8 Products

As the climate changes, so do the conditions in which vines flourish, bringing different challenges for growers and new flavours for customers. Revised and updated, this edition of Oz Clarke’s Wine A–Z, published in 2015, covers over 7,000 wines and 4,500 producers, providing summaries of regions, styles of wine and estates, vintage charts and 500 of Oz’s own recommendations for classic, up-and-coming and ‘oddball’ wines.

Surveying wine and its devotees in pen and ink, these drawings were created for a variety of publications in the 1970s and early 1980s by the great satirical cartoonist, Ronald Searle (1920-2011). Along with 'The World of Wine' series covering wine ceremonies worldwide, from the fraught Annual Ceremony of Accepting the Kremlin Rouge in the USSR to Spain's joyful Festival of Hoofing the Rioja, are various lunatic methods for opening a bottle of wine and other wine-related mishaps.

Once the favoured drink of explorers including Columbus and Magellan, and writers from Shakespeare to Dickens, sherry has fallen from favour in recent decades. Lately it has staged a comeback, and Baiocchi’s book covers everything a connoisseur needs to know about this complex and fascinating wine, from its history and how it is made to the types of sherry available, and how best to serve them. Slightly off-mint and felt-tip mark on lower trimmed edge.

Known for their winemaking and eclectic business interests in banking, tourism and media, the Blandy family have survived two centuries of wars, revolutions and economic blockades during their long residency on the island of Madeira. As well as portraying prominent family members, this volume recalls key events, including the acquisition of the island’s prestigious Quinta do Palheiro estate in 1885 and Churchill’s sojourn at their world-famous Reid’s Hotel.

'Context is everything with wine', Observer wine correspondent, David Williams points out; even the most acclaimed or expensive wine might not be the appropriate choice for the food, the occasion, the climate or the company. This wine guide suggests choices for 100 different situations from a camping trip to a wedding anniversary with bottles to suit varying budgets and additional sections of general wine-buying advice.

Wine is surrounded by such mystique that choosing one can seem intimidating. This friendly, clearly organized and jargon-free guide shows how easy it can be. It introduces ten wine styles, from crisp whites to full-bodied reds, offers simple rules to remember, and describes the world's main wine-growing regions. Packed with charts, pictograms, at-a-glance guides, and how-to and top-ten lists, it recommends more than 600 wines for every budget.