Near Obernai , Alsace, France.
GREAT TIPPLE READS
Easy going, practical, fun and comprehensive wine book
This cool 144-page book is a great way to get yourself into wine (reading).
It takes you through everything about wine (how to serve, how to store, key grapes, food & wine matching, key wine regions, etc.) with great illustrations, simple explanations and no snobbery.
You can study it religiously page by page or you can browse it whenever you feel like it.
Why I (still) love it: exhaustive, undemanding read for anybody with minimal interest in wine. Dirt cheap.
Available online from around £2.
THE ONE - Comprehensive, well-written & accessible 928-page wine atlas - around £20
Don't judge a book by its cover! (yes this one is particularly bad)
This couldn't be more true. This books is exhaustive, interesting, well-illustrated and should satisfy the wine anorak looking for details as well as the curious apprentice.
This 928-page mammoth covers all aspects of wine.
The first 80 pages cover the history of wine and how to serve, taste, cellar and most importantly enjoy wine with great pairings and rich illustrations.
The following 60 pages cover the making of wine from the vineyard -with great illustrations of grapes, PEST & other diseases- to the winery -with pictures of how a barrel is made, etc.
The rest of the book covers all parts of the world from France to Japan. It offers a general overview of the region/country (e.g. Burgundy) and focuses on a couple of key sub-regions and particular topics for those looking for more details (2 pages on the Hospices de Beaune annual auction) before finishing with a guide to the top producers in the area.
Why I love it: First a guide book for wine holidays, this book quickly became a prime source of information and great complement to the often dry WSET Diploma materials. A great present for any wine lover. Around £15 second hand.