Books Archives - Circle of Wine Writers

Rosemary George MW releases Wines of the Languedoc

Posted on May 6, 2018May 9, 2018 by Rosemary George

Rosemary George on her new tome, Wines of the Languedoc Why write about the Languedoc now? Quite simply, and without exaggeration, it is the most exciting wine region in the whole of France. The pace of change in the last few years has been breath-taking, and for that reason I wanted to concentrate on the Languedoc of the 21st century and describe the many changes in the region and the new wine g...

Caroline Gilby MW publishes guide to wines of Bulgaria, Romania and Moldova

Posted on April 15, 2018May 3, 2018 by Amanda Barnes

Eastern Europe is still largely undiscovered in western markets but is a source of fascinating, unique and authentic wine styles based on long-established history. Circle member Caroline Gilby MW has published one of the first in-depth books devoted to the region’s most important wine-producing countries. While there is considerable overlap between the countries in geology and climate, the thre...

Liz Sagues presents a celebration of English wine

Posted on April 2, 2018 by Amanda Barnes

The UK's world-renowned sparkling wine, and its increasingly good still counterpart, is much neglected in books directed at non-specialist wine consumers. Circle member Liz Sagues fills that gap with A Celebration of English Wine (Robert Hale, rrp £16.99), a story which begins with the Romans and carries on to the current successes and future challenges of Britain's fastest-growing agricultural se...

Wandering through the memories and vines of Sicily

Posted on March 18, 2018April 2, 2018 by Nina Caplan

Nina Caplan makes a pitstop in Sicily to discover this island's connection between the great empires and its pivotal role in wine history, in this extract from her new book The Wandering Vine: Wine, the Romans and Me. Before the Italian mainland, almost opposite ancient Carthage, is an island so fertile, and so strategically placed, that it has been visited by virtually everyone. Poets, heroes, ...

Steven Spurrier to publish memoirs

Posted on March 6, 2018March 7, 2018 by Amanda Barnes

Steven Spurrier is publishing his memoirs with Adelphi, set for release at the end of May. Wine, a Way of Life follows Spurrier's long and esteemed career in the wine industry, recalling memories from age 13 and his very first sip of Cockburn’s 1908 through to the relaunch of the Academie du Vin in Paris in 2016. A formidable professional in the wine industry, Spurrier's career spans over 50 ye...

Jonathan Ray bubbles over with ‘Drink More Fizz’

Posted on December 18, 2017December 29, 2017 by Amanda Barnes

Jonathan Ray reveals no less than 100 recommendations of his favourite fizz from around the world in his new book, Drink More Fizz! He shares an extract and a couple sparkling selections from his book: 'Being something of a lush, I have a number of favourite drinks that I turn to regularly when I need a bit of a lift. Pour me an ice-cold manzanilla or fino sherry, say, a gin and tonic, a bone-d...

The Great Drams of Scotland

Posted on December 4, 2017December 5, 2017 by Amanda Barnes

Greg Dillon is clearly a whisky fiend. And he is also, clearly, a brand consultant. As he launches into his guide to the tales and stories of Scottish whisky houses, Dillon first shares his thoughts on branding. Why, you might ask? Because as Dillon details, whisky was one of the first branded products in the world. It's the image of a certain whisky which sells it today - far more so than the liq...

Oz Clarke’s World of Wine: Wines, Grapes, Vineyards

Posted on December 4, 2017December 28, 2017 by Amanda Barnes

At first, this may seem like an Oz Clarke wine education book - it opens up with the history of wine and the way you make it and then moves through the many wine regions and appellations, introducing the reader to all the main styles and production rules. This tome is, however, a little more personal than that - it is Oz Clarke’s World of Wine. And that apostrophe takes on more importance as the b...

Cépages suisses: Histoires et origines

Posted on December 4, 2017December 5, 2017 by Amanda Barnes

José Vouillamoz may be one of the few people in the world to have drunk over 600 different wine grape varieties. His scope as an ampelographer is truly global, however, his native Swiss heart is still in the wine regions where he grew up. Cépages Suisses is his literary contribution to the viticultural heritage of Switzerland and the great variety of its native varieties. Originally published i...

The wines and winemakers of Languedoc-Roussillon

Posted on December 4, 2017December 5, 2017 by Amanda Barnes

Paul Strang has recently launched his new guide to the wines and winemakers of Languedoc-Roussillon. Amanda Barnes reviews it. This is by no means a small book - in size, nor measure, and quite rightly so considering it is on the topic of Languedoc-Roussillon, one of France’s most expansive wine regions. It is also home to the largest vineyard in the world, as Paul Strang details in the introduct...