Jancis Robinson MW & Hugh Johnson

Almost 50 years since it was first published, The World Atlas of Wine has reached its eighth edition. John Stimpfig talks to its two authors to discover how this revered book has documented the extensive developments in the world of wine over that time

- John Stimpfig

October saw the launch of the eighth and latest edition of The World Atlas of Wine by Hugh Johnson and Jancis Robinson MW. First published in 1971, the original tome was hailed as an instant classic and essential reference work for wine lovers. Since then, the past seven editions have sold nearly five million copies between them and been translated into 14 languages.

Decanter caught up with the authors to talk about the latest Atlas and to find out how it has charted the important changes that have taken place in the world of wine over the past five decades.

John Stimpfig The launch of a new edition of The World Atlas of Wine is always a major publishing event, but why should wine lovers buy this edition if they have the sixth or seventh?

Hugh Johnson Well, because so much has changed – as it always does between editions. At 416 pages this is the longest ever, and all the information and content has been completely updated, or it is brand new.

Jancis Robinson MW Yes, this eighth edition has 230 maps, 22 of which are new. And all of the old ones have been completely revised and revved up. We also have a lot of new features, including 3D maps to show the influence of geography, specifically mountains, oceans and wind currents.

Which new regions or countries are featured in this edition?

JR There are too many to mention, but we have new maps of St Helena and Alto Piemonte. We’ve extended our South American coverage with the inclusion of Brazil and southern Uruguay. We also have a lot more coverage of Canada, and there’s more detail in China around Beijing and Huailai. Ningxia had already gone into the seventh edition.