Academie du Vin Library Ltd – serie

Pressing Matters explains the fundamental debates in wine, from terroir, production and farming, to tasting, wine’s cultural significance and the economic value of wine. By focusing on wine through the prism of the key fights within each topic, the book presents readers with a story that includes the messiness, human fragility and disagreement about core principles that so often gets skipped at the outset of wine knowledge. The book fairly showcases all sides of the most important debates in wine today, giving the available evidence as well as commenting on what we don’t know. Aimed at those just starting on their wine journey, Pressing Matters is a lively and thoroughly researched history of all the key current wine controversies, written by an author with wine making in his blood, who knows the wine business from the inside.- Lays out the key current wine controversies in a way that is easily accessible for the non-scientist and those new to wine literature.- Examines the evidence from experts on both sides of each argument to allow readers to make up their own minds on current hot topics in wine.- Goes behind the label to explain the buzz words, trends and wine speak used by the wine media.- Helps readers see clearly today’s bigger wine picture in order to make better informed wine-buying decisions.- Author is active within the wine scene in California and beyond, and a popular speaker at wine events.

"Wine lovers who have pondered the answers to questions like “Why is red wine red?” and “Why do people perceive wines differently?” will appreciate this book." — Wall Street Journal"...one of those rare books that will make you think differently next time you open a bottle of wine"— Club O“... Gus Zhu MW has written a fascinating – and easy to follow – guide to the way in which chemistry, biology, physics, genetics and winemaking interact to not only create the great diversity seen in today’s world of wine, but also shape our ability to taste, understand and appreciate these wines.” — Natasha Hughes MW, wine and food writer“A lively, readable exploration of the science behind the taste of wine... It’s not easy bringing wine chemistry to life, but Gus knows his stuff and presents it in an easily digestible read.” — Dr Jamie Goode, author of Wine Science and Flawless"For those whose interest in wine has evolved beyond the simply sip phase, Behind the Glass would be a good first place to look for answers to some fundamental questions." — The World of Fine WineIn Behind the Glass readers will discover the science involved in wine tasting and learn why wine tastes the way it does. Wine is chemically very complex, while sensory appreciation can be subjective, meaning that our perception of wine is multi-layered. Behind the Glass is aimed at the non-scientist curious wine lover or wine professional and uses flavour chemistry and sensory science to help readers understand what is going on when they taste a glass of wine. The book is divided into three sections, on the visual appreciation of wine, the taste of wine on the palate and the smell of wine, and explains the chemical and sensory aspects of each. The text is illuminated by accompanying graphics. The book concludes with six pairs of wines to taste, to allow readers to put into practice the ideas explored in the book. By understanding more fully the chemical and sensorial aspects of wine tasting readers will equip themselves to better appreciate each glass of wine they taste.

"The Cynic's Guide to Wine, by Sunny Hodge… is one of the best wine books I have read in a long while." — Yorkshire Post"All in all it's a very useful and enjoyable read..." — Life“…if you are remotely curious about the science of wine, this is an excellent guide. I found myself questioning some of my own beliefs, and while I may not be ready to discard them, “The Cynic’s Guide to Wine” is a timely reminder of the importance of skepticism in all facets of wine.” — NY Times Much of what is written about wine, whether in wine books, on bottle labels or in the Sunday supplements uses language that gives wine an air of mystery. While compelling and enticing for the consumer this can also lead to confusion regarding the science of wine as well as fear on the part of the inexperienced wine drinker of ‘getting wine wrong’. In The Cynic’s Guide to Wine Sunny Hodge strips wine back to its basic science and unravels the facts behind wine flavours, showing readers a clear path through the verbiage. The text takes in elements of horticulture, soil science, botany and sensory science as well as oenology and is provided in bite-sized chunks aimed at the curious non-scientist. This is a straightforward and eye-opening book for anybody who has ever wanted to question the stories told around wine but was afraid to ask. The wine book all novice wine drinkers need: strips away the pretension and explains what really matters when it comes to producing the flavours in your glass of wine.Questions many of the things we take for granted when it comes to wine, from terroir to the science of wine making.Author is the award-winning owner of two London wine bars who has earned a reputation as a disruptor in the wine trade.

“Who better to supply us with our first comprehensive historical survey than the wine writer with the magic pen, Hugh Johnson?” - Jancis Robinson MWHugh Johnson has led the literature of wine in many new directions over a 60-year career. His classic The Story of Wine is his most enthralling and enduring work, winner of every wine award in the UK and USA. It tells with wit, scholarship and humour how wine became the global phenomenon it is today, varying from mass-produced plonk to rare bottles fetching many thousands. It ranges from Noah to Napa, Pompeii to Prohibition to Pomerol, gripping, anecdotal, personal, controversial and fun. This new edition includes Hugh’s view on the changes wine has seen in the past 30 years.In his Foreword the celebrated historian Andrew Roberts writes: "The genius of The Story of Wine derives from the fact that it is emphatically not a dry-as-dust academic history – there are dozens of those – but an adventure story, full of mysteries, art and culture.’

Peter Vinding-Diers is a Danish aristocrat turned roving winemaker who, on escaping his studies at the Sorbonne one summer found himself on Burgundy’s Côte de Beaune, suddenly besotted. Peter’s first foray into wine took him to the Cape (via a quick turn parachuting into the war-zone in Vietnam), where he learned vineyard ways and wine science. Next came a dazzling decade in Bordeaux, where his pioneering exploits began to catch the world’s attention. He then ventured to Bulgaria, Brazil, Spain, Chile and Hungary earning himself the title ‘Flying Winemaker’ (he was one of the first!). Along his wine journey, Peter has frequently had to call on his Viking ancestors for help – not least in taming his ‘Montecarrubo’ vineyards on the wilder side of Sicily – but whether by accident or by design (mostly the latter), he has always found himself at the forefront of vinous discovery…

"This book takes in his introduction to wine – at the age of three! – through his continued travels and championing of New World wines when they were less fashionable." — Matthew Nugent, The Irish Sun“You can feel Oz Clarke’s expansive, chatty presence in every sentence” — Telegraph"Frankly, it's the best and most entertaining wine read I've had in years." —Tom Doorley, The Irish Mail"You can never have too much of his captivating enthusiasm and rich knowledge and this is him at his best." — Waitrose magazine"A rollicking good read." — Sommelier IndiaThere have never been so many delicious and original wines in the world, and to discover them, all you need is a glass in your hand and Oz Clarke – the ideal wine companion. With his inimitable sense of adventure and fun, Oz explains how his fascination with flavour led him to abandon a promising acting career and follow his heart from Chablis to ‘the lost Himalayan valleys of Yunnan’ in pursuit new taste experiences and wine thrills. He found them! Oz Clarke On Wine takes us on a fast-paced, witty romp around the grape varieties key to the world’s major wine styles, then explores the vineyards and regions where a vast trove of wine treasure lies waiting for discovery. Oz’s passion for sharing, his deep wine knowledge, and his ability to conjure up the wine world’s most beautiful landscapes, make this book the most unputdownable wine read this century.Includes:How Oz fell in love with wine: from his first dramatic encounter on a river-bank (aged three), to his post-performance tasting tales (after ‘governing Argentina’ as General Perón in the hit show EvitaOz explains how global warming affects what we drink today, and the new styles we can expect ‘tomorrow’Organic and Biodynamic wines, Oz’s favourite fizzThe world’s best-tasting wines, from Aconcagua to Okanagan, from Patagonia to east Yorkshire…, and wines to enjoy, from budget to blue chip… For sipping and savouring now. Or to age and enjoy in 10, 20, 30-years’ time…

"Veteran wine books are by modern standards short on facts." — Decanter Magazine"This is an inspirational book well worth your time." — Eric Asimov on Instagram"If you want to learn about wine, switch off your phone, buy these two books and enjoy them with a nice glass of something." — The Critic"This is a don’t-miss book for people who plan their travels around vineyards." — Washington Post"This is one of the best books on wine ever written." — Sommelier IndiaIn this unique approach to understanding wine, Hugh Johnson, the world’s best-loved wine author, weaves the story of his own epic wine journey with an embracing view of everything he has discovered along the way. Almost without realising it, the reader is drawn into a fascinating world; with each page turned, knowledge is gained and wine wisdom absorbed. Hugh takes us from the teetering ledges of the Mosel and majestic châteaux of the Médoc to the sylvan slopes of Windsor Great Park with a spring in his step and a tasting glass at the ready.No one writes so infectiously on every aspect of wine, whether human or cultural, technical or historical. This book is peppered with anecdotes and personal recollections, infused with the sheer delight Hugh finds in his subject. It is a book with a story to tell and a mastery of wine to impart.Previously published as Wine, A Life Uncorked 2005, now updated with new chapters.

"It’s such a good read…" — Decanter"Rocks and soils haunt our thinking about wine. We see links, sniff origins, taste connections, digest differences. Is this cause and effect -- or fantasy? Alex Maltman is ghostbuster-in-chief. This wide-ranging and clearly reasoned book shines a torch through the cobwebs." — Andrew Jefford“Beautifully illustrated and written in clear, thoughtful prose, the book opens up the idea of terroir in a way that feels fresh and approachable.” —Forbes“A rich lode of knowledge, confronting lazy tropology. Maltman has a way of writing that snaps with authority, makes you pay attention ..." —Jancis RobinsonBurgundy thrives on the limestone remnants of a warm, shallow sea while Sancerre and Pouilly wrap their roots around flint. The finest Pomerols bloom in a ‘button’ of blue clay, and Beaujolais famously begins life in granite. Cabernet Sauvignon loves just about any sandstone and Champagne gets on gloriously with chalk. But is the secret to great port really schist? Alex Maltman, Emeritus Professor of earth sciences at Aberystwyth University, finds himself between a rock and a vineyard place as he explains how a wine’s flavours relate to the geology at foot, and discovers that there is more to ‘minerality’ than mud, rocks and the earth’s stark materials... Terroir is as intrinsic to the quality of a wine as the grapes it comes from or the intentions of the wine maker. This beautifully produced and illustrated book looks at the many factors that influence, or don't, how a wine tastes. Professor Maltman poses lots of questions and answers, while busting some myths along the way.

“It's a necessary conversation starter about what's on the horizon for the wine world, and a roadmap for drinkers who want to align their values with their purchasing.” — Forbes "As their absorbing book reveals, “climatic challenges” were a major contributor to plummeting levels of wine production that last year saw the global total drop to its lowest level since 1961... Masters and Neather outline many ways in which the industry can adapt to, and fight, climate change." — Financial Times“Rooted in Change is a courageous, groundbreaking, hope-filled piece of work. It gives every one of us a practical starting point. And it is a gift to all of us in the wine industry and to anyone who loves wine and cares about the planet.” — Jancis Robinson“A cork tree will be harvested around 17 times over the 200-year span of its life; around one quarter of the glass recycled in the UK is simply crushed for aggregate. These are two of many facts I learnt from this dense yet lucid book which pulls the curtain to show the pragmatic side of wine we rarely think about.” — TelegraphThis is a compelling new book focused on the intersection of wine and sustainability. It will explore the most urgent issues facing the wine industry today, from climate change and resource management to evolving consumer expectations, offering a rich blend of tradition and innovation to inspire a sustainable future for winemaking.Wine regions around the world, from the vineyards of Bordeaux to the valleys of California, are grappling with the undeniable effects of climate change. Record-breaking temperatures, extreme weather patterns, and resource scarcity are pressing the industry to rethink how it operates. As wineries increasingly embrace sustainable farming methods—from water conservation strategies to regenerative viticulture practices—the book will take readers through a comprehensive exploration of these pioneering approaches. The book will feature a mix of expert commentary, in-depth case studies, and engaging storytelling that illustrates how sustainability is being embraced across the global wine community—from regenerative farming practices at Tablas Creek in California to innovative water management strategies in Australia’s Barossa Valley.Appealing to a wide range of readers, from those in the sustainability industry to other sectors, both agricultural and broader product manufacturing sectors.

"Keevil, Preston and Ireland have done a magnificent job. Beautifully designed and put together in every way, this handsome coffee-table-sized hardback book is a fitting tribute to the world’s most game-changing wine tasting." —Tamlyn CurrinParis, May 1976. A young Englishman and an American journalist decide that California’s emerging wine stars should be better known in France. They set up an expert panel to blind taste them against the best of Bordeaux and Burgundy and, contrary to every expectation, the California wines emerge triumphant. The wine world was shocked to its core...The tasting came to be known as ‘The Judgement of Paris’; it was the trigger for California’s winemakers to grow in confidence and stature – and it allowed other ‘pretenders’ to make their claim to the French wine throne. 50 years on, this book takes stock.- Warren Winiarski of Stag’s Leap shares the journey of the winning wine- Profiles and tasting notes of the competing wines – plus, stunning photography of the wineries then (1970s) and now...- The Response from Bordeaux: was losing to California all bad?- Interview with Steven Spurrier and Patricia Gallagher: did they know they were stirring up something big?- Was it all a Storm in a Parisian Wine Glass? ... or just 1970s clickbait?- The JOP in Context: seven other events that shook the wine world- Aubert de Villaine (Domaine de la Romanée-Conti), Jasper Morris MW, David Gleave MW, Jane MacQuitty, William Kelley (Wine Advocate), John Williams (Frog’s Leap), Hugh Johnson, Jancis Robinson MW, Karen MacNeil, Jane Anson (and many more) on what the JOP means for the wine in our glass...- The Judgements that Followed: Chile vs Bordeaux, Champagne vs Franciacorta, Sonoma vs Burgundy...- Presented as a beautiful, cloth-bound commemorative edition with rare archive photography and colour images