If Hugh Johnson taught the world to love wine, Jancis Robinson taught it to know wine. The most authoritative voice in the field, she built the reference works that every other writer — and every curious drinker — now depends on.
Jancis Robinson (born 1950) is widely regarded as the most respected wine writer and critic in the world. A scholar as much as a journalist, she has spent half a century raising the rigor of wine writing — and breaking barriers along the way.[1]
Breaking the barrier
In 1984, Robinson passed the notoriously difficult Master of Wine examination — becoming the first person outside the wine trade ever to earn the title.[1] It signaled a new kind of authority: not a merchant selling wine, but an independent expert explaining it. She has written a weekly column for the Financial Times for decades and runs the influential JancisRobinson.com.
The reference shelf
Robinson’s greatest legacy is scholarship. She edits The Oxford Companion to Wine, the field’s definitive encyclopedia; co-authors Hugh Johnson’s World Atlas of Wine; and co-wrote Wine Grapes, the monumental guide to 1,368 varieties.[1] It is in Wine Grapes that the modern DNA science of grape origins — the kind that rewrote the family tree of Sangiovese — is brought together for the general reader.
Others rated the wine in the glass; she documented the whole world that made it.
A trusted authority
Robinson’s standing is such that she was even asked to advise on the wine cellar of Queen Elizabeth II, and she was appointed an OBE for her services to wine.[1] More than any critic, she embodies the idea that wine is a subject worthy of serious, joyful study — the very spirit behind our own work in wine history.
| Who | British wine writer and critic (b. 1950)[1] |
|---|---|
| A first | First person outside the trade to become a Master of Wine (1984)[1] |
| Edits | The Oxford Companion to Wine[1] |
| Co-authors | The World Atlas of Wine; Wine Grapes[1] |
The great communicators
Robinson and Hugh Johnson are the two writers who have done the most to explain wine — scholarship and storytelling, now joined on the same famous atlas.
Related reading: Hugh Johnson · the Sangiovese grape · the Wine History Timeline
Frequently asked questions
Who is Jancis Robinson?
A British wine writer and critic, born 1950, widely regarded as the most authoritative voice in wine. She edits The Oxford Companion to Wine, co-authors The World Atlas of Wine, and co-wrote Wine Grapes.
Why is she historically important?
In 1984 she became the first person from outside the wine trade to qualify as a Master of Wine, and she built the modern reference works — the Oxford Companion, the World Atlas, and Wine Grapes — that define serious wine scholarship.
Sources
- “Jancis Robinson” (British wine writer and critic, b. 1950; first person outside the trade to qualify as a Master of Wine, 1984; editor of The Oxford Companion to Wine; co-author of The World Atlas of Wine and Wine Grapes; Financial Times columnist; advised on the royal cellar; OBE), Wikipedia. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jancis_Robinson
Want to read more?
Books we drew on and recommend — the reference works Robinson helped build.
The World Atlas of WineHugh Johnson & Jancis Robinson
The Wine BibleKaren MacNeil
A Concise Guide to Wine and Blind TastingNeel BurtonAs an Amazon Associate, Wine History Tours earns from qualifying purchases. This supports our research at no extra cost to you.
