Its finally summer and, its hoped, a few extra days off are in order. A quartet of summer wine reading for you this week, whether youre looking to bump up your wine knowledge, take a road trip or just find a fun escapist thriller. The prices Ive included span from the higher list price to discounts that are common from Chapters, Amazon or even independent bookstores such as Pulp Fiction, which generally offers a 30 per cent discount off of Canadian cover prices. Happy reading!
The Billionaires Vinegar: The Mystery Of The Worlds Most Expensive Bottle Of Wine by Benjamin Wallace ($13-17, Crown Publishing Group) follows the true story of a bottle of 1787 Château Lafite Bordeaux wine, rumoured to have been once owned by Thomas Jefferson. It was auctioned for more than $150,000 and has since been plagued by mystery, controversy and libel suits.
Its a great beach read and page-turning thriller (yes, really) that traces a very elaborate con from central London to Nazi bunkers and beyond. Not only will you pick up bits and pieces of wine knowledge while you read, but youll be shocked by the absurdity of the books characters, settings, twists and turns. Not much or a reader? Brad Pitt just signed on to star in an upcoming film adaptation.
Wine For Dummies by Ed McCarthy and Mary Ewing-Mulligan ($17-25, John Wiley & Sons) is the book I always suggest when friends ask what Id recommend so they can learn a little bit more about wine. You may scoff at picking up the wine edition from the popular, bright yellow series, but the authors are well respected in the global wine trade and theres no other book out there that will give a concise, well-rounded tour of wine in laymans terms, straddling the line between too simple and too academic with ease. Want to learn how to read Italian wine labels, the basics of Bordeaux or how to ensure the German wine you buy wont be too sweet? Youll be able to figure much of that out after perusing these pages.
John Schreiners Okanagan Wine Tour Guide: Updated & Expanded by John Schreiner ($15-20, Whitecap Books) is what you want to have in the back seat if youre hittin the road and heading to the Valley this summer. Schreiner is your go-to guy for where to go and what to drink when visiting the Okanagan, and he should know - hes written 15 books on Canadian wine and has tirelessly toured our regions a zillion times over, sipping everything from Lake Countrys Rieslings to the Syrahs of Osoyoos. Everything you need is in here, from maps, listings and websites to winemaker profiles and historical anecdotes.
The Oxford Companion to Wine by Jancis Robinson ($50-70, Oxford University Press) is the Bible, Koran and Torah of the wine world, all rolled into one. While this isnt exactly a book to slip into your beach bag, no overview of wine books would be complete without its mention. Robinson, a world-reknowned Master of Wine, competition judge, speaker and writer edits this encyclopaedic tome that covers everything from the biology of root systems to grapes varieties of the world, pioneering winemakers and more. If you only own one book about wine that you intend to use for reference, this is what should be on your shelf. Its a big one, so remember to lift with your legs, not with your back.
