Gin the Ultimate Companion – New Book Review Gin, the Ultimate Companion is a new book by Ian Buxton, published on 7 October 2021. The subtitle is “the essential guide to Gins, Flavours, Cocktails, Tonics and More”, and, as we shall see, it lives up to this description admirably. It may be the only book on gin that you’ll ever …
Italy’s Native Wine Grape Terroirs – Book Review
Italy’s Native Wine Grape Terroirs – Book Review This article reviews a new wine book by Ian D’Agata, entitled Italy’s Native Wine Grape Terroirs. It follows on from his indispensable previous book, Native Wine Grapes of Italy. Here D’Agata continues his focus on Italian native grape varieties. This time he shows how these can communicate a unique “somewhereness” in the wines made from them. …
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Hix Oyster and Fish House – in Memoriam
Hix Oyster and Fish House – In Memoriam Over a decade ago, one of the many highlights of walking part of the magnificent South West Coastal Path was a stop-off in Lyme Regis and a chance to dine at the Hix Oyster and Fish House, a high-end restaurant established by Mark Hix in 2008. In short, it was both a …
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Chablis and the Grand Auxerrois – Book review
Chablis and the Grand Auxerrois – Book review Chablis – it’s the best known white wine. And not just in the UK, which is still its biggest market, but worldwide. It’s so famous that many don’t realise it’s made only with Chardonnay grown in a small group of villages in northern Burgundy. Even though it’s a unique expression, Chablis is …
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Book Review: Bordeaux Grands Crus Classés 1855
Book Review: Bordeaux Grands Crus Classés 1855 The Bordeaux Grands Crus Classés 1855 gave official recognition to the best wines of the Médoc and Sauternes. Some 163 years later, it’s still a compelling listing, though hardly without flaws. This handsome new book about this classification claims to be the essential reference for wine aficionados. Does it live up to this billing? …
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Book Review: Wine Revolution by Jane Anson
Book Review: Wine Revolution by Jane Anson Wine Revolution by Jane Anson contains “The World’s Best Organic, Biodynamic and Natural wines”. When I started to focus on this subject a decade and more ago, such wines were dismissed by conventional wisdom. According to this, they employed daft doctrines. Furthermore, they were only from a handful of winegrowers that had lost …
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Book Review: Where to Drink Coffee
Book Review: Where to Drink Coffee Billed as the unfiltered truth about the best brew, Where to Drink Coffee is newly published. Authors Liz Clayton and Avidan Ross claim that this is the Expert’s Guide to the best coffee in the world. It’s one of Phaidon’s range of hipster books, with an eye for attractive design and heavyweight paper. Other …
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Beeronomics – World History Through Beer Goggles
Beeronomics – World History Through Beer Goggles Here’s my review of a newly published book about beer, entitled Beeronomics, how beer explains the world. It’s a book that looks at world history via beer goggles. Well, my friends might you tell you that I’ve always seen the world through beer goggles. Now this book legitimises this viewpoint! All joking apart, beer …
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Book Review: Italian Wine Unplugged, Grape by Grape
Book Review: Italian Wine Unplugged, Grape by Grape Italian Wine Unplugged brings something genuinely new. In this review, I’ll explain why. For me, Italian wines are a treasure trove of history, culture, food, language, colour, scents and flavours. There’s no denying that Italy makes great wines; in every region, in every possible style and at every price point. Italian wine …
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Book Review: Hugh Johnson on Wine
Hugh Johnson on Wine. Good bits from 55 years of Scribbling. To write well about wine, to engage with an audience and do that consistently over many years is no mean feat. These days, many aspire, but few are chosen. Hugh Johnson has been at it now for 55 years. His latest book, subtitled Good Bits from 55 years of …
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