulations, and labor management. Either book is an extremely valuable book for anyone attempting to grow grapes in relatively cold climates such as Puget Sound or in Oregon. (Buy from Powell's or Amazon.com.)

The American Wine Society Presents Growing Wine Grapes by J. Loenholdt, T. Zabadal, A. Hunt, H. Amberg, J.R. McGrew, Leonholdt Hunt
This short book offers a quick education for the home vineyard 'manager' on how to plant, train, and prune vines and on how to manage the vineyard once started. Although it focuses more on Eastern and Midwestern growing conditions and varieties, the information is still good to know. The Oregon Viticulture book may be a better choice for West Coast growers. (Buy from Powell's or Amazon.com.)

Vines, Grapes & Wines: The Wine Drinker's Guide to Grape Varieties by Jancis Robinson
For an amateur vineyard grower, this is a fine background text to help you identify and select grape varieties that you can try. If you just drink the wine, then this is still helpful to give you a sense of the history of your favorite variety. (Buy from Powell's or Amazon.com.)

Other Highly Regarded Books

If you want to obtain a deeper appreciation of wine, we have two other book pages to check out:

In addition to the books listed above that are available from Amazon.com, there are additional resources on the web that offer some great detail on making wine at home. The best of these sources include:

Return to The Ragen's wine home page.

For other books on our best books list, follow the links below.