I don’t know about you, but I love a good coffee table book. And these days, I can’t have enough wine coffee table books.
My affair with coffee table books began many years ago… I’ve been slowly amassing a collection, beginning shortly after college as I decorated my first apartment. At that time, I thought my small 1-bedroom apartment was very chic and sophistocated, with tomes such as Poolside with Slim Aarons, Chanel: Collections & Creations, and (of course) Lewis Blackwell’s Dogs adorning not only the coffee table itself but also any bookshelf, nook, or cranny I could find.
As I visit other’s homes, I often find myself looking at what coffee table books they have. I think what I most appreciate about a well-curated book collection is the story it can tell about its owner. What topics interest and inspire them? What dreams do they have? Where have their travels led you? These questions can be fun conversation starters and a good way to get to know your host.
More recently, my collection has grown to include many wine books. While some are more serious and others are more fun, they are all great reference books, and I love that I can easily refer to them as I plan a weekend meal or encounter a wine term that I’m not familiar with.
Below are five of the wine coffee table books from my collection that I wanted to share with you. I find these exceptionally useful as well as stylish enough to elevate the decor of any room.
Wine Coffee Table Books I’m Currently Loving
Champagne: The Essential Guide
For those that know me, it’s no secret that I love sparkling wines. If you’re a champagne aficionado (or aspire to be one), there is no better book out there than Peter Liem’s Champagne: The Essential Guide to Wines, Producers, & Terriors of the Iconic Region to grace your coffee table. This boxed set includes both a book and drawer full of beautiful maps. In addition to a general introduction to Champagne, which should satisfy the novice, the book will please even seasoned wine experts with details on specfic vineyards, fun facts, and historical anecdotes. And of course stunning photography throughout makes learning from its pages as lovely an experience as drinking champagne itself.
Wine Folly: Magnum Edition
The next book on the list is one that I cannot recommend enough for all wine-lovers, but especially if you are just beginning your wine education journey. Madeline Puckett’s Wine Folly: Magnum Edition: The Master Guide is one of the most fun and easy-to-digest books for learning about wine. It is filled with colorful and insightful infographics that break down the complexities of wine into simpler, visual concepts. The book begins with a great overview of wine basics, then is organized by country and region. The stunning hardcover edition looks great on the shelf, too.
Fun Fact: The previous edition of this book was my first wine reference book purchase back in 2015.
The New Sotheby’s Wine Enyclopedia
If you’re only going to have one wine book in your collection, this needs to be it. The breadth and depth of information included The New Sotheby’s Wine Encyclopedia is astounding. Each section of this book sports colorful photographs and maps. The book is well laid out for readibility; it’s equally as enjoyable to flip to a section for a quick reference as to read the whole chapter. All that being said, if you are completely new to wine this might be a bit overwhelming, so perhaps it is worth starting elsewhere and graduating to this.
The Oxford Companion to Wine
While the next book on our list is perhaps not as sultry-looking as the others, The Oxford Companion to Wine (4th Edition) will brighten up your living room and offer quick-hits of wine knowledge whenever you need it. Originally published in 1994, Jancis Robinson’s first edition received international acclaim and has been recognized as a leading wine reference book ever since. Information is organized alphabetically by topic, with entry varying in length from a sentence to a page or more.
The Art of the Cheese Plate
What is wine without cheese? Tia Keenan’s The Art of the Cheese Plate: Pairings, Recipes, Style, Attitude has been around since 2016, but it is a recent addition to my personal collection. Whether you’re queen of the cheese board or can’t tell cheddar from manchego, if you love cheese, you’ll love this book. The book details creative combinations of spices and other ingredients to complement cheeses, as well as beautiful inspiration for styling and serving. All of this is demonstrated through beautiful photography, which will leave you itching to host friends and show off your new-found cheese expertise.
Which One is Right for You?
So there you have it – my favorite wine coffee table books. As you can see, things that are functional can also be very beautiful as well. I hope you sound something that works for wherever you may be in your wine learning journey. And if you have any favorite wine books, I would love to hear what they are! Please share your favorites in the comments below.
![Champagne [Boxed Book & Map Set]: The Essential Guide](https://wineandwhatnot.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/51JXZPMyN8L._SL500_.webp)
