HUGH JOHNSON is the world’s most popular wine writer. His world-famous Pocket Wine Book sells many thousands of copies a year in a dozen languages. Since it was first published in 1977 its combination of personal insight and succinct critical appraisal of the world of wine has found millions of regular readers. With exact vintage news and thousands of precise wine recommendations, it is the world’s best-selling annual wine book. Hugh Johnson was born in London in 1939. During the past five decades he has written a series of landmark books on wine, including his classic The World Atlas of Wine, now in its eighth edition, co-authored by Jancis Robinson. His Wine Companion is in its sixth edition. His memoirs, A Life Uncorked, and his acclaimed history, The Story of Wine, were both bestsellers. He was given the French National Order of Merit in 2005 and he was appointed an OBE in 2007 “for services to wine-making and horticulture”, his two great passions.
This store of detailed recommendations comes partly from my own notes and mainly from those of a great number of kind friends. Without the generous help and cooperation of innumerable winemakers, merchants and critics, I could not attempt it. I particularly want to thank the following for help with research or in the areas of their special knowledge:
Ian D’Agata, Helena Baker, Kirstel Balcaen, Amanda Barnes, Lana Bortolot, Jim Budd, Michael Cooper, Michael Edwards, Sarah Jane Evans MW, Elizabeth Gabay MW, Susan H Gordon, Caroline Gilby MW, Anthony Gismondi, Paul Gregutt, Michael Karam, Anne Krebiehl MW, James Lawther MW, Konstantinos Lazarakis MW, John Livingstone-Learmonth, Michele Longo, Campbell Mattinson, Adam Montefiore, Jasper Morris MW, Ch’ng Poh Tiong, André Ribeirinho, Margaret Rand, Ulrich Sautter, Eleonora Scholes, Paul Strang, Sean Sullivan, Tim Teichgraeber, Gal Zohar, Philip van Zyl.
