Books & Reviews

Adam S. Montefiore reflects on the extraordinary life of Israeli vigneron Eli Ben-Zaken in this short extract from his recently published biography on Domaine du Castel.  I picture Eli Ben-Zaken in the summer of 2021, standing on his own outside his house and winery at Ramat Razi’el as he defiantly fought against the fierce wildfires in the hills and forests that rise towards Jerusalem. The flame...

Charlie Leary has published his 2023 edition of Leary's Global Wineology: A guide to wine eduction, mentorships and scholarships. The handy guide takes readers through the world of wine education and helps offer guidance on which route is best to take, depending on your goals and experience. It covers well-known courses, such as the WSET and Court Master Sommeliers, as well as looking into deta...

L.M. Archer reviews Paul James White’s new book, Talha Tales: Portugal’s Ancient Answer to Amphora Wines.   Talha Tales tells a quixotic tale of Portuguese wine technology lost and found. It’s also a story of one wine region’s cultural resurrection, set in the dusty, remote reaches of Alentejo. Talha – exclusively Portuguese and quintessentially Alentejan Romans first introduced talha, or...

Andrew Jefford is one of the most celebrated wine writers in the world, known for his lyrical prose which delve into the philosophy of wine. Drinking with the Valkyries: Writings on Wine is his new book, a collection of his essays, published by Academie du Vin Library. In this extract from the book, Jefford ponders on the 'transactional flaw' of wine.   Gallus gallus domesticus is the c...

Circle member Marisa Finetti has released her first book, an illustrated book of wine doodles. Marisa's Wine Doodles illustrates wine basics while showcasing wine's refreshing and amusing sensations and personalities. The 80-page book of hand-drawn doodles features new and original narrated illustrations that highlight grapes, wines, food and wine pairings, origins, rocks and soils, history, an...

After a decade of research, Paul White has released his new book Talha Tales: Portugal’s Ancient Answer to Amphora Wines. The book chronicles the near extinction and subsequent resurrection of the world’s only continuously surviving Roman terracotta pot winemaking tradition. Although talha maintain a very pure, ancient process, White argues that "they are essentially the newest, most complete,...

Circle Members Simon J Woolf, Jasper Morris MW and Amanda Barnes have all been longlisted for the André Simon Drinks Book 2021 award. Simon J Woolf received his nomination for Foot Trodden, which he co-authored with Ryan Opaz. Jasper Morris MW received a nomination for this in-depth look at one of the world's most famous wine regions in Inside Burgundy. And Amanda Barnes received a nomina...

Congratulations to the Members who took home celebrated Gourmand Awards for their books in the awards ceremony last month. Jane Anson, Oz Clarke and Keith Grainger all took home significant awards for their new books. Jane Anson won Best of the Best for her book, Inside Bordeaux, which was published earlier this year. Oz Clarke won the World Wines award for his book, English Wines, published...

Oz Clarke On Wine is a fast-paced, informative and witty romp around the world of wine, crammed with Oz’s encyclopaedic knowledge and personal tastes. The newly published book explores the grape varieties key to the world’s major wine styles, and the vineyards and regions where a vast trove of wine treasure lies waiting for discovery. Oz conjures up the wine world’s most beautiful landscapes, i...