The Australian Wine Encyclopedia by James Halliday
The must-have book on everything Australian wine - with video
Robyn Lewis
The Australian Wine Encyclopedia by James Halliday [©Hardie Grant Books]
This hardcover volume by Australian wine authority James Halliday is Australia’s answer to The Oxford Companion to Wine by Jancis Robinson MW.
The Australian Wine Encyclopedia is strikingly different to most other wine books of its type that you’ll pick up – for starters, there is not one illustration in its 372 pages and it’s several kilograms lighter - and a quick flick through may leave you slightly perplexed as the entries go from an explanation of line (a tasting term invented by the late Len Evans) to Lion Nathan to Lowe Family Wines to Lower Hunter – a random selection that typifies much of its contents.
However, peruse a moment longer and you will soon realise that this is the book that every serious student of Australian wine has needed for some time. There are over 800 entries on everything from the personalities of the wine industry, 380 of the major wine estates, the names of Australian wine zones and regions through to the effects of climate, the species wild yeasts, obscure grape varieties and winemaking terms. From brett and brix through to Vasse Feliz and zin, if you know even a half of this you’ll be a walking encyclopedia yourself.
In author James Halliday’s words “this encyclopedia is a distillation of the knowledge I have accumulated over the past 40 or so years.… a form of living history”. What could have easily been turgid and obscure is written in an accessible manner, and where jargon is included it is simply explained.
The Australian Wine Encyclopedia is part history, part blend of art and science (as indeed is winemaking itself), part reference, part entertainingly good read, and I for one am immensely grateful that Halliday has chosen to share his vast wealth of knowledge with those of us who were barely on earth when his wine career began. Despite his already large legacy of books and atlases, this may well prove to be one of his most enduring contributions to the body of Australian wine knowledge (and if someone hasn’t yet nominated Halliday for an Order of Australia it’s more than time they did).
The Australian theme is strong throughout. European terms are included, but only where they have relevance to Australia (such as verduzzo and vermentino, both Italian white varieties which have made it to our shores). Some may be impenetrable to people overseas who are less familiar with our geography and wine institutions (human or corporate), but nevertheless The Australian Wine Encyclopedia will prove an excellent ambassador in our overseas markets. Give foreign wine buyers one of these and they’ll quickly realise that our industry is not to be brushed off so lightly in this current fad of dismissing Australian wines.
Not since Halliday's friend and wine companion the late Len Evans wrote The Complete Book of Australian Wine in 1973 (revised in 1990) - which was at the time the most detailed and significant historical account of Australian wine producers - has there been anything like it.
No Australian wine lover’s library will be complete without a copy of The Australian Wine Encyclopedia. Indeed if there are two 'wine nuts' in your family you may well need a copy each, because you'll be fighting over one. For recent wine-loving immigrants, homesick or returning expats, young winelovers or those who for one reason or another have been unable to keep up with the evolution of the Australian wine industry – not to mention winemakers and growers themselves - indeed it will be indispensible.
Sit down with this beauty and you’ll soon catch up. My only complaint is that it wasn’t published a decade ago.
The Australian Wine Encyclopedia by James Halliday is published by Hardie Grant (July 2009; hb, RRP A$59.95). Subscribers of VisitVineyards.com and Winepros Archive can purchase copies of The Australian Wine Encyclopedia though our book partners Seekbooks for 12.5% off RRP (postage extra).
Find out what's so special about Australian wine in this video from Wine Australia:
Our Recommendations
To see our recommendations, ratings and reviews you must be a logged-in subscriber.
To subscribe please enter your email address in the "Subscribe Now - it's Free" box on the right and click the "Join" button, or fill in this form >
For those who want to learn more about wine, from understanding, selecting, enjoying and even investing, to the professional winemaker seeking answers to a winemaking ... who has an interest in wine »
An essential addition to any wine lover's library, The Oxford Companion to Wine covers everything from wine history to the most current wine-making techniques and terms »
It's a highlight of the wine collector's year - profiling nearly 1500 wineries and vineyards, with nearly 6000 tasting notes and vintage rating charts - the release ... James Halliday Australian Wine Companion »
The Australian Wine Companion 2012 is the definitive guide to Australian wine. It contains tasting notes by James Halliday and his team to over 60,000 wines, with ... around half of those currently existing in Australia »
James Halliday shares his extensive knowledge of wine via detailed tasting notes as well as details on wineries and information about winemakers. for all enthusiasts of Australian wine »
Tutor your nose to detect the subtle aromas in wine and learn to appreciate and enjoy its complexities. VisitVineyards.com subscribers purchasing Le Nez du Vin aroma sets can save up to $110 and get two Essential Wine Tasting Guides for the price of one. Read about the 
Thinking celebration? Then surely thinking Champagne, the wine that's always part of life's most important occasions. And sometimes just for the pure bubbly, enjoyment. Dine and sip with royalty, celebrity at history-making moments with your copy of Champagne and Chandeliers by Bernadette O'Shea. VisitVineyards.com subscribers, you receive a 15 per cent discount on purchase 
Like to discover more about this state's lifestyle, wine, food and more? Then ask us now for your free copy of Tasmania 40 Degrees South the magazine that showcases the best of Australia's island state. 
In our No 1 Wine Book of 2010, Master Sommelier Evan Goldstein matches distinctive wines with recipes from his favourite chefs in this book focussing on new and emerging grape varietals. VisitVineyards.com subscribers and Members buying this book will receive a 
VisitVineyards.com members can take advantage of an exclusive 
Featuring over 800 wines from the state's nine wine regions along with the his best of the West rated wines, The West Australian Wine Guide 2012 by Ray Jordan is a must for WA wine lovers. We also have three copies of the Margaret River Wine and Food Recipe Book 