On (Académie du Vin Library)

Burgundy is France's most prized and prestigious wine region today as well as being one of its oldest and most traded, if not always by the English. Its wines, to quote Jay McInerney who contributes, are 'for lovers, lunatics and poets…' and are the textbook definition of what terroir is all about. Villages mere metres apart produce wines of startlingly different personalities, and it is one of the rare regions in Europe whose red and white wines are equally celebrated. For all of its precious history it is also a region at the forefront of vinous innovation, with many winemakers certified as biodynamic. It is home to some of the world's most famous wine estates, and its top wines are all made from just one red and one white grape, yet the range of wine styles across the region, from Chablis in the north to Beaujolais in the south is significant. On Burgundy explores all of these themes and ideas with contributions from many of the world's top wine writers, looking at the kings, popes, mavericks and pioneers who have made wine in this region for generations. On Burgundy's team of experts explore the magical golden slope, from Chablis to Chiroubles, to reveal the riches of the 'Cte d'Or'. From the jewel-like wines of its tiny, cherished villages, to the Jurassic vineyards in which they grew; from the hoarders and fraudsters of this region's far-from-saintly past, to the winemaking heroes who craft the burgundies we know today. This is the region that inspires all others – its story told here by greatest names in wine writing.

On California explores the grapes and the people who have made California wine great. The pioneers, the boffins, the whizz-kids and scientists, many of whom tell their stories on its pages – some in precious archive material, others have set down their thoughts mid-pandemic in 2021: Randall Grahm, Gerald Asher, Steven Spurrier, Paul Draper and Warren Winiarski take a bow…. Includes: • California wine and the future: where will the 'California spirit' lead next? • The 'Hollywood Grape': our authors chart the path of Cabernet Sauvignon, from the wish-list of Thomas Jefferson to the hallowed hillsides of Stag's Leap and Screaming Eagle • 1976? Of course it was a competition! Steven Spurrier and Patricia Gallagher look back at the motivations behind the famous Paris wine tasting • Top New York sommelier Victoria James tells of her near-death introduction to the whacky world of winemaking in Sonoma • Will the real Zinfandel please stand up? Paul Draper seeks out the true heritage of California's versatile orphan grape • Contributions from top California writers: Elaine Chukan Brown, Mary Margaret McCamic MW, Karen MacNeil, Esther Mobley, Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, Liz Thach MW, Clare Tooley MW, and Kelli White • Hugh Johnson, Jane Anson and Fiona Morrison MW introduce California's intrepid wine pioneers • Rex Pickett's Sideways heroes, Jack and Miles, clink glasses over the Central Coast's finest Pinot Noir • A–Z: from 'Bob' Mondavi to Xylem sap-sensors and pink Zinfandel – California wine in bite-size

"If you want to know why Bordeaux is so much talked about, read this book from the most knowledgeable insiders and most entertaining outsiders." - Steve Spurrier. From Samuel Pepys's first succinct reviews of 'Ho-Bryan' in 1663 to the rhapsodic tasting notes of beloved wine critic Michael Broadbent, Bordeaux has inspired more than 300 years of wine writing. This captivating new collection from the Académie du Vin Library brings together the finest writing on the region, with tributes from the world's best-loved wine writers, commentators and critics. Spanning three centuries and four continents, On Bordeaux explores themes such as rivalry, plague and the primacy of the vintage through to the region's future and how it will tackle climate change, sustainability and marketability.