Margaret Rand and Oz Clarke: Grapes & Wines

Oz Clarke and Margaret Rand: Grapes & Wines

Continuing my mini-series of recently published wine books, here is the new edition of Margaret Rand and Oz Clarke's Grapes & Wines – a comprehensive guide to varieties & flavours. First published in 2001 this edition has been substantially revised.

Comparisons with Wine Grapes (Jancis Robinson, Julia Harding, José Vouillmoz) are inevitable but probably misplaced. Wine Grapes is a dense, scholarly and brilliant book appealing to hardened wine nuts, while Grapes & Wines is likely to have wider appeal being much more accessible and with many photos, maps and charts. Their vital statistics gives a clue – Wine Grapes weighs in at just over 3 kilos – a Mike Tyson heavyweight, while Grapes & Wines tops the scales at a much more modest 1.33 kilos.

No reason, of course why you shouldn't decide to buy both. However, I suspect for most wine lovers Margaret and Oz's new edition provides them with enough information and they are likely to enjoy their popular approach.

After some introductory sections, grapes varieties are ordered alphabetically with widely varying space devoted to them. Leading varieties like Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc, Garnacha, Merlot, Riesling and Syrah/Shiraz get at least five double pages covering an introduction, geography and history, viticulture and vinification, the grape around the world and enjoying the variety plus recommended wines.  Others varieties get just a few lines.

It is interesting to note how views have changed since the first edition appeared in 2001. Then there was still a belief in the leading five or six international varieties. Planting Chardonnay in hot climate Sicily still seemed a good idea in preferenece to the local varieties. The intervening 14 years has taught us that there is a strong connection between local climate and the appropriate grape varieties to plant. It has also been a great revival of interest in local and other grape varieties.

A few small quibbles: Oz and Margaret have missed the recent revival of interest in Loire Grolleau as a juicy, easy drinking red wine to be drunk young amongst friends. The dreaded term 'dessert wine' makes an appearance in the section on Loire – I would have hoped that Margaret would have banned such nonsense!

Margaret Rand: the lady wears purple

Grapes & Wines is published by Pavilion, £25, 336 pages. Picture credits include: Jon Wyand, Doug Wregg, Cephas – Mick Rock, Kevin Judd and Andy Christodolo.

Dr José – wine's 'special one'!

Dr José Vouillamoz  

Unusual varieties from Wine Grapes

Football's 'special one' may be returning to West London after time at Inter Milan and Real Madrid but the wine world already has its special one in place – Dr José Vouillamoz – after a brilliant and hugely impressive presentation to the Circle of Wine Writers yesterday. José's presentation at the CWW's traditional seminar at the opening morning of the London International Wine Trade Fair was on unusual and rare grape varieties and featured 11 wines – all single varietals and all different varieties. The production of some of the wines is so tiny that it is unlikely that it will be possible to taste some of these wines again. (The wines will be listed with their labels in the next post.) 

Dr José Vouillamoz is a co-author with Julia Harding MW and Jancis Robinson MW of Wine Grapes, the weight lifters' delight and almost complete guide to grape varieties. 'Almost complete' because since the book's publication last autumn a few more varieties that were not included have come to light and will be in the next edition. Wine Grapes has already scooped six awards: Best Drink Book 2012, Fortnum & Mason Food and Drink Awards; Best Beverage Book 2012, James Beard Awards; Best Drink Book 2012, André Simon Awards; Hall of Fame for Best Wine Book 2012, Gourmand World Cookbook Awards; Best Drinks Book 2012, Wine &amp Spirits magazine; and Most Uplifting Book 2012, Iron Person Magazine. Doubtless there will be more to follow.

The 'special one'!! 

The tasting – limited to some 58 people because of 

the very limited supply of a few of the wines 

 Oz Clarke deep in concentration 

Nigel Greening pondering whether any of these varieties would suit 

Felton Road, Central Otago (NZ) 

Richard Bampfield MW 

Dr Jamie Goode

 Rapt attention from Peter May and Lisa Shara Hall 

Lindsay Oram

Wine Grapes@3.074 kilos

stocked in all the best gyms!

Blois 4 Concours Mondial Sauvignon 2013@its birthplace

Equine view from Hotel Mercure, Blois

After an early start in London, arrived in Blois a short time ago for the Concours Mondial Sauvignon 2013. Delighted to see that after the first three editions of this Concours were held in Bordeaux, that the 4th is being held in the Loire. After all according to the latest reserach the Loire is the presumed birthplace of Sauvignon Blanc – not Bordeaux as it has long been assumed to be the case. 

According to the recently published Wine Grapes Sauvignon Blanc probably orginated in the Loire. It is an offspring of Savagnin, a variety best known in the Jura and certainly one from the east of France not the west – ruling out Bordeaux. 

The first mention of Sauvignon Blanc in the Loire is in 1534 in Rabelais' Garangtua (Chapter 25) under its synonym Fiers. The first mention of the variety as Sauvignon Blanc in the central vineyards of Sancerre and Pouilly is in 1783-4.

Sauvignon Blanc is apparently a sibling of Chenin Blanc. When Sauvignon eventually arrived in Bordeaux, it had a fling with Cabernet Franc to produce Cabernet Sauvignon. It is not clear while they waited so long the tryst could have been in Saumur or even Touraine but it would have had to be before before the recent reform of this appellation!      

RAW news (19th-20th May)

 Wine Grapes weighs in at over three kilos

News about 2013 RAW Fair

'Talks. 

Although these have not yet been finalized, we can confirm that Jancis Robinson MW and her two co-authors José Vouillamoz and Julia Harding MW, will be coming to RAW for a talk and book signing of Wine Grapes, Jancis’ most recent publication. This is apparently the first time the magnificent trio will have come together since their book launch back in the autumn 2012 so we are extremely proud to be able to host them at RAW. Details of their talk will follow in due course. Copies of Wine Grapes will be available for sale at the fair.

The Popoff

We are thrilled to let you know that the RAW/TOWT sailboat is definitely coming to the UK! The Popoff will be leaving St Nazaire at the beginning of May and is due to arrive in St Katharine’s Dock a few days later. She will be bringing with her lots of wine (including some from Olivier Cousin, who will also be on the boat) and a handful of vignerons, as well as a few Breton vegetables and some salt from the Breton Marshes.

We will keep you updated as to her ETA in case you would like to come down to the docks to welcome her to the UK. We also have a few spots onboard if you would like to join the crew in Tilbury (Essex), where she will be stopping off to drop wine, and then sail up to the Thames to Tower Bridge on the final leg of Popoff's journey. If you’d like to be entered into the draw for one of the lucky places, visit our ‘Big Boat Appeal’ page. Or if you'd like to find out about why cargo sailing is so important, check out our post on "Why sail?"'

Isabelle Legeron MW – organiser of RAW Fair

Wine Grapes wins the André Simon Memorial Drinks Book Award

Julia Harding MW with Harry Eyres (drinks books' assessor)

2012 Andre Simon Memorial Food and Drink Book Awards:

Wine Grapes wins the 2012 André Simon

The remarkable Wine Grapes (Jancis Robinson, Julia Harding, Dr José Vouillamoz published by Penguin Books)  won the 2012 edition of the Andre Simon Memorial Drink Book Award. The winner was announced at a presentation this evening at the Goring Hotel in London's Victoria. Julia Harding MW collected the prize on behalf of the two other members of the triumvirate.  

Harry Eyres

The shortlisted drinks books 

Harry Eyres who was this year's assessor for the wine books, said that in a normal year all of the five short listed books would have been worthy winners.

He described Wine Grapes as an exceptional, groundbreaking work. Not only was it full of information on every page but it is also enjoyable to read. Much of the book's excellence comes from the DNA from José Vouillamoz. 

Harry recalled that some 20 years ago Jancis wrote Vines, Grapes & Wines (published 1986) Wine Grapes 'goes far beyond'.

Of the other short listed books Harry described Brunello di Montalcino (University of California Press) by Kerin O'Keefe  as a labour of love which is shown by the number of visits and amount tasted. He praised Eric Asimov (How to Love Wine published by William Morrow) for going back to a previous discursive approach, in particular for the chapter on ambiguity in wine - an antidote to the present emphasis on scores.

Neal Martin's Pomerol is a 'remarkable and exuberant book on a Bordeaux region that has only relatively recently come to prominence'. Harry recalled that his wine merchant  father, Philip, had bought two cases of Pétrus 1967 - the best wine of the vintage. Two years ago they had shared the last bottle with his late father wistful that he could have bought 120 bottles rather than 24.

With all the changes in the region Peter Liem and Jésus Barquín's superb book (Sherry, Manzanilla & Montilla published by Manutius) is 'timely with many vineyards grubbed up, famous old names that have completely disappeared and now boutique producers' who have emerged.

 Neal Martin with his team – Susanna Forbes (editor), Tin Brown (the designer), and a trio of Averys: L2R – Mimi, Sarah and Jo

Neal Martin was the first recipient of the John Avery Award for his Pomerol book. The award was presented by John's wife Sarah Avery. John died of a heart attack just a few days after last year's award presentation.

The late John Avery MW at last year's presentation

I was very touched that the whole Avery family were so pleased with the photo I took of John raising a glass last year. It was one of those split second photos that you don't even have time to check the focus or anything else. 

Caroline Conran won the Food Book Award for Sud de France (published by Prospect Books). 


In all there were 20 drink books to assess and a massive 120 food books.

  

Julian Cotterell (chairman of the Awards) and Caroline Conran winner of the food book award

Caroline Conran receiving her award 

Julian Cotterell

Harry meets Julia

 Averys – Mimi, Sarah and Jo

Kerin O'Keefe and her husband

Kerin through a glass 

Mimi Avery

Sarah Avery

  

 Alice Wooledge Salmon, wife of Hugo Dunn Meynell who died recently

Hugo was the long time director of the Wine & Food Society founded by André Simon

The Wine Grapes book arrives by special delivery!

No wonder Wine Grapes by Jancis Robinson MW, Julia Harding and José Vouillamoz came by special delivery...  

it weighs in@3.074 kilos or as there are 1368 vine varieties at 2.24 gms per grape variety

As I suggested on twitter yesterday the first variety I looked up was Meslier Saint François. Will be posting on this and more tomorrow.