"I'd like to know a little bit about wine! But when I actually try to find out more by looking online, it's full of katakana and seems kind of difficult..." I think there are a lot of people who feel the same way.
This time, we have selected some introductory books that will help those who are ``complete beginners'' to learn about wine in a fun way.
The books we will introduce are all introductory books that teach about wine using easy-to-understand words and illustrations, with minimal complicated explanations. They are designed throughout to be enjoyable to read, even if you know very little about wine.
Read this article and find the book that's right for you.
What are some good books for wine beginners?
There are many different types of wine books, from so-called "books for beginners" that focus on simple explanations, to "books for intermediate and advanced wine lovers" that contain a lot of technical terminology.
Here are four points to keep in mind when looking for a wine book that is easy to read even for beginners from the many available.
- Lots of illustrations
- Includes manga and stories, making it easy to understand
- Difficult terms are explained in an easy-to-understand way
- When there is something you don't understand, it's easy to look it up
First of all, for those who are "studying wine from scratch," I recommend books with lots of illustrations! Explanations with illustrations are essential to make complex content easy to understand. "Many illustrations = visualizing information," so I think such books are designed to be easy to understand.
Other important points to consider are whether difficult wine-related terms are explained in a simple and easy-to-understand way, and whether it's easy to look up something about wine you don't understand.
Illustrated Wine for Beginners
| author | Takeshi Kokubo |
| Illustration | Yamada Koro |
| Publisher | Sanctuary Publishing |
| Publication year | 2015 |
| Number of pages | Page 232 |
| price | 1,200 yen + tax |
Recommended for: People who want a quick solution to their wine-related questions that they can't ask anyone else about.Since its release in 2015, this much-talked-about book has become a best-seller, selling over 100,000 copies. It is an introductory book on wine created by a team of sommelier and anime otaku Takeru Kokubo and illustrator Koro Yamada .
This book features anthropomorphized characters representing grape varieties. The personality of each character is the personality of the grape, so you can learn the general characteristics of each grape variety just by reading the manga.
In this book, author Kokubo says, "The important thing in understanding wine is not knowledge or historical background, but 'excitement'." As he says, there are almost no difficult topics in this book. The book is not intended to increase knowledge, but to help readers understand what is important in actually enjoying wine, so the themes are explained as simply as possible and in beginner-friendly language.
In July 2020, the second edition of this book , "Illustrated Wine for Beginners: Lesson on Cheese, Part 2," was released! Reading this book together with the first edition will make wine even more enjoyable.
If you're having trouble deciding which book to read, start with this bestselling book!
Teacher, I want to start drinking wine!
| author | Yuuka Koishi |
| Supervisor | Asuka Sugiyama |
| Publisher | Yamato Bookstore |
| Publication year | 2020 |
| Number of pages | 160 pages |
| price | 1,300 yen + tax |
Recommended for: Women who want to take up wine as a hobby.This book was created by Yuuka Koishi , a popular essay manga artist who has written beginner's books in various genres such as "Let's start using a camera!" and "Even I can make spicy curry!" , together with wine researcher Asuka Sugiyama .
The manga depicts how Koishi, who used to fail at buying wine at a store by relying solely on her own intuition, learns about wine from the very kind Mr. Sugiyama.
The book features an overwhelming amount of illustrations and a style that does not explain anything difficult. Wine is a topic that beginners find difficult to understand, but the book explains the key points in a concise way, such as "all you need to remember is this and this," so that anyone can feel at ease.
There are a lot of illustrations and not much text, so if you just want to read the manga, you can read it in 1-2 hours. It is recommended for people who don't want to memorize unnecessary trivia and want to learn about wine efficiently.
I think that if you just master the basics written in this book, you will enjoy wine much more.
Knowing the basics makes wine even more delicious! A textbook for enjoying wine
| Supervisor | Takayuki Onishi |
| Publisher | Natsume Company |
| Publication year | 2018 |
| Number of pages | Page 224 |
| price | 1,380 yen + tax |
Recommended for: People who want to understand the basics of wine.Takayuki Onishi , the editor of this book, actually used to hate wine, but after joining a wine importing company and traveling around the world, he fell in love with wine.
He became independent in 2011 and is currently active as a wine producer while running the online salon "Wine University" and a wine shop.
As the title suggests, this book is a textbook for those new to wine.
Compared to the two books mentioned above, this book contains a wealth of information. It is perfect for those who want to learn the basic knowledge of wines around the world.
There are detailed explanations by country and region, so you can enjoy drinking the wine you bought while researching it in this book.
Wine is fun! A picture-based wine textbook [revised and expanded edition]
| author | Ophélie Neman |
| Illustration | Giannis Vartsikos |
| translation | Kiyomi Kawa |
| Publisher | Pai International |
| Publication year | 2018 |
| Number of pages | Page 275 |
| price | 2,650 yen + tax |
*The latest edition is " Revised 2022 Edition: Wine is Fun! " (2,800 yen + tax).
Recommended for: People who want to learn about wine, from the basics to specialized content, in one book.This is the Japanese version of a wine guidebook that was a huge bestseller in France, with a charmingly illustrated cover. Six French navigators explain the basics of wine tasting and the basics of grape varieties in each chapter.
As the subtitle "A Pictorial Wine Textbook" suggests, this book is designed to be visually accessible with many illustrations. Each wine aroma is illustrated with an illustration of fruit, flower, etc.
However, in contrast to its adorable illustrations, the content is very serious, making this a popular book for beginners and wine lovers alike.
The revised edition features more detailed and easier-to-understand maps of major wine-producing regions, and the number of pages has been increased by about 40, making the content even more informative.
This is a great introduction to authentic France. It's a book that can be used by both wine novices and professionals, so having one at home will be useful for a long time. However, there seems to be a little less information on New World wine producing regions such as New Zealand.
Wine Dictionary: A deep understanding of wine-related terms through illustrations and trivia
| author | Junko Nakahama |
| Illustration | Kimco Tamagawa |
| Publisher | Seibundo Shinkosha |
| Publication year | 2017 |
| Number of pages | Page 184 |
| price | 1,400 yen + tax |
Recommended for: People who want to learn wine-related terminology in a fun and leisurely manner.The author, Junko Nakahama , writes for women's magazines and wine magazines, mainly on the theme of "wine and food."
This book is a random collection of things that have interested Nakahama for many years, accompanied by Kimko Tamagawa 's gentle and natural illustrations.
Although this book is presented as a dictionary, the explanations in the book also describe it as a fun read "casual wine stroll," so rather than being a dictionary, it is a book that will help you learn about wine trivia in a fun way.
Nakahama's specialty is "natural wine." He is also a staff member of the Vin Naturel (natural wine) festival FESTIVIN, and is the organizer of the "Japanese Wine Talk Event," which aims to promote interaction between Japanese wine producers and consumers.
This book, written by Nakahama, deals with many terms related to natural wine, and also includes many terms related to New Zealand wines, where there are many organic wines (Marlborough, Gisborne, Kimura Cellars, etc.).
If you come across a term you don't understand on a website or in another book, I recommend taking a look at this book and you'll probably find it helps you understand it better.
NZ wine is recommended for beginners
New Zealand wines are characterised by many being single varietal wines, with easy to understand labels.
There are few natural wines that are characterized by complex flavors, and there are many wineries that make classic wines, making it the perfect country for beginners to learn about wine.
Many people become fascinated with the charm of New Zealand wine.
If you have never tried New Zealand wine, please come and try it here.
▶ New Zealand specialty store Boxmo Wine
summary
You can enjoy wine even if you don't have much knowledge about it, but if you know the basics, such as the differences between "grape varieties" and "producing regions," it will give you hints on how to find your favorite wine. I think books for beginners can be a great help in understanding the basics.
Find the book that's perfect for you and enjoy wine even more.
