PACKING your bags for the annual dash to a sun destination in the coming weeks? Then why not include a wine book, or two, to brush up on your vinous knowledge?
I have just returned from a wine trip to South Africa (more on that in the weeks to come) and brought a selection of new wine books to enjoy.
All are published by the Academie Du Vin Library in the UK, now by far the major player in bringing to print the best of wine writing available.
Today, I bring you four of the titles I have read over the past month and thoroughly enjoyed and look forward to reviewing another two from this exciting publisher in the coming weeks.
The Smart Traveller’s Wine Guide: Rioja (Fintan Kerr)
€18.85rrp, Academy Du Vin Library
THIS pocket guide couldn’t arrive at a more opportune moment for me, as I’m hoping to spend some time in Spain’s most recognised wine region very soon.
Author Fintan Kerr has produced a handy and stylish pocket guide to Rioja, covering everything you need to know about the region – its history, bodegas, a comprehensive look at how the wines are produced, and where the best tapas is available.
Kerr’s relaxed but detailed writing style explains to the traveller how the business of wine has developed and grown in the region over the past 150 years and the debt owed to Bordeaux.
Despite its comfortable pocket size, the book succinctly covers the subtle differences between the three regions that make up this world famous wine making area – Rioja Alta, Rioja Oriental and Rioja Alavesa.
Written in collaboration with Club Oenologique, the guide also has comprehensive listings of restaurants, hotels, cafés and bars, points of cultural interest, which bodegas you can visit, how to read a Rioja wine list, Rioja winemakers’ favourite restaurants and much more.
A must for anyone contemplating a trip to one of the most important and exciting wine regions in the world.
The Wines Of Australia (Mark Davidson)
€50.75rrp Academy Du Vin Library
DURING his research for this book, sommelier Mark Davidson discovered the negative impact on the indigenous peoples the growth of the Australian wine industry had.
It’s the kind of subject that most wine writers would shy away from.
But Davidson covers it sympathetically, acknowledging that the wine industry Down Under is finally taking steps to involve First Nations peoples in grape growing and winemaking.
He also tackles the critical question of climate change across a continent that has gone through lengthy droughts in recent years, along with two week-long torrential downpours and flooding.
Australia’s wine history, geology, topography, soils and climate are well covered here, as is the major grape varieties, before Davidson dives into covering the wine regions in some detail.
Sales of Oz wine in Ireland have dramatically plummeted in recent years. Price is possibly the major factor.
But experimentation, innovation and the illumination of newer regions has created a quiet revolution, challenging preconceptions of what is possible and delivering exciting new wines.
The books finishes with the author’s top 101 Aussie icon wines, many of which are available here, albeit at a hefty price.
Port And The Douro Fifth Edition (Richard Mayson)
€50.75 rrp Academy Du Vin Library
FOR the past 25 years Mayson’s book – this is the fifth edition – has been the most scholarly study on the famous Portuguese fortified wine.
For anyone with an interest in this most historic of tipples, this book details its growth, from the beginnings of viticulture in Roman times, to the present day.
The vineyards and their vines, as well as the quintas where they are cultivated are explored, followed by a thorough explanation of the drink’s production.
Mayson takes a forensic look at the last 50 years of production, since the end of the Salazar dictatorship in 1974, covering the vast transformation in the Port world, including labour-saving technology, advances in sales reach, and ongoing changes in the way the industry is managed and regulated.
A detailed assessment of vintages from 1960 to 2021; and notable vintages, dating back as far as 1844, are also included and will be of huge interest to serious wine collectors.
Finally, a chapter on when and where to visit, and where to stay makes this a valuable travel companion for those wishing experience the joys of the Douro.
Wines Of The Loire Valley (Beverley Blanning MW)
€50.75rrp Academy Du Vin Library
I HAVE had the pleasure of travelling the 1,000 kilometres of the Loire from source to sea in recent years, to visit stunning castles… and taste great wines.
This handsome volume would have been a wonderful companion on my journey along France’s longest river, with important insights into its distinct wine regions and vineyards.
The history of wines along in the Loire valley are covered comprehensively by Blanning in the first part of the book, along with an overview of the region, grape varieties, wine styles produced, and the viticulture and vinification processes.
The second part profiles the main regions and the individuals shaping the landscape of the Loire Valley’s vineyards today.
From Muscadet on the Atlantic, through Pouilly-Fumé and Sancerre in Centre Loire, to Côtes d’Auvergne in the Upper Loire, Blanning’s vast knowledge of the region comes into play.
Her writing style is fresh and very approachable. Packed with vital information, interspersed with some wonderfully humorous asides.
The Loire’s winemakers are at the forefront of the move towards a more natural approach to wine growing. Blanning captures their enthusiasm and passion wonderfully well in this thoroughly recommended read.
The concluding chapter of the book gives a valuable overview of Loire vintages.
