I get asked for recommendations for books on wine all the time. The thing is, whoevers asking usually has visions of grandeur, that theyre going to pick up some 700-page glossy tome, spend days poring over the pages and, upon closing the back cover, will know the entire world of wine like the back of their hand.
The best of intentions are there, but within days these heavy encyclopedic volumes almost always go from the bag to the coffee table, and then straight to their final resting place, gathering dust on the bookshelf, never to be cracked again.
What most people need, myself included, are books on wine they can actually use. A book that gets highlighted, dog-eared and spilled upon weekly.
Well, my buddy, wine-writer and educator James Nevison, has just published such a book. Had A Glass 2014 is his annual ode to the top 100 wines under the $20 mark currently available in BC.
Ranging from sparkling, through whites, pinks, reds and fortified wines, his take is always casual and full of enthusiasm often setting the scene that would suit each wine well. With each recommendation, you get food pairing suggestions, a shot of the label for easy retail navigation and a bar code for extra geekery.
Before diving into all of that, however, he lays out how to properly taste, shop, decipher labels, pinpoint aromas and flavours, and so much more in a mere 21 pages, something other books take hundreds to accomplish. The book, published by Random House, comes in at $19.95, itself an under-$20 bargain.
I advise you do what I do pick up a copy for yourself and then another couple for what will be well-received gifts and stocking stuffers. Above all, do enjoy perusing the thing. Its James tone and cheer that I always enjoy most.
Below, two of his profiles excerpted from the book, on wines that Im happy to endorse as well!
Good things often come in threes. The Triple Crown. Three periods of a hockey game. The Lord of the Rings. Trivento maintains the magic formula, holding down with a quirky Torrontes-Viognier-Chardonnay grape triumvirate that really sings. The Torrontes shows through with its enticing perfume, and its complemented by tropical dandy Viognier and robust Chardonnay for an altogether enjoyable sipper ready to pair with an array of meals, from grilled cheese sarnies to Thai takeout.
This muscular red struggles to keep itself in check. Like Hulk Hogan in a spandex shirt, it wrestles with berry, dark chocolate and spice, threatening to unravel at the seams through its punchy, dry finish. But just as you expect this gutsy Nero dAvola to run wild like a pack of Hulkamaniacs, Cusumano reels things in and concludes with a lingering finesse that highlights why Nero dAvola is the most distinguished red grape of Sicily.
Find Had A Glass 2014 at major booksellers around BC or via RandomHouse.ca. As always, you can always track me down via KurtisKolt.com.
