As summer approaches, I normally start to make a list of books I want to read or else re-read. I am constantly on the lookout for new books to read.
While reading about food and wine is pleasant throughout the seasons, I love to delve into wine books during the summer season. I’m still trying to decide which wine books to read this summer but here is a list of books on wine which I highly recommend and which I have read over the past few years.
1. Huge Johnson: A Life Uncorked: I never get tired of reading this book. It is a great read from a great knowledgeable author. If you want to learn about different wines and wine regions, this is an excellent place to start. He gives you the inside tips on each of the main wine regions, lists and talks about some of the best winemakers in the world and gives you a written tour of these regions. If there is one book you should read, I recommend this.
2. Palmento: A Sicilian Wine Odyssey (At Table) is a great book on Sicilian wine. If you like to read about winemakers and learn about interesting characters this book is a great read. It is a fantastic tour of Sicily and some of its best wine producers. The author takes you on a trip around this magnificent island.
3. Wine and War: If you want to delve a bit into history, with wine as the prize, then this is the book for you. It tells the story of how France and the French saved their wine from the Germans during World War II. It is a non-fiction historical book which shows you how the French denied access to their best wines. It is a fascinating read.
4. Shadows in the Vineyard: The True Story of the Plot to Poison the World’s Greatest Wine: For the wine lover who has read many books, this is one with a twist. It is about the story to poison the World’s Greatest Wine Domaine Romanee Conti. It reads like a great novel but it is based on a true story making it all the more incredible. The story is well written and engaging.
5. Adventures on the Wine Route: A Wine Buyer’s Tour of France: An interesting book about France which pretty much covers all the regions from Loire to Bordeaux, Languedoc, Provence, Rhone, Beaujolais and Burgundy. Although written a few years ago, this is an enjoyable read about wine discovery in France. When you read it you are transported to the regions. If you’ve been, you will recognise the descriptions of the region and its wine, if you haven’t you will be thinking of planning a trip to France some time soon.
6. The Emperor of Wine: The emperor of wine depicts the rise and reign of the world’s most important wine critic, Robert Parker. If you have ever been to a wine shop and you have fallen for a 92 point wine instead of an 86 point wine, you have this wine critic to blame. He is the man who caused a revolution in the way wines around the globe are made, sold and talked about. It is a great behind the scenes read.
7. Wine Politics: This is an interesting and unique approach to the subject of wine. Tyler Colman looks at how politics affects the glass of wine you drink. It takes a look at governments, environmentalists, mobsters and critics and the influence each has on the wine we drink.
8. Ray Walker The Road to Burgundy: The Unlikely Story of an American Making Wine and a New Life in France This is a feel good book. This is about an American who decided that he needed to follow his passion and started to make wine in Burgundy. This is a story of someone who caught the wine bug and decided to go against all odds and make wine in France. It is an interesting story of perseverance and hope.
9. Red, White and drunk all over: Nathalie Maclean is an influential wine writer. In this book, she looks at the world of wine from a unique perspective making learning about wine enjoyable and interesting. She looks at various aspects of wine from wine stores to wine glasses, wine critics and becoming an undercover sommelier. Perfect for a long summer evening.
Don’t hesitate to drop us a line if you want to recommend other books or if you think we have missed some other interesting books on wine.
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