During my first visit to France, I brought along a copy of The World Atlas of Wine, a collaboration by Hugh Johnson and Jancis Robinson. It was instrumental in helping me to understand the villages, the wine and the landscape of Burgundy, Champagne, Provence, Alsace and more.

First published in 2003, the 8th edition of the atlas has just been released.

It was fascinating to see the changes. The previous editions didn’t have much to say about climate change or even bottle closures. And, there are more pages devote to remote wine regions such as China and Croatia.

Johnson and Robinson are among the most respected wine journalists in the world. Their painsaking effort to provide a condensed yet concise record of the wine growing regions of the world are evident to anyone who reads this book.

Johnson also published his revised “Hugh Johnson’s Pocket Wine Book 2020.” It’s much lighter and easier to fit into a suitcase. I’ll be taking it with me to France next year. Meanwhile, the World Atlas of Wine is a book that you should have on your shelf. It’s a great present too.