Best wine books of 2013

(WP) - This year’s harvest of wine books offers a wealth of gift-worthy titles. In February and November, I wrote about “ American Wine,” by Jancis Robinson and Linda Murphy, and the seventh edition of “ The World Atlas of Wine,” by Hugh Johnson and Robinson: two coffee-table-size reference works any wine lover would appreciate.

Here are three others guaranteed to please:

Yawn. Not another wine primer, I thought when I picked up Katherine Cole’s “Complete Wine Selector” (Firefly; $25). Yet I was immediately bowled over by how Cole, wine columnist for the Oregonian newspaper and author of “Voodoo Vintners” (2011), has figured out a new way to present a familiar topic. By using Web publishing techniques — heavy use of infographics and short snippets of text — she manages to convey an impressive amount of information on a single page. In “Cracking the Code” of regional labels and “Masterclass” presentations that delve deep into a particular aspect of wine, Cole has created an essential reference for novice and aficionado alike.

She doesn’t just stick to the basic information but clues us in to various trends in the wine world. Orange wines, natural wines: Yep, they’re here. She offers advice on how and where to shop for wines, listing stores in Europe and East Asia. (Addy Bassin’s MacArthur Beverages represents Washington.) She enlists a global array of sommeliers to help us match food and wine, includes strategies for navigating restaurant wine lists, and summarizes details of wine service for dinner parties at home.