Tom Stevenson wrote the first Christie’s Encyclopedia of Champagne & Sparkling Wine back in the late 1990s. The revised edition of Christie’s Encyclopedia has 17 page devoted to the sparklers of the British Isles. Global warming has made England an exciting region for sparkling wine. While there are tons of books on Champagne, I’ve yet to find another book that extensively covers these other sparkling wines as well as the Christie’s encyclopedia.

In her recent exam, not only was she blind tasted on a Prosecco and sparkling Shiraz from Barossa but she also had to answer theory questions on Crémant de Limoux and the transfer method that was developed for German Sekt but became hugely popular in Australia & New Zealand.

While Champagne will always be a big focus of most wine exams, as my friend Noelle Harman of Outwines discovered in her prep work for Unit 5 of the WSET Diploma, you do need to have a breadth of knowledge of other sparklers. But, even better, it is a launching pad for understanding the world of sparkling wine at large and seeing how Champagne fits in that framework. The Christie’s encyclopedia is ground zero for understanding the basics about Champagne (production methods, styles, grape varieties, etc). Christie’s World Encyclopedia of Champagne & Sparkling Wine by Tom Stevenson & Master of Wine Essi Avellan (Used starting at $29.97) Here are the five most essential books on Champagne that every wine student should have. However, it is often a good idea to bookmark the page of a book that you’re interested in and check periodically to see if a better price becomes available. Since the prices of used books change depending on availability, I’m listing the current best price at time of writing. This lets you save your extra spending money for more wine to taste. Often you can find great deals on wine books that are just gently used. One of the best tips for wine students (especially on a budget) is to check out the Used Book offerings on Amazon. While there are certainly online resources available, few things top a great reference book that can be highlighted and annotated to your heart’s content.

They also should be familiar with important producers–both big houses and influential growers. Any wine student studying for advance certifications needs to be able to explain what makes Champagne unique. Champagne is the benchmark for all sparkling wine.

Champagne by Don Kladstrup