
Wine Grapes
A complete guide to 1,368 vine varieties, including their origins and flavours
Allen Lane (Publisher)
Published on 25. October 2012
Book
Hardback
1280 pages
978-1-84614-446-2 (ISBN)
Description
An indispensable book for every wine lover, from some of the world's greatest experts.
Where do wine grapes come from and how are they related to each other? What is the historical background of each grape variety? Where are they grown? What sort of wines do they make and, most importantly, what do they taste like?
Using the most cutting-edge DNA analysis and detailing almost 1,400 distinct grape varieties, as well as myriad correct (and highlighting almost as many incorrect) synonyms, this particularly beautiful book includes revelatory grape family trees, and a rich variety of illustrations from Viala and Vermorel's seminal ampelography with century-old illustrations. Combining Jancis Robinson's world view, nose for good writing and good wines with Julia Harding's expertise and attention to detail plus Dr Vouillamoz's unique level of scholarship, Wine Grapes offers essential and original information in greater depth and breadth than has ever been available before. A book for wine students, wine experts and wine lovers everywhere.
AWARDS
Best Wine, Beer and Spirits Book and winner of the Jane Grigson award, IACP (International Association of Culinary Professionals) Awards 2014
A wine book of the year, 2013, The Times, London
Faiveley International Wine Book of the Year 2013, Roederer Awards
Best Viticulture Book 2013, OIV Awards
Best Drink Book 2012, Fortnum & Mason Food and Drink Awards
Best Beverage Book 2012, James Beard Awards
Best Drink Book 2012, Andre Simon Awards
Hall of Fame for Best Wine Book 2012, Gourmand World Cookbook Awards
Best Drinks Book 2012, Wine & Spirits magazine
One of the V&A's '100 books essential for preserving humanity'
Where do wine grapes come from and how are they related to each other? What is the historical background of each grape variety? Where are they grown? What sort of wines do they make and, most importantly, what do they taste like?
Using the most cutting-edge DNA analysis and detailing almost 1,400 distinct grape varieties, as well as myriad correct (and highlighting almost as many incorrect) synonyms, this particularly beautiful book includes revelatory grape family trees, and a rich variety of illustrations from Viala and Vermorel's seminal ampelography with century-old illustrations. Combining Jancis Robinson's world view, nose for good writing and good wines with Julia Harding's expertise and attention to detail plus Dr Vouillamoz's unique level of scholarship, Wine Grapes offers essential and original information in greater depth and breadth than has ever been available before. A book for wine students, wine experts and wine lovers everywhere.
AWARDS
Best Wine, Beer and Spirits Book and winner of the Jane Grigson award, IACP (International Association of Culinary Professionals) Awards 2014
A wine book of the year, 2013, The Times, London
Faiveley International Wine Book of the Year 2013, Roederer Awards
Best Viticulture Book 2013, OIV Awards
Best Drink Book 2012, Fortnum & Mason Food and Drink Awards
Best Beverage Book 2012, James Beard Awards
Best Drink Book 2012, Andre Simon Awards
Hall of Fame for Best Wine Book 2012, Gourmand World Cookbook Awards
Best Drinks Book 2012, Wine & Spirits magazine
One of the V&A's '100 books essential for preserving humanity'
Reviews / Votes
This thousand-plus-page monument combines 21st-century science with the ambition, scale and authority of 19th-century scholarship. It may be the nerdiest wine book ever published (and, trust me, that's a competitive title) but it's also a work of astounding scholarship, and as a piece of book-making, is an outright masterpiece -- John Lanchester * Guardian, Books of the Year 2012 * Features extraordinarily detailed profiles of close to 1,400 vine varieties employed in the production of wine around the world ... I learned a huge amount ... What struck me most, though, was how engaging and passionate it was. This wasn't a dry cataloguing of grapes, a microscopic look at their DNA; this was a heartfelt exploration of wine history. -- Max Allen [Australia's best-known wine writer] * Weekend Australian * This book is a thing of beauty - classic, well written and splendidly illustrated - and will be a point of reference for decades to come. With Christmas coming it may well be worth considering as a present for those wine enthusiasts amongst your friends and family. I am going to put it on my list when I write to Santa that's for sure! * Bordeaux Undiscovered * A fantastic Christmas present for any wine geek, and one that will provide an endless source of fiendish questions for quiz-setters -- Fiona Beckett * Guardian * A magnificent achievement: colossally informative, illuminating and intriguing -- Andrew Jefford * Decanter.com * A phenomenal book in its detail and research ... the definitive guide to grape varieties ... an incredible piece of work, detailing 1,368 varieties (out of a possible 10,000 worldwide) with 80 beautiful colour plates - essential for all wine students, wine lovers, wine growers keen to experiment with new grapes - and anyone with a passing interest in grapes -- Rose Murray Brown * The Scotsman * This has got to be the wine reference book to top all such guides -- S Irene Virbila * Los Angeles Times * Definitely the WINE BOOK of the decade, if not the century! * Wine Appreciation Guild, San Francisco * Even for the already knowledgeable and deeply well versed, the book offers countless new discoveries, surprises about grapes' true origins and kinships, and a plethora of varieties you've never even heard of -- Michel Jamais * LivetsGoda.se * It is almost bible-like, which is perhaps quite fitting. I found the overall appearance quite beautiful. I was especially pleased to see many varieties have a description of the taste of their wines. From a drinker's perspective this must be the most important information -- Steve Slatcher * Winenous.co.uk *More details
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Penguin Books Ltd
Dimensions
Height: 289 mm
Width: 189 mm
Thickness: 81 mm
Weight
3057 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-84614-446-2 (9781846144462)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions

Jancis Robinson | Julia Harding | Jose Vouillamoz
Wine Grapes
A complete guide to 1,368 vine varieties, including their origins and flavours
E-Book
09/2013
1st Edition
Penguin Books Ltd
€14.99
Available for download
Persons
JANCIS ROBINSON is one of the world's best-known wine writers. In 1984 she was the first person outside the wine trade to qualify as a Master of Wine. The Financial Times wine writer, she is the author/editor of dozens of wine books, including two of the most respected and garlanded, The Oxford Companion to Wine (OUP) and The World Atlas of Wine (Mitchell Beazley). She is widely regarded by the wine-drinking public as an authority on vine varieties. Her award-winning website, www.JancisRobinson.com, has subscribers in 100 countries.
JULIA HARDING passed the notoriously stiff Master of Wine exams at the first attempt, the top student of her year. She is Jancis Robinson's full-time researcher, co-ordinator and associate palate. In this book she has gathered the most up-to-date statistics about wine-grape plantings in every corner of the planet as well as unearthing recommended wine producers for almost every variety.
JOSE VOUILLAMOZ, who worked with Professor Carole Meredith and the ground-breaking team of grape geneticists at the University of California at Davis, is a botanist and grape geneticist with an international reputation and is currently based in his native Switzerland. He has discovered numerous unexpected relationships between grape varieties, many of which are exclusive to this book.
JULIA HARDING passed the notoriously stiff Master of Wine exams at the first attempt, the top student of her year. She is Jancis Robinson's full-time researcher, co-ordinator and associate palate. In this book she has gathered the most up-to-date statistics about wine-grape plantings in every corner of the planet as well as unearthing recommended wine producers for almost every variety.
JOSE VOUILLAMOZ, who worked with Professor Carole Meredith and the ground-breaking team of grape geneticists at the University of California at Davis, is a botanist and grape geneticist with an international reputation and is currently based in his native Switzerland. He has discovered numerous unexpected relationships between grape varieties, many of which are exclusive to this book.