Favourite wine books
There is no doubt that we wine lovers are one of the easiest groups of people to buy gifts to. To please us you don’t have to worry about size, colour, shape, preference. In most cases you don’t even have to worry about wheter we already own a particular present. There is always space for another decanter, wine funnel, a set of glasses, corkscrew and of course another bottle of wine. The choice of things to buy us is endless.
Amongst the many wine related gifts that I like to give and receive, my favourites are well written books. The choice of very good wine books is endless with many new ones published every year to add to the large collection of classics. They are easy to find too. All book shops in Malta have a wine and food section and from what I gather business is very good with frequent new orders. Of course the choice on the various internet book sites is limitless.
So, let me give you some suggestions on what books to buy next time you want to buy a gift for a wine lover or come to think of it, for anyone who is, or might be interested in the good things in life. As wine is an integral part of European history, culture and economics, some books also make excellent gifts for the home library or for education purposes.
For the home.
There are many comprehensive, general encyclopedias written on the subject but a definite must is the Oxford Companion to Wine. The 3rd updated edition has just been published. This is edited by Jancis Robinson and in my opinion is the Bible of wine. In it you will find everything you could ever want to know about wine. From history to laws. From geography to climate. From wine art to wine auctions.
Another good, but less intensive encyclopedia is The World Atlas of Wine. This is edited by Hugh Johnson and once again, Jancis Robinson. It is a useful book giving much importance to the geographical aspect to wine. Even less intensive and much more user friendly are Oz Clarke’s Essential Wine Book and Joanna Simon’s Discovering Wine.
These last two are easy to follow and include useful information on tasting wine.
Wine Making
Without a doubt, the most comprehensive modern outlook on the methods and systems of growing and making wine is The Art and Science of Wine by James Halliday and Hugh Johnson. James Halliday is one of Australia’s best renowned wine makers and in this book he gives an outstanding analysis of how nature, art and science combine to make the infinite variety of the world’s wines. Together with Johnson, they follow the decisions every winemaker has to take from the vineyard to the bottling process.
Equally outstanding is the classic Knowing and Making Wine by the father of modern wines, Professor Emile Peynaud. This was originally written in French in the 1980s and translated into English by Alan Spencer. Although many new methods have been developed since the 80s, the principals of wine making remain the same and this book still forms the basis of all French winemaking studies.
Wine History
There has been a number of books written on the subject but the most complete offering, in my opinion remains Hugh Johnson’s Story of Wine. This is an in-depth look at the origins of wine starting from the Phoenician period right up till the early 1980s. Another favourite of mine is Monks and Wine. This was written by Desmond Seward and highlights the importance and influence that the Christian Church had on the development of wine.
Specialised Books
A number of wine writers specialize in a particular region or a particular subject and here I list some of the best works written on specific subjects
The New Spain (John Rutford) – all you want to know about Spain
Bordeaux (David Peppercorn MW) – An insight into the wines of Bordeaux written by one of the leading experts on the region.
Rhone Renaissance (Remington Norman) - A comprehensive look into the Rhone valley and Rhone Varietals.
Burgundy (Serena Sutcliffe MW) – In the form of a pocket book this gives details of the region and it’s producers
Wine Vintages (Michael Broadbent MW) – Broadbent was the world’s first acknowledged international wine expert. His tasting experience in unsurpassed as is his skill in writing direct, easy to understand tasting notes. In these books he details vintages dating back to last century.
Phylloxera (Christy Campbell) – A highly authoritative look in to the insect and epidemic that destroyed most vineyards during the end of the 19th century and how wine was saved for the world.
Italy (Burton Anderson) – Burton Anderson is the world’s best English language Italian wine expert. Everything you want to know about Italy.
Wine Tasting Workbook (Jancis Robinson) – Easy to follow instructions on how to taste wine.
Wine with Food (Joanna Simon) – This explains the principles behind the art of wine and food matching
Wine Guides
A number of wine guides are published every year. These range from small pocket books to multi volume sets. The most popular yearly pocket book is Hugh Johnson’s Pocket Wine Book. This gives brief information on all wine regions of the world and a large number of wines. Useful for a quick reference. For a comprehensive guide to the wines of Italy Gambero Rosso issue a yearly publication as do the Italian Somelliers Association. The latter one is called Duemilavini and is very good to keep in touch with the many changes in the Italian wine scene.
As one can imagine a large number or guides are issued regarding the wines of France. The Guide Hachette is highly respected in France and is translated into English. This details more than 5000 French wines. The highly controversial and influential American writer Robert Parker publishes yearly books on the wines of France. His scoring and notes have many times caused controversy but he remains a high popular wine writer.
For the lovers of Australian wine Oz Clarke has just issued Australian Wine Companion. Although not Australian, Clarke’s knowledge of Aussie life and wine is enormous. Here he shows his enthusiasm for all things Australian. For the South African wine lovers, John Platter’s South African Wine Guide is a publication which gives a very informative look at most of South Africa’s wine producers and the wines they produce.
An interesting guide is Guide to Wine Grapes by Jancis Robinson. This is unique A-Z reference to grape varieties and the wines they produce. Over 500 are listed.
Please allow me to give a humble word of advice. Don’t let these guides, especially the ones with tasting notes and scores influence you too much. At best they are just what they say they are…….Guides.
Finally for the best wine read no book beats Jancis Robinson’s Confessions of a Wine Lover. Jancis is in my opinion the world’s leading wine commentator and here she gives us a hugely enjoyable account of her early wine life and all the colourful and interesting, some legendary wine people she met along the way. These include Philippe de Rothschild, Jacques Hebrard and Robert Parker. The book reads like a novel. It is educational, an eye opener and great fun. A must.
Wine books are a great source for learning and improving one’s knowledge but nothing beats actual drinking.
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