Grapes & Wines : A comprehensive guide to varieties and flavours

"An exhilarating wine book...No serious wine lover's library is complete without it" Wine Spectator Grapes & Wines is the key to enjoying modern wine. Approaching wine through grapes is in tune with the way consumers now think and learn about wine. Most wines, especially those from the Americas, Australasia and South Africa, are now sold under the name of the grape variety used rather than under the old European system of chateau and appellation name. You're standing in a wine shop and see bottles labeled Aglianico or Tannat. Do you know what they are? Garnatxa sounds familiar and it is, as it is the Basque name of the popular Grenache grape, but how do you know this? You've heard of Carmenere from Chile, and probably bought the wine, but did you know it is an old historic Bordeaux variety? This is the perfect book to help you find out more about the world's top classic grapes, from Cabernet Sauvignon to Zinfandel - the history, the places, the people, the wine styles and the flavours are covered in detail. It is also just the book for dipping into as you come across an unfamiliar grape variety. Grapes & Wines has been thoroughly revised and updated.

A former leading West End actor, Oz Clarke is one of the world's best known wine experts, whose formidable reputation is based on his extensive wine knowledge and accessible, no-nonsense approach. Known for his phenomenal palate, irreverent style, accurate predictions and enthusiasm for life in general, Oz is Britain's most popular wine writer. Margaret Rand is a well-known wine writer who has won many awards, most recently the prestigious Louis Roederer International Wine Feature Writer of the Year Award in 2013. She writes and tastes for Decanter, World of Fine Wine, Square Meal and Drinks Business, as well as judging at international wine shows. She has previously edited Wine Magazine, Wine & Spirit and Whisky Magazine.