The Penguin Podcast is back! Listen Now
Wine Grapes

Wine Grapes

A complete guide to 1,368 vine varieties, including their origins and flavours

Summary

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, André 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

  • 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

About the authors

Jancis Robinson

Learn More

Julia Harding

Learn More

José Vouillamoz

Learn More

Sign up to the Penguin Newsletter

For the latest books, recommendations, author interviews and more