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Wine Books To Collect

The World Atlas Of Wine By Hugh Johnson & Jancis Robinson If you had to own one wine book, this bestseller is the winner. The first edition came off the press in 1971 and was almost immediately out of stock. This single book is a veritable library of all the world’s wine countries, their history, regions, sub regions and every wine produced. The research is staggering and writing, simple and engaging. Dotted with superb photography and detailed maps, this encyclopaedia is a keeper for beginners, enthusiasts and obsessives alike and the finest legacy of two of the world’s greatest wine writers and critics.

Wine Folly: The Essential Guide to Wine
This is a book that the world of wine was literally crying out for. Long and unfairly perceived as dense, unfunny and complicated, the wine community was literally rescued by the delectable, colourful and quirky book that makes wine so fun, simple and engaging. Almost like our favourite school textbook, this wonderful effort by the founders of Wine Folly, the world’s most visited wine knowledge website is a treasure trove of bite sized information and illustrations, interspersed with anecdotes and humour. This book will make you know wine and love it as easily as a crisp Prosecco.

Robert Parker Wine Buyers Guide No.8
Now this hardback has all the contours of a serious wine book that belongs on the shelf of a seasoned wine professional. If ever you weren’t supposed to judge a book by its cover, here it is. Yes, it’s over 1536 pages and has literally no photos or illustration or any relief of colour but it is undoubtedly the most rigorous labour of love from the world’s foremost wine critic. Robert Parker was at his height, regarded as the final verdict on nearly every wine on the planet. This book though is not so much about ratings as it is about a comprehensive footprint of every single wine region with authentic details about wineries and individual wines with tasting notes. With this book in tow, you’ll never be asking questions about which wine to buy, ever.

Wine Films

Films

Sideways
This 2004 film is an entertaining medium to break into the vinous space. This indie Californian comedy was of the type that usually just flew under the radar. Instead, the movie spiked worldwide interest in wine, especially Pinot Noir. The film is all about loving wine in more ways than one, centering around Miles and his love-hate relationship with Merlot apart from a full blown mid-life crisis. Soak in the Californian wine country and some wine addled fun that Sideways boils over with.

A Good Year
Another Hollywood excursion into wine country that merits a watch never mind the critics panned the film – what do they know? Academy award winning actor Russel Crowe’s Maxamillion is an aggressive and unethical day trader who inherits his estranged uncle’s Southern French estate. He travels to sundrenched Provence with the singular intent to sell to the highest bidder. And then everything starts to go right including the discovery of some secret stellar vines and an old flame. While the script is a tab unwieldy, the film will make you fall in love with wine and nearly all of rural Southern France.

Bottle Shock
How can a chronicle about one of the most earth shattering events in wine history that put America on even keel with France also be so much fun to watch. Ask the director who crafted this wine comedy which sees British wine critic Steven Spurrier travel to California to taste their wines with low expectations only to be stunned by their quality. He takes back the choicest bottles and sets up the Judgement Of Paris, pitting the American wines against Burgundy’s finest, blindtasted by France’s foremost critics. Enough spoilers spilled. Go watch with a bottle of Chardonnay.