Moving from the first cork tops to screw caps, this unique volume explores winemaking through 100 bottles that made the biggest impact on its evolution. Renowned writer Oz Clarke presents such landmarks as the introduction of the cylindrical wine bottle; the first estate to bottle and label its own wine; the most expensive bottle sold at auction; the change in classifications; famous vintages, and more. It's a beautiful tribute to the bottled poetry that is wine.
Oz uses his trademark wit and irreverent style to teach you the basics of wine appreciation and show you how to get more out of a bottle of wine, and find out what is really inside. Have you ever gone into your local wine shop or looked at the wine list in your local bar and thought with a sense of panic ‘Help, what do I choose?’... What sort of wine do I fancy today? A refreshing white? A summery red to take on a picnic or a spicy wine to go with a winter’s stew?’ Well, Oz is here to help. Split into sections covering basics (wine at a glance, good grape guide, wine styles, from grape to glass and quick guide to countries); practical stuff (what the label tells you, the canny wine buyer, essential kit, serving and keeping wine); and becoming a wine geek (tasting wine, starting your own collection, finding out more and quick guide to names in wine). Oz will be your guide through the world of fascinating flavours and help you find the sort of wine you enjoy drinking. Dip into this book and you will find a quick, accessible guide to wine styles: what is warm and spicy or chewy and blackcurranty? He recommends wines to try; and explains what the label tells you about the taste and quality of the wine and whether it is any good or not. Soon you will be confident enough to choose between flavoursome reds such as Shiraz or Pinot Noir, and refreshing whites from Alberiño to Sauvignon Blanc. The book is divided into short, easy to read topics, with recommended wines to try covering all styles and flavours. Now is the moment to grab that glass, learn about what is inside that bottle and taste while you read...
- The essential book on the world's wine, whatever your level of expertise - Oz Clarke makes wine accessible and enjoyable - Full of all the facts you need as well as the stories you will love, authoritative and enjoyable - Beautifully produced in a new flexibound volume that makes it easy to read There 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 flavor 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 Evita Oz explains how global warming affects what we drink today, and the new styles we can expect 'tomorrow' Organic and Biodynamic wines, Oz's favorite fizz The 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 savoring now. Or to age and enjoy in 10, 20, 30-years' time...
Oz Clarke brings a fresh, no-nonsense, and often controversial approach to wine, and adds a special sparkle to this encyclopedic reference with his humor, enthusiasm and erudition. Over 700 illustrations and maps in full color.
During the thirty-five years wine critic and writer Paul Gregutt has lived in the state of Washington, its wine industry has ballooned from a mere half dozen wineries to nearly five hundred. Washington Wines and Wineries offers a comprehensive, critical, and accessible account of the nation's second largest wine-producing region.
First published in hardcover as Oz Clarke’s Encyclopedia of Grapes, Oz Clarke’s Grapes and Wines is newly revised and updated to provide the most current information on an even wider array of grapes. Oz covers chardonnay, cabernet sauvignon, and fifteen other "classic" grapes in depth, and includes features on tradition and innovation, methods used in the vineyard and the winery, and different wine styles around the world. He also provides vivid descriptions of more than three hundred grape varieties organized in his renowned A-to-Z format, as well as a glossary of technical terms and a wine decoder that lists which grapes go into which wines.This authoritative volume by one of the world’s great wine writers is all you need to distinguish among grape varieties— the wines they create and the flavors they contribute—and to make an informed choice on selecting the most satisfying wines.
It used to be the easiest way in the wine world to get a laugh – start extolling the virtues of English wine. Oh, how they would chortle! And they had a point. Until the 1990s hardly any English wine was more than a curiosity to be drunk if you had no other choice. The old-fashioned view of English wine is that of a cottage industry made up of amateurs struggling with the mud and the drizzle. The modern view is of a country amazingly blessed with vast tracts of soil suitable for viticulture, much of it almost indistinguishable from the chalky slopes of Champagne and Chablis, and of a country taking full advantage of the vagaries of climate change to ripen Chardonnay and Pinot Noir to levels perfect for sparkling wine, and increasingly excellent still wines. And it wouldn’t be far off the mark to say that England is now the newest of the New World, New Wave wine countries. The 1990s brought several pioneering sparkling wine producers to the fore – led by Nyetimber and Breaky Bottom and suddenly England has found its wine vocation. Oz has long been a champion of English wines and this book helps you find the best wines, from fizz, whites, some impressive reds and even dessert and orange wines. One of the great pleasures of wine is to drink it where it is grown and made. Both wine handbook and armchair companion, English Wine is an essential book for all lovers of wine. The opportunity to meet growers, winemakers and winery owners is what draws people to visit wineries and ‘have an experience in the vineyard’. The book is split into sections: Exciting Times – How it used to be; The Nyetimber effect; Climate: is it almost perfect now?; Location is key; Planting like made; A question of style: sparkling or still; and Grape varieties: a race to the top. British Bubbles – What is needed to make good fizz; Champagne, the original fizz; Bubbles and how they’re created. A Tour Of the Regions – covers personal experiences and reflections from Oz's many years of visiting talented and passionate producers up and down the country. From Yorkshire to the far west of Cornwall and across to Wales, a small but dynamic part of the UK's wine movement, Oz recommends wines he has enjoyed and found interesting and encourages you to try for yourself.
The story of wine's ancient beginnings, with a foreword by Oz Clarke. The Chinese have been making wine since the days of the Silk Road and they have a rich, yet little known wine culture. Their now thriving wine market is entwined with thousands of years of fashion, poetry, and art, and offers a window into the country's vibrant history and legendary tales. This well-researched book offers a taste of China through a wine journey, setting the rise of grape wine against the fascinating backdrop of Chinese culture. In an accessible and comprehensive tone, this guide covers the relationship between Chinese philosophy and wine, the renaissance of grape wine in modern China, the different varieties of Chinese wines, how to pair them with Chinese food and explores wine etiquette and customs. As wines from China are spreading to our shores and our tables, this book is an essential companion for all wine lovers interested in exploring new flavours while expanding their cultural horizons.
Through its unique cartography--more than 75 spectacular, hand-painted panoramic maps--and Clarke's lively and opinionated prose, this revolutionary atlas illustrates and explains the vital connections between the land, the winemaker, and the wine. Full color. Maps & photos.
You don’t need to know all about wine regions or how wine is made to choose wine with confidence. If you like the sound of intense, blackcurranty reds or aromatic whites, this book will tell you how to find these flavours in the wines you buy, regardless of whether the wine is labelled by grape variety or by country. Drinking wine is all about enjoyment. Oz explains how to get maximum enjoyment out of every bottle you buy, from dealing with broken corks, to learning basic tasting techniques, spotting faulty wine, and matching food and wine, whether at home or in a restaurant. In Oz’s down-to-earth guide to all the world’s major wine regions you’ll find everything you need to know to navigate your way round a wine shop or wine website. Oz explores grape varieties, flavours and styles, giving equal consideration to classic wine regions – such as Bordeaux and Chianti – and the newer wine-producing countries such as New Zealand, Australia, Chile and Argentina. Do vintages matter? Are the wines good value for money? Oz tells you everything you really need to know. Gradually building your knowledge with expert tips, information boxes and wines to try, this is a complete guide for the beginner wine enthusiast. Word Count: 55,000
