There are many fine books on the subject of wine – including the drink itself, the grapes, the process and the history. On this section of the website, we offer some recommendations – all of which make excellent gifts for your family, friends and fellow wine lovers.
Michael Shuster. ‘Essential Winetasting’: the complete practical winetasting course. Mitchell Beazely publishing.
A great introduction to all the fascinating elements of appreciating wine. It begins with a general overview of what ‘tasting’ involves – from the bottle to the glass. It offered insights on white (old and new world), Red, (old and new world) and sweet wines – including Sherry and Madeira.
Oz Clarke (with Margaret Rand). ‘Grapes and Wines’: a comprehensive guide to varieties and flavours. Pavilion publishing.
Not everyone’s cup of tea, but I think Oz Clarke is a great, unpretentious wine communicator and this book offers a great overview of so many different grapes. There are major sections soon the ‘classics’ – but with the advent of global warming and the rise of indigenous grape varieties, some grapes with relatively small entries in this book, might require greater space in future editions. My copy is from 2010, and it was updated in a new edition in 2015.
Victoria Moore ‘The Wine Dine Dictionary‘ Granta publishing.
Planning that special meal? wondering about a good wine paring? This is the book to help. It is a book of two halves – Part One is useful if you know what main ingredients/dish your wish to provide but wonder what to serve to compliment your gastronomic offering. Part Two is useful if you know the wine and wonder what to cook. This is the most thumbed section in our house!