wa3.gif (3780 bytes)

My top 10

Browse by author

Browse by category

The full list

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The wine bookshop
The full list
List arranged alphabetically by first author. Please note I haven't listed any prices here. This is because the links will take you to the relevant entry in the amazon.co.uk catalogue, which will give the up-to-date price (usually substantially discounted): this may change at short notice.  

Authors A-M

Authors P-Z

parker.gif (9362 bytes)Parker's Wine Buyers Guide

Robert Parker

Hardcover (15 January, 2000)
Dorling Kindersley; ISBN: 0751388238

Review of the third edition, wineanorak.com
Robert Parker is a hugely influential wine writer famous for his 100 point scale for assessing wines. You can guarantee that if Parker gives a good score to a previously little-known wine it will sell out rapidly and prices will subsequently sky rocket. Some love him but others object to the way one individual's taste can have such a profound effect on the world of wine. None the less, the guide makes fascinating reading and the man is concerned with searching out good value wines as well as describing wines that few will ever get to taste. Whatever people think of his powerful influence on the wine world, he is undoubtedly a competent and hard-working individual who has earned his fame and fortune. One quibble I have with the guide is a purely personal one—he devotes very little space to Australian wines, and none to the wines of South Africa. Perhaps this will change with Australian wines beginning to break through into the US marketplace. Take his scores with a pinch of salt and accept that he can get it wrong occasionally, and Parker's guide deserves a place on your bookshelf.

Buy this book from amazon.co.uk


peynaud.jpg (6300 bytes)Knowing and Making Wine

Emile Peynaud

Hardcover - 412 pages (December 1984)
John Wiley and Sons; ISBN: 047188149X

Reviews
Book Description
Translated from the French by Alan Spencer, this authoritative account by a highly respected and expert French enologist offers a complete survey of wine-making techniques and wine appreciation in easy to understand terms without complicated chemical formulae. Treats every aspect of wine science from both the theoretical and practical point of view. Provides the student or professional with the opportunity to solve problems which arise and guides them to the proper solutions.

Buy this book from amazon.co.uk


newspain.gif (17566 bytes)The New Spain

John Radford

Hardcover - 224 pages (15 October, 1998)
Mitchell Beazley; ISBN: 1857322541

 

Reviews
Amazon.co.uk
Spain is in the midst of what amounts to a revolution in wine. Those who considered it an unchanging, traditional source for unexciting, traditional wines would be amazed by the dramatic rise in quality and the extraordinary explosion of wine styles that has taken place throughout the country in recent years. This rapid transformation, together with the enigmatic nature of the nation itself, demands a definitive, up-to-date reference book. The New Spain covers every aspect of the wines and wine regions of Spain, from its beginnings up to the present day. From soil types and vineyard classification to the most innovative bodegas and newest wine styles, wine lovers will be able to get to grips with the fascinatingly complex world of Spanish wine. Whether it is a classic, oaky Rioja or a clean, crisp, spakling Cava, you are sure to find it here--along with many other wine styles you may never have encountered. John Radford is the first wine writer to approach the subject of Spanish wine in a logical, region-by-region tour of the country. In an informative, accessible style, he examines climate, geography, grape varieties and the winemaking traditions of each wine zone. Perhaps more importantly for wine-lovers, Radford profiles each region's bodegas, and Includes tips on their best wines. Beautifully illustrated with over 150 colour photographs, and with specially comissioned maps showing the location of all wine regions, The New Spain is a pleasure to read as well as an indispensible guide for anyone interested in Spanish wine.

Synopsis
A region-by-region tour of Spanish wines, ranging from classics such as Rioja and sherry to relative newcomers such as Ribera del Duero and Navarra. There is a guide to vineyard classifications, grapes, soil, climate and winemaking processes.

The author, John Radford johnradford@gb.net, 21 May, 1999
Many thanks to everyone who bought it - and good luck to those still to get it! THE NEW SPAIN sold out in less than three months and has been reprinted. It has also won the Champagne Lanson award for wine book of the year and the Glenfiddich Award for drinks book of the year in the UK.

Buy this book from amazon.co.uk


The Mitchell Beazley Pocket Guide to Wines of Spain

Jan Read

Hardback 216 pages (February 2001)
ISBN 1 84000 389 8, Mitchell Beazley

Review
www.wineanorak.com
I'm quite keen on the Mitchell Beazley Pocket Guide series. The small format is attractive and they are nicely produced. Above all, they are extremely useful books to take with you if you are visiting wine country. First published in 1983, this is the latest updated version of the wines of Spain, penned by veteran wine writer Jan Read. The book consists of a systematic trawl through the regions of Spain, with entries for each of the key wine producers and sub regions arranged alphabetically. Star ratings are given for both (there are two parallel rating systems, with hollow stars being replaced by filled stars to indicate value for money). Within each regional section, there's also a brief guide to the local gastronomic specialities, hotels and restaurants. A thorough index finishes things off. Overall, I’d say this is a very useful book, and well worth popping in your suitcase if you are travelling to Spain. But I do have some criticisms. First, it's very 'old school': there's lots of emphasis on the wine regulations, and not a lot of opinion or descriptions of what the wines actually taste like. The coverage is also very even handed, where it could have done with more emphasis of the interesting producers and regions, and less on the dull ones. And while the writing style is thorough and correct, it's not a lively enough style to sustain casual browsing: this is clearly an information source. But my biggest criticism is that I get the impression that Read doesn't really have his finger on the pulse of the latest developments in the Spanish wine scene. However, it does seem a bit mean to single Jan Read out in this regard -- it is a criticism that can be levelled at most of the English language coverage of Spanish wine. Verdict: a useful purchase, even though it's not fully up to date.

Go to the amazon.co.uk catalogue entry for this book 


Jancis Robinson's Concise Wine Companion

Jancis Robinson

Paperback - 640 pages (31 March, 2001)
Oxford University Press; ISBN: 0198662742

Review
www.wineanorak.com

Most wine geeks will be familiar with the Oxford Companion to Wine, the second edition of which was released back in 1999. Along with Hugh Johnson's Wine Atlas, this is one of the classic texts that should be on every wine lover's bookshelf. Well, the concise wine companion has some 2350 of the entries from the Oxford Companion included in its 559 pages, and from leafing through the entries it's hard to see what's missing -- there are no noticeable omissions (the preface mentions that only two subject areas -- distilled and fortified wine -- that have been omitted or substantially cut). The cross-referenced entries are well enough written, in a semi-formal, economical and precise 'lexicographer-speak' language to make casual browsing worthwhile. Maybe I'm an unredeemable anorak, but I spent a happy couple of hours just reading from one entry to another. So, if you already possess the Oxford Companion, should you purchase this book? I'd say yes, for one key reason -- portability. You can fit this book in your briefcase or find space for it on your desktop, whereas its hardback predecessor is an unwieldy doorstop of a book. If you don't already have a copy of the Oxford Companion, then the decision to buy this is a bit of a no-brainer, especially when Amazon are retailing it for a penny less than £8. Faults? Well, the cover design looks a bit 1970s: it is split vertically, with a weakly smiling, slightly embarrassed-looking editor on one side and the obligatory wine glass shot on the other. But we can forgive this, because this is such a useful, well-written book.

Go to the amazon.co.uk catalogue entry for this book


The World Atlas of Wine

Hugh Johnson, Jancis Robinson

Hardcover - 352 pages 5th Ed (1 September, 2001)
Mitchell Beazley; ISBN: 1840003324


Reviews

Synopsis
There are few books that have had such a monumental impact in their field as The World Atlas of Wine; sales of the first four editions exceed 3.5 million copies. Now, world-renowned authors Hugh Johnson and Jancis Robinson have teamed up to combine their unrivalled talents. Together they have created the fifth edition of this masterpiece, making it the most thorough and expansive revision ever of the work. In keeping with the Atlas's reputation for cartographic excellence, all 148 maps from the fourth edition have been completely revised and modernised, with an additional 30 new maps. Hailed by Decanter as Wine Book of the Millennium, The World Atlas of Wine has been described by critics worldwide as 'extraordinary' and 'irreplaceable'. In this, its fifth edition in 30 years, it remains an essential addition to every wine-lovers or professional's library.

Go to the amazon.co.uk catalogue entry for this book


 

jrcf.gif (5310 bytes)Confessions of a Wine Lover

Jancis Robinson

Paperback - 384 pages ( 5 November, 1998)
Penguin Books; ISBN: 0140235299

Reviews
wineanorak.com
I have to declare from the outset that from the moment I picked up this book I couldn't put it down again, and I was desperately sorry when I finished it. Jancis shares the story so far of her involvement in the wine trade, progressing from a newsletter editor to her current status as media darling and one of the most universally respected of all wine journalists. It is a beautifully written book, and is likely to prove utterly engrossing for any reader who has been bitten by the wine bug. Jancis scores very highly for getting the balance right between the old and the new. She has a healthy respect for traditions without taking cheap potshots at new developments, and she is a populizer without being a vulgarizer. She proves that it is possible to drink the world's finest without becoming a snob. Best of all she embraces change as a friend rather than treating it as an enemy. As for those who question whether she should be writing her autobiography at all, my response would be that as she has been in the wine trade since the 70s, and she has witnessed a major period of fundamental change over the last 25 years, which she chronicles beautifully. Put this book at the top of your shopping lists.

Buy this book from amazon.co.uk


jrwc.gif (13998 bytes)Jancis Robinson's Wine Course

Jancis Robinson

Paperback - 320 pages ( 2 September, 1999)
BBC Consumer Publishing (Books); ISBN: 0563551313


Reviews

wineanorak.com
Intended as a companion to the BBC TV series, this book actually has little in common with the programmes, which were Jancis' imaginitive and personal snapshots of the different grape varieties, each episode focusing on a different grape by looking at the region that achieves the best with that variety. Instead, the book is a comprehensive introductory wine course that gives the wine novice a thorough grounding in the basics. If this all sounds a little dry, it isn't—Jancis in print is much as she is on telly; witty, sophisticated and eloquent. However, to anyone who has read around the subject of wine a bit, the book covers a lot of familiar ground. An ideal starting point in your reading about wine.

Book Information
Based on her wealth of knowledge and experience, Jancis Robinson helps you choose the right bottle of wine from the huge range available today. In acomprehensive guide to the wine-producing countries of the world, she captures the flavour of each region's wines and gives her own recommendations for the best names to look out for. To make selection even easier, she describes the distinctive characteristics of hundreds of different grape varieties.

Designed to ensure that you get the most out of every glass, Jancis Robinson's Wine Course covers everything from how to taste and store wine, to deciding what to serve on special occasions, and the best-value bottles to order in restaurants. With an updated vintage guide including the best regions in 1998, choosing your wine has never been more interesting and enjoyable.

"She has an encylclopedic grasp of her subject and doesn't put a foot wrong ... a splendid introduction to the world of wine..." -- Stephen Brook, Decanter Magazine

Buy this book from amazon.co.uk


jroxfcom.gif (13398 bytes)The Oxford Companion to Wine

Jancis Robinson (Editor)

Hardcover - 848 pages (21 October, 1999)
Oxford University Press; ISBN: 019866236X

Reviews
wineanorak.com
(Review of the first edition.) The ultimate wine reference book. Editor Jancis Robinson has called on a large team of some of the most knowledgable wine experts from around the globe to produce over 3000 alphabetically arranged entries covering all manner of wine-related topics. These entries are nicely laid out in a substantial (and weighty)  book, which is nicely illustrated by a mixture of line drawings, black and white photographs and a few colour plates. Comprehensive and scholarly, yet at the same time readable enough for leisurely browsing. This is a compulsory purchase for anyone who has a serious interest in wine. The big question for those who own a copy of the first edition is whether it is worth splashing out on the newly released second edition, which has been substantially revised

Amazon.co.uk
Wine head girl Jancis Robinson publishes a new edition of her acclaimed Oxford Companion to Wine, coming as close as anybody is likely to in achieving the unachievable goal of a detailed, comprehensive, single-volume work of reference covering the whole world of wines. Just how daunting the task of keeping up with the now practically supersonic pace of development in many areas of the wine industry must be is indicated by the need, only five years after the first edition, to issue another with updated versions of about half the 3,000 entries. It is an awesome achievement. Wine is now a modern, global industry: Jancis Robinson and her team of contributors require--and deliver--expertise in a really astonishing range of disciplines.

Practically every field of human knowledge seems to have something to contribute. From geology and soil chemistry, through forestry and the nature of the different woods used for barrels and the harvesting of cork bark, to the cultivation of the vine, its training and pruning, and the techniques of fermentation; the list extends even into areas of cutting-edge science such as DNA fingerprinting (which finally in 1997 unravelled the mystery of the parentage of the Cabernet Sauvignon grape--no, wild horses wouldn't drag it from me, you'll have to buy the book). This is not to mention the thorough coverage of wine regions and grape varieties, the role of wine through history and its presence in art, the glossary entries. One could go on and on. This is a stupendous feat of organisation. More than that, it is throughout well written and lively, and in possession of a healthy quantity of attitude. --Robin Davidson

Buy this book from amazon.co.uk


jrobwigra.gif (11620 bytes)Jancis Robinson's Guide to Wine Grapes

Jancis Robinson

Paperback - 234 pages (14 October, 1996)
Oxford University Press; ISBN: 0198662327

Synopsis
Grape names and characteristics have never been so important for wine producers and consumers. An increasing proportion of wines are labelled with the names of the grape variety or varieties that go into them. They can provide vital clues for the wine drinker to the likely flavour and characteristics of the liquid inside the bottle. A handful of varieties - Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc and so on - are grown in almost every wine region so that understanding them provides a fast track to understanding a significant proportion of all wine produced in the world today. But producers and consumers are tiring of this domination so that the range of grapes trumpeted on labels is broadening. This book, with more than 800 grape names listed and hundreds of different varieties described, provides a guide to an increasingly important aspect of wine appreciation.

Buy this book from amazon.co.uk


jrwkbook.gif (11600 bytes)Jancis Robinson's Wine-tasting Workbook

Jancis Robinson

Hardcover - 208 pages (19 October, 2000)
Conran Octopus; ISBN: 1840911395

 

Review (www.wineanorak.com)
What a shame about the title. The word 'workbook' conjures up images of education, schoolrooms, homework and swotting for exams. For most people, these aren't images of fun, and it would be a shame if people are put off what is an excellent book by simple word association.

I usually find 'introduction to wine' books yawn-inducingly dull, but this is different. Jancis strikes the balance right between imparting essential information and keeping the book lively and fun, without falling into the trap of dumbing down or forced jokiness. There's all the usual material that these sort of books usually have, but with a fresh twist. Best of all, this book is intensely practical in its nature: the focus is on actually drinking the stuff (an indication of this is given by the title of the foreword: 'A book for the thirsty'). I can't help feeling that this is healthy and appropriate for a book about wine. One of the most effective features is that the text is divided into sections on both theory and practice, and it’s the latter components that set this book apart from the competition. While any old hack can write about wine theory, it is a whole lot more difficult to write successfully and sensibly about the practical side of wine tasting, and this is done here very well. A further useful feature is the glossary of wine tasting words, which are sensibly and accessibly described.

Although this is clearly targeted at the novice wine geek -- for whom I'd say this was pretty much compulsory reading -- I think it has a lot to offer the more serious wine nut. I found it a really good read, and for me it helped provide a nice balancing perspective. Let's face it, there's an awful lot written about wine, but not a great deal about how it actually tastes, and this is surely what counts. Wine is a complex subject -- and to someone new to wine this complexity can seem bewildering. So if you are starting out on the road to wine geekdom, I can think of no better book to guide you on your way.

Synopsis
This guide to wine-tasting combines practical instruction with space for writing your own tasting notes. There is advice on how to record sensations and experiences, how to serve and store wine, and what to expect from wine-tasting sessions.

Buy this book from amazon.co.uk


cgem.gif (14027 bytes)Collins Gem Wine Dictionary

David Rowe

Paperback - 384 pages ( 1 March, 1999)
HarperCollins General Reference; ISBN: 0004722027

Synopsis

This text features explanations of over 1800 wine terms ranging from grape varieties and wine-production techniques to tasting jargon. It explains the vocabulary and the special contexts used by wine writers, and includes definitions on terms found on labels.

Buy this book from amazon.co.uk


simon.jpg (3926 bytes)Wine-tasters' Logic

Pat Simon

Paperback - 205 pages ( 8 May, 2000)
Faber Paperbacks; ISBN: 057120287X

 

Reviews
Amazon.co.uk
Fifty years in the wine business have equipped Pat Simon with a nose and palate of formidable finesse. His ruminations on how a taster learns to taste, how memory and appreciation are deepened, and how the intensely subjective experience of tasting wine can be communicated meaningfully, are distilled in Wine Tasters' Logic. This wonderfully interesting volume manages to be both a manual of practical instruction in discriminating among the endless subtleties of wine, and a series of elegant pensées on the subject, fully justifying the subtitle "Thinking About Wine and Enjoying It".

The first of its two parts, "Thinking About Tasting", comprises a series of meditations on key topics such as balance, tannins, taste versus aroma, and the qualities of soil and terroir. There is a fair quantity of chemistry in this part, not all of it equally accessible, but even non-chemists will come away appreciating the differences between "green-apple" malic acidity and the less "mouth-puckering" tartaric. Context nearly always makes clear the sense of apparently opaque statements, such as "the alkalinity of the saliva should take quite a few of the anthocyanins past the isoelectric point of tannin, so that they flocculate and come out of solution". (In fact this describes what happens when a wine is "chewed" and acquires a texture in the mouth--precipitated tannin particles.) It's worth persevering, for the rewards and insights are many. The second part, "Practising Tasting", shows how this carefully acquired knowledge can be translated into the skills of the wine taster. The copious anecdotes Pat Simon offers from his own wine education reinforce the impression that many beginners must have: the whole discipline is so endlessly complex that you'd give up in despair if it weren't also endlessly fascinating. --Robin Davidson

Synopsis
This work is divided into two parts - Part one explores such ideas as balance, finish, aroma and tannin, guiding new and experienced tasters through the concepts of wine-tasting. Part two is a practical guide to developing expertise, including discussions on tasting glasses and keeping records.

Book Information
Such a wide variety of wines is produced, with so many flavours, and from so many parts of the world, that the newcomer to wine might well be daunted. Pat Simon, on entering the trade in 1948, recognised tasting to be an almost impossible task, and decided just to lift the glass and enjoy its contents. Over the years, however, patterns emerged and the author discovered he could remember more and appreciate more deeply. He learned that wine can strike the drinker in many ways, both physically and mentally--tastes and smells can trigger memories and emotions, while noble vine varieties have a magic ability to draw elements from soil and subsoils, telling us stories about where the wine comes from, and when and how the wine was made. Pat Simon has written this unique book in the hope that it may help others to find as much enjoyment in wine as the last half-century has brought him.

The book is divided into two parts: Part One encourages the reader to think about tasting, and explores such ideas as balance, finish, aroma and tannin. It guides both new and experienced tasters through the many and varied concepts behind wine-tasting. Part Two is a practical guide to developing expertise, including discussions on tasting glasses, keeping records and decanting wine.

Illustrated with reminiscences from an earlier age of the wine trade, as well as suggestions for new thinking in the currently developing world of wine, this search for a logical base for wine-tasting will enhance the pleasure derived from wine by every reader.

Buy this book from amazon.co.uk


New Sotheby's Wine Encyclopedia

Tom Stevenson

Hardcover - 600 pages 4th revised edition (4 October, 2001)
Dorling Kindersley; ISBN: 0751327778

If you want evidence of how much the world of wine has changed over the last decade, then compare this long-awaited update of Tom Stevenson's Sotheby's Wine Encyclopedia with the second edition, published 10 years ago in 1991. 480 pages have become 600, and the text has been largely rewritten. Such is the pace of change in the world of wine that the third edition (1997) now seems antediluvian, and no doubt in three or four years' time, this new version will be just as badly in need of an update—so it looks like Tom will be gainfully employed for many years yet. Overall, this Encyclopedia is a remarkable achievement. Fully illustrated with plenty of maps and photographs, there's a wealth of information here that successfully bridges the gap between the needs of the hardened geek and the enquiring beginner. The first 50 pages provide fairly standard reference material on subjects such as how wine is made, tasting techniques and grape varieties. The rest of the book takes us on a tour of the wine regions of the world. The prime focus is on appellations: after a general introduction, each region and subregion is described in detail, with a selection of the leading producers highlighted. Producer profiles are included for some of the key regions; to me, this is one of the most useful features, and I wish there could have been more. Each section includes a selection of the author's favourite wines from that region, adding a personal voice that doesn't interfere with attempted objectivity elsewhere. Throughout, Stevenson writes entertainingly and clearly; he's not afraid of expressing strong opinions where necessary, but when he does, they always seem to be defensible. Take, for instance, his views on how German wines can improve their tarnished image, and his suggested way forward for the English wine industry. I've spent the last few days browsing effortlessly through this book, and although I've only really scratched the surface, it has already become an indispensable reference source. Criticisms? I imagine a lot of interesting material never made it into the final 600 pages, and my only regret is that we don't have access to this. I'd be particularly keen on more producer profiles. As an aside, the almost-simultaneous publication of the latest edition of Hugh Johnson's Wine Atlas (now under Jancis Robinson's wing) should set up an interesting head-to-head. Many wine geeks will probably end up buying both. On this evidence, the Sotheby's Wine Encyclopedia will be hard to beat. 

Go to the amazon.co.uk catalogue entry for this book


tschamp.gif (12574 bytes)World Encyclopedia of Champagne and Sparkling Wine

Tom Stevenson

Hardcover - 336 pages (22 October, 1998)
Absolute Press; ISBN: 1899791981

Reviews
Amazon.co.uk
You have to have a real fizz fetish to buy this for yourself, but it's a great present for someone who has more than just a passing interest in posh sparkling wine and who owns a large, glamorous coffee table.

That's not to say that all the wines featured are posh, but it would be too sadistic to put a review of Laurent-Perrier's Cuvée Grand Siècle 1952 (or the more readily available 1990) in front of a Champagne fan who couldn't afford to buy a bottle. Tom Stevenson has very forceful opinions and great technical tasting abilities. His beautifully put together reference book has been exhaustively researched and his knowledge of people, places and wines that feature here is second-to- none. If there's a criticism, it would be that the book lacks heart.

The author has had more expertise in sparkling wines than any other style--his specialist subject would deny Magnus Magnuson of any "passes". His book, Champagne, was a milestone on the topic and won him just one of his current holding of 22 literary awards. The book has been produced in association with Christies, for whom he gives an annual Champagne Master Class. Buy the book and a few bottles of the most highly recommended sparklers; invite a few friends 'round; forget the Master Class.

Synopsis
An encyclopedia covering the sparkling wines of the world.

The author, Tom Stevenson , 13 January, 1999
I loved Amazon's in house review, despite the comment about the book lacking heart (obviously I don't agree, but it would be churlish to complain after all the other praise and, what the heck, I believe in freedom of speech anyway!). When compiling an encyclopedia, an author is obliged to go into detail about every aspect of the subject. Furthermore, an encyclopedia about Champagne and sparkling wine must include all the producers, not just the best. If you're looking for the most comprehensive reference on the subject, look no further, but if you want a buyer's guide, the The Millennium Champagne & Sparkling Wine Guide is the book for you. Hopefully there will be a lot of people out there who have a need for both. While I'm at it, I might as well say that this is the book that proves "the English invented Champagne". It's not a new story. I mentioned it in CHAMPAGNE (Sotheby's Publications) 12 years ago, but it is the first time that the document proving the point has been published, which is why this became the first wine book to warrant a leader in the Guardian. While this upset Le Figaro, which accused me of trying to burn Dom Pérignon (not the most level-headed, rational argument to try and shoot me down with), the French were the first to award my book a prize - Best Wine Book of 1998 at the Salon International du Livre Gourmand in Périgueux - which I thought was very magnanimous of them.

Buy this book from amazon.co.uk


You heard it through the grapevine: shattering the myths of the wine business

Stuart Walton

Paperback - 256 pages, March 2001
 Aurum Press; ISBN: 1854107615

Review (www.wineanorak.com)
In our sixth form class at school there was a rather odd chap called Julius. At one stage he kept an exercise book in which he scrawled brutally frank assessments of his classmates. As you could imagine, this book held a great fascination for the rest of us, and was the source of a good deal of acrimony when we finally liberated it from his possession. I mention this because, to me, this controversial, no-holds-barred book by Stuart Walton -- a tirade against the current state of the UK wine trade -- has a very similar appeal. Quoting from his introduction, "…increasingly I was unable to shake off a feeling that not everything in the global vineyard is lovely. This book is the product of that creeping sense of unease. I now believe that all aspects of wine, from the way it is made to the way it is marketed to the way it is talked about, are infected to a dismaying degree with dishonesty and pretentiousness, and that there exists a kind of silent conspiracy to prevent the truth of this being known." One by one, Walton lines up his targets, and lays into them big time. Chapter one starts with the supermarkets and high street retailers, who are criticised for their safe buying and the lack of diversity on their shelves. Chapter two looks at whether expensive wines are worth it (mostly not), and this is followed by a broadside against the famous names that often disappoint -- Bordeaux, Muscadet, Rioja, Chianti and Port. Next it's the turn of flying winemakers and 'international'-style wine (a bad thing), then oak (mostly a bad thing), Champagne (too expensive) and restaurant wines (also too expensive). But Walton saves his best for last: in the last two chapters he really lets rip. First of all, he launches into food and wine matching, and then he blasts the wine writers. It's actually this last chapter that makes the most gripping reading, because he's dishing the dirt on his own colleagues. Malcolm Gluck is a particular target. Youch!

My verdict? Walton writes well, is sometimes genuinely funny, and I was entertained from start to finsh. But I don't think it's particularly good journalism. While many of Stuart Walton's criticisms of the UK wine trade are justified, a good number aren't. The tone of the book is unceasingly negative, and I feel that Stuart Walton's points would have more weight put into the context of a more balanced (less jaundiced) overall perspective. Perhaps he needs a nice holiday? With this reservation, I'd recommend this book as a truly entertaining read that has some serious points to make. The only problem for the general reader (at whom this book is aimed) is sorting out the valid criticisms from the grumpy swipes. It's not an easy task.

Go to the amazon.co.uk catalogue entry for this book


terroir.gif (16609 bytes)Terroir

James Wilson

Hardcover - 336 pages (17 September, 1998)
Mitchell Beazley; ISBN: 1840000333

 

Reviews
Amazon.co.uk
Terroir is a French term (pronounced tair-wahr) which refers to the interplay of natural elements that make up the myriad environments in which grapevines grow. It is also the key to understanding why fine wines are produced where they are. Central to the terroir concept is geology, which is where author James E. Wilson comes in. He is a highly regarded geologist and former Vice President for Exploration and Production at Shell Oil. Following a second career as a consultant, he has devoted himself to the study of the natural history and underlying geology of French wines.

The book is possibly the first and only to comprehensively investigate the primary sources of fine wines--rocks and soil. As Wilson writes in the introduction: "You should be warned, perhaps, that the author is a geologist, and geologists have a fraternal feeling about rocks--they like to call them by name, know what they are made of, how old they are, and how they became involved in the landscape." The first part of the book is an elaboration on the components of the French terroirs with a geologic map showing the distribution of older, "hard" rock types in the mountains and "younger" ones in the basins and valleys. Another map identifies the wine districts, relief and main climate zones of France. The second part of the book is a journey through scenic winelands across the diverse geology of France--slopes of chalk, glacial valleys, gravel mounds, granite outcrops and limestone cuestas. Individual chapters describe the wine areas, the formation of their landscapes, why some vineyards are superior to others and how elements of the terroirs interact.

Terroir is the result of an in-depth study which lasted for years, but it is not only a technical book. It combines natural and social history with little-known facts and anecdotes, woven into a compelling tale of how geology influences the quality of wine. Farmers will find it useful and wine lovers will find it fascinating. Both will finish it with a thorough knowledge of French rocks, having not touched anything other than the glass of wine on the side-table.

Synopsis
The author, a leading geologist, explains how the environment directly influences how each wine tastes and develops. The interplay of geology, soil, climate and culture of the vines are examined in this book, and how these various factors combine in creating wine.

Buy this book from amazon.co.uk


Vine to Bottle: How Wine Is Made

Simon Woods (Photography by Jason Lowe)

Hardcover - 160 pages (May 2001)
Mitchell Beazley; ISBN: 1840003391

Reviews
wineanorak.com

Too many wine books set out to educate; too few are actually a 'good read'. It's understandable¾ after all, wine is a ferociously complicated subject. And one of the most complicated aspects is how the stuff is actually made. This is why a book like this is so welcome, because it's about making wine, it's genuinely a good read, and along the way you learn quite a bit.

The concept? Wine writer Simon Woods, accompanied by photographer Jason Lowe, set out to track the course of the vintage at two locations -- Louis Jadot in Burgundy and Domaine de La Baume in the Languedoc. The book that resulted is a mixture of narrative and photography, beautifully laid out and produced in a very elegant format. The photography is quite striking. Lowe has taken some risks and deviated from the standard wine book fare of vineyard shots and bunches of ripe grapes, preferring to catalogue a much more nuts and bolts montage of winemaking imagery. Most of the time this works brilliantly, although a couple of the compositions look a bit dodgy to my admittedly untrained eye.

It's a story told very much in the third person: Woods is strictly an observer and doesn't involve himself at all. But he's consistent, and the text is pretty polished. When he strays onto areas of controversy -- and there are lots of these in winemaking -- a tactful line is taken, and where opinions are expressed they are well judged and balanced.

Overall, I found this a great read, giving some real insight into the process of growing grapes and making wine. Criticisms? Well, I would have liked more substance -- possibly covering more (or different) producers, and scratching a bit deeper below the surface. The book is over remarkably quickly and ends a bit abruptly, leaving me wanting more. But this aside, kudos to the author, photographer and publishers for taking a bit of a risk, and in the process producing a well conceived, good looking and interesting book.

Go to the amazon.co.uk catalogue entry for this book

 

Back to Authors A-M | Back to top