My guest t his week is Hermione Ireland Managing Director Académie du Vin Library, publisher of some great books including the latest; ON CALIFORNIA – From Napa to Nebbiolo…Wines from the Golden State.
Hermione Ireland
Regarding Académie du Vin Library, Hermione says; “First and foremost we are wine lovers! The Library was founded by Steven Spurrier and friends, dedicated to publishing the finest wine writing of the past, the present and the future. The story behind the name came from Steven’s days in Paris in the 1970s, when he began running wine appreciation courses for his English-speaking friends.” Read more here.
“Our list is small – and will never be large – because we value quality over quantity. We choose our books with care – above all for their readability, but also because we genuinely believe they have something important to say about the world of fine wine that will enhance your drinking pleasure.”
The newly commissioned titles aim to bring you the best of modern wine writing. They are not out to emulate the many excellent fact-filled volumes that form the backbone of modern wine publishing. The books are there to provide the color, the background and the essential understanding on which any true enjoyment of fine wine depends. It really is wine writing at its finest.
They also publish beautiful new editions of old books that demand a new audience. Rather than simply republishing the books, they add updates and additional material that will appeal to a modern readership without in any way destroying the charm or the essential wisdom of the originals. Fine wine writing, like wine itself, represents an accumulation of knowledge over the ages. The aim is to pick the best and to let it breathe again.
Be sure to subscribe to the newsletter for more details of our forthcoming books.
On California explores the grapes and the people who have made California wine great. The pioneers, the boffins, the whizz-kids and scientists, many of whom tell their stories on its pages – some in precious archive material, others have set down their thoughts mid pandemic in 2021: Randall Grahm, Gerald Asher, Steven Spurrier, Paul Draper and Warren Winiarski take a bow….
- California wine and the future: where will the ‘California spirit’ lead next?
- The ‘Hollywood Grape’: our authors chart the path of Cabernet Sauvignon, from the wish-list of Thomas Jefferson to the hallowed hillsides of Stag’s Leap and Screaming Eagle
- 1976? Of course it was a competition! Steven Spurrier and Patricia Gallagher look back at the motivations behind the famous Paris wine tasting
- Top New York sommelier Victoria James tells of her near-death introduction to the whacky world of winemaking in Sonoma
- Will the real Zinfandel please stand up? Paul Draper seeks out the true heritage of California’s versatile orphan grape
- Contributions from top California writers: Elaine Chukan Brown, Mary Margaret McCamic MW, Karen MacNeil, Esther Mobley, Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, Liz Thach MW, Clare Tooley MW, and Kelli White
- Hugh Johnson, Jane Anson and Fiona Morrison MW introduce California’s intrepid wine pioneers
- Rex Pickett’s Sideways heroes, Jack and Miles, clink glasses over the Central Coast’s finest Pinot Noir
- A–Z: from ‘Bob’ Mondavi to Xylem sap-sensors and pink Zinfandel – California wine in bite-size
Good Life Guy’s Wine of the Week:
Something from Napa of Course…
2018 Black Stallion Estate Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
An elegant and full-bodied wine that is quintessentially Napa Cabernet Sauvignon. The aromas are blackberry and cassis with hints of cinnamon. The flavors are dark, ripe, jammy fruit with savory notes. The tannins are velvety, and the wine is beautifully balanced a delight for Napa Cabernet lovers to enjoy. This rich, fruit-forward wine calls for succulent, flavorful dishes such as grilled tenderloin with roasted shallots, creamy blue cheeses, pepper-rubbed pork chops, or duck breast with grilled plums.
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