Knowledge is Power: Books

by Garry Clark

My wife is a bit pissed off with me. You see Im a hoarder. I have three or four storage boxes packed full of the last three years worth of wine magazines. I have another five or six stuffed full of reference books about wine. I have the last ten editions of Hallidays guide to Australian wines, the last 15 years worth of John Platters wine guide, about half a dozen editions of the Gambero Rosso Italian wine guide, and many many more. And I still want to buy more books.

Weve just taken on a new barman who is keen as chips to learn about wine. He has just completed the first stage of the WSET course - the illogically named Intermediate Course which he passed with distinction. Hes like a human sponge, desperate to absorb knowledge. So it got me thinking about what books would be best for him to read to learn about wine. As I trawled through my own fairly vast selection of wine books Im not sure that I am any closer to the answer. Over the years I have collected a lot of books, past and present on wines, from the old Hubert Dujiker atlases of European wine countries, to Harry Waugh's wine diaries, through Michael Broadbents Vintage Wines - packed full of wonderful tasting notes on many wonderous wines. But I have noticed recently there seems to be a considerable absence of any new works on my shelves. And as I trawl through the bookshops I have noticed the absence from their shelves too. Tom Stephensons excellent Wine Report is no longer, Williamson and Moores Wine Behind the Label seems to have disappeared too.  Perhaps the publishers of wine books are becoming reluctant to publish something about a product that is becoming increasingly more demonised by the press and our nanny state.

One book that I bought recently is published by the folks that do the World of Fine Wine. Entitled The Finest Wines of Tuscany, it is authored by Nicholas Belfrage MW. In keeping with the World of Fine Wine it is incredibly well put together, high quality stock paper with glossy images, stunning photography and well written if slightly highbrow content. As Italy is something of an achilles heel to me, this was an ideal purchase, offering me an insight into some of the best producers within the region and giving fairly detailed background information on the families behind the labels. There is a partner to this book in the Finest Wines of Champagne by Michael Edwards.

Falling under the category of  weighty tomes is The Chateauneuf-du-Pape wine book by Harry Karis. Its a big beast of a book, packed to the gunnels with information on the region, from the history of the appellation, to its geography, what makes it tick and then a comprehensive section on the estates. It is clear from reading it, that the author has fully immersed himself in the region, it is littered with personal observations and anecdotes from winemakers and families. Ive only dipped in and out of it a few times, but it is a book worthy of its comparatively cheap price. And for the technologically minded, there is a digital edition available on a specially designed memory stick. See http://www.cdpwebshop.com/epages/490908683.sf for more information.

As Spain is such a popular region at the moment, it is worth investing in a copy of the Penin Guide to Spanish Wine, the 2008 edition is currently available in English either hard copy or again as a digital download from www.grupopenin.com . The 2009 edition is currently being translated into Spanglish (fair play some of the more technical details are mangled english, but its usually easy enough to understand). With detailed notes on all the producers in the regions and vintage reports of each region it is £20 well spent. Each section starts with a brief synopsis of the region and whatever changes it is undergoing. It follows with notes on all the producers and ratings for the current vintages of available wines.

Now all I need is re-inforced bookshelves to store these all and everyone will be happy.