PAGING WINE LOVERS... SIX CORKING READS
Fried Eggs and Rioja: What to Drink with Absolutely Everything by Victoria Moore
(Granta, £12.99)
The fabulous Victoria Moore offers great advice on choosing the wine that will taste the best with whatever you’re eating. A lovely little book to flick through for food and drink inspiration from one of Britain’s best wine writers. The perfect Christmas present for the wine lover in your life (or yourself!).
Cider Country: How An Ancient Craft Became A Way Of Life by James Crowden
(William Collins, £18.99) The story of how – and why – cider came into existence and why it plays such an important role in the British countryside and the national psyche has never been told better. Somersetbased author James Crowden meets farmers, historians and cider experts on a journey to the heart of cider from the wild apple forests in what is now Kazakhstan to the Reformation when the cider we know and love to this day came of age. A truly lip-smacking book.
Trouble Brewing In The Loire by Tommy Barnes
(Muswell Press, £12.99)
Tommy Barnes was a graphic designer and struggling stand-up comedian when, after being made redundant, he set off to the Loire Valley with girlfriend Rose to launch a micro-brewery, Braslou Bière. This sequel to his first book, A Beer In The Loire, continues the story complete with colourful characters, disasters aplenty, the odd triumph and lots of lovely beer.
The Cocktail Bible: An A-Z Of 200 Classic And Contemporary Cocktail Recipes
(Octopus, £10)
If you’ve ever fancied making a Negroni or an ABC – or even found yourself idly wondering what’s in them – this is the perfect starting place. Tons of easy-to-follow recipes combined with great tips. You’ll soon be hosting your own cocktail parties.
English Wine: From Still To Sparkling. The Newest New World Wine Country by Oz Clarke
(Pavilion, £16.99)
No one speaks more entertainingly about wine than Oz Clarke. And that goes for his writing too. If you still miss the former Food and Drink show star on TV, I can guarantee he’s just as much fun on the page. This is the story of the English wine renaissance – it’s a great one filled with false starts, nay-sayers and, spoiler alert, eventual triumph – told through growers, producers and owners. A great yarn described with lashings of enthusiasm.
The Goode Guide To Wine: A Manifesto Of Sorts by Jamie Goode (California University Press, £14.99)
My Sunday Express colleague Jamie Goode couldn’t write boringly if you paid him and his excellent new book distils his philosophy of wine. Everything you should know – and what you don’t need to bother with – explained in a pithy, punchy and entertaining way. No need to worry about not having anything to say on the subject after reading this little corker of a book.