Book Recommendations from Decanter Magazine
Decanter Magazine,
an English publication, is an excellent resource (and counterpoint) to some of
the US-based publications and is well worth subscribing to for the different
viewpoint. Their very English perspective on wines and, in particular, the tasting
notes/recommendations are always interesting. Periodically, Decanter publishes book reviews. I thought that I'd
capture some tidbits from their recent positive reviews in order to complement
our own book lists. We decided not to post the list of books receiving faint (or
worse) praise as it ultimately wouldn't serve a purpose.
September 2002
The New and Classical Wines of Spain by Jeremy Watson
"Without doubt, the most up-to-date, authoritative book on the subject
around." Unfortunately, it is not available via Amazon.com or Powell's Books yet.
April 2002
Napa Valley: The Land, the Wine, the People by Charles O'Rear
O'Rear's photos are a "sweeping photographic treasury. From a close-up shot of
the weathered, gnarled hands of a grape farmer to glamour shots of vineyard
vistas." Available at
Powell's Books and
Amazon.com.
Holiday Roundup - January 2002
Hugh Johnson's Pocket Encyclopedia of Wine 2003 by Hugh Johnson
"Still pocket sized, and for many consumers, the only wine book they'll
need. Here are thumbnail sketches of grapes, wines, vintages, producers,
restaurants, and technical points but they're rendered with assurance, skill
and a tight acidic bite." Available at
Powell's Books and
Amazon.com.
Larousse Encyclopedia of Wine by Christopher Foulkes
"The broad-brush approach means nuances are lacking [but]... It's a good,
user-friendly overview for someone who might want to simply wade in the wine
lake, rather than swim." Available at
Powell's Books and
Amazon.com.
Sassicaia: The Original Super Tuscan by Marco Fini (Editor) et al.
"Lavishly illustrated in a family-album style, it is reverential and solemn,
like contemporary accounts of the lives of 16th-century popes." Available at
Powell's Books and
Amazon.com.
November 2001
The World Atlas of Wine by Hugh Johnson and Jancis Robinson
As this book was updated for its fifth edition, Hugh Johnson passes the
baton to Jancis Robinson. Jancis updated and rewrote many sections,
particularly for New World wines where information has changed dramatically.
Decanter has called this "The Wine Book of the Millennium."
Available at
Powell's Books and
Amazon.com.
Wine Tasting Guidebooks - October 2001
Essential Winetasting: The Complete Practical Winetasting Course by Michael Schuster
"There is a certain Gallic rigidity about Essential Winetasting
and no sense of fun." Nonetheless, this was recommended because it offered a
complete, if pedantic, perspective on tasting wine. Available at
Powell's Books and
Amazon.com.
Wine-Tasting Workbook by Jancis Robinson
"The title tells you all; you are here to learn -- sit up straight, stop
fiddling, and put your nose in that glass." [Note: This book is not
listed at Amazon.com or Powell's Books but I think that it is the same as
How to Taste: A Guide to Enjoying Wine.] Available at
Powell's Books and
Amazon.com.
Lateral Wine-Tasting by Rosemary George
[Out of print in the US but often available via
Amazon Marketplace or
Powells Books.]
Winetasting Pocket Guide: How to Approach and Appreciate Wine by Michael Broadbent
I liked the description of this one although it didn't make Decanter's shortlist:
"Broadbent packs the odd surprise. His tasting notes are sometimes wilfully
capricious... He is relaxed about drinking wine; wine is not a sterile
science." Available at
Powell's Books and
Amazon.com.
Bordeaux Summary - June 2001
The Winemasters of Bordeaux: The Inside Story of the World's Greatest Wines
by Nicholas Faith
"Gives a detailed history of how the Bordeaux marketplace has evolved. Faith
tells the tale of proud families, Machiavellian merchants, crippling
scandals and turbulent takeovers." Available at
Powell's Books and
Amazon.com.
Bordeaux: A Comprehensive Guide to the Wines Produced from 1961 to 1997 by Robert M. Parker, Jr.
"For piecing together, stocking and restocking your cellar, thorough tasting
notes going back to the 1960s, this is an excellent guide." Available at
Powell's Books and
Amazon.com.
Bordeaux: People, Power and Politics by Stephen Brook
"With unique clarity, Brook follows the sequence of spinners who
traditionally convey wine from vine to wine lover. He unravels the 'good old
Bordeaux snobbery' that surrounds them." Available at
Powell's Books and
Amazon.com.
The Bordeaux Atlas: The Bordeaux Atlas and Encyclopaedia of Chateaux
by Hubrecht Duijker and Michael Broadbent
Super pricy but: "Capturing a real feel and impressino of Bordeaux in just one book is
almost impossible, but this title comes the closest of any." [Out of
print in the US but often available via
Amazon Marketplace or
Powells Books.]
Bordeaux: Touring in Wine Country by Hubrecht Duijker and Mitchell Beazley
"[If you visit Bordeaux...] this is the book to tuck in the glove
compartment." Includes detailed maps and directions to the chateaux designed to help you get
around Bordeaux without getting (deeply) lost. Available at
Powell's Books and
Amazon.com.
Bordeaux by David Peppercorn, MW
"This is a personal book, full of opinion and comment, pulling no punches,
and calling a wine a wine." Available at
Powell's Books.
Bordeaux and Its Wines, 15th Edition by Marc-Henry Lemay
"A Bordeaux tome is what you need to find out which chateaux are
illustrious, which are obscure, and which could do better. [This is] King of
them all - and 'Bible' to the buffs, British wine trade and Bordelais alike."
Available at
Powell's Books and
Amazon.com.
Great Bordeaux Wines by James Seely
"Paints a beautiful picture with portraits of the finest chateaux and useful
tasting notes." Available at
Powell's Books and
Amazon.com.
Pocket Wines of Bordeaux by David Peppercorn, MW
"Weighing a mere 190 grams, this is the only good reference book to carry
around with you." Available at
Powell's Books and
Amazon.com.
Grands Vins: The Finest Chateaux of Bordeaux and Their Wines by Clive Coate
Available at
Powell's Books and
Amazon.com.
Italy - May 2001
Italian Wines 2002: A Guide to the World of Italian Wine for Experts and Wine Lovers by Gambero Rosso
"This has become the most influential publication in the world of Italian
wine. Any wine that receives the coveted tre bicchieri (three
glasses) award is guaranteed success." Available at
Powell's Books and
Amazon.com.
Hugh Johnson's Tuscany and Its Wine by Hugh Johnson, Andy Katz (Photographer)
"Describes the beauty of the landscape in a prose style that is peerless
among modern-day wine writers... Prose captures images that complement the
photographs caught on camera by Andy Katz." Available at
Powell's Books and
Amazon.com.
Barolo to Valpolicella by Nicolas Belfrage
"Belfrage's dense and well-written book is an accurate assessment of Italian
wines and their producers, and is invaluable and unsurpassed as the best
current reference book on the northern half of Italy." Available at
Powell's Books and
Amazon.com.
March 2001
The Colour of Wine: Photographs from the Vineyards of
Marlborough, New Zealand by Kevin Judd
"It is the ever-shifting scenes and colours (of Cloudy Bay) that have been
brilliantly captured by Kevin's lens. What struck me were the vivid hues,
then Kevin's eye for texture and form, his positive genius for contrasting
tones." [Not available in the US.]
December 2000/January 2001
A Short History of Wine by Rod Phillips
"Short on pictures, long on words, this book makes a real contribution to our
understanding of wine... Phillip's book is a first stab at producing something
like a textbook although it is also, laudably, lightly written."
Available at
Powell's Books and
Amazon.com.
A Century of Wine: The Story of a Wine Revolution by Stephen Brook
"Individual wine writers describe the history of the twentieth century and its
vital influence on the development of wine. Wine in 1900 was largely a
nutritional drink... and it finished up as a chiefly aspirational beverage to
be savoured." Available at
Powell's Books and
Amazon.com.
Real Wine: The Rediscovery of Natural Winemaking by Patrick Matthews
"Matthews champions organic winemakers rather than the mere techno-wine that is the
stock-in-trade of our multiples [ie, retail chains]. Much of the focus is on California and the
rediscovery of ancient techniques there." Available at
Powell's Books and
Amazon.com.
The Global Encyclopedia of Wine: Updated Edition by Peter Forrestal (editor)
Available at
Powell's Books and
Amazon.com.
October 2000
The Wines of Chile by Hubrecht Duijker
"Duijker packs an enormous amount of detail into the winery profiles. It may
be aimed at the general reader, but there is more than enough to keep the cork
dorks happy too... [Only complaint] is that, at times, Duijker's tone lacks
critical bite. He has an excellent palate but seems afraid to exercise it on
behalf of his readers." Available at
Powell's Books and
Amazon.com.
June 2000
The Wines of California by Stephen Brook
"Brook begins with a historical review of California's viticulture and a quick
tour of each of the wine regions... before launching into a discussion of
grape growing and winemaking that is 'crucial to what makes California wines
distinctive.' The second half of the book, with its short, elegant essays on hundreds of
individual wineries, will be the most thumbed. Brook manages to convey clearly
the styles of wine produced at all of the major wineries, and many of the
minor ones, too." Available at
Powell's Books and
Amazon.com.
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